Hybrid Vehicles Available for Fleet Use

Prius:  The Toyota Prius has proven to be a dependable tool for use in some departments. The second series Prius is a larger vehicle comparable to a Ford Taurus or Chevrolet Malibu. The EPA rating for this vehicle is 60 mpg in town and 50 on the highway. I would anticipate mileage figures only slightly higher than those we experience with the first generation cars. Mostly because of the type of driving and the terrain of our community. The cost of a new Prius is about $26,000.00. They are still being subsidized by Toyota. The draw back is the six-month backlog for delivery.

Civic: The Honda Civic is a very comparable car to the first generation Toyota.  Currently the purchase price is $19,998.00 on the metro purchasing contract. The delivery time is approximately 120 days. Honda produces a very reliable vehicle.  I do not know if the warranty administration is as liberal as Toyota. In the past it has not been.

Insight: The Honda Insight is a nice vehicle and delivers the best mileage of all the hybrids. Use in our fleet would be very limited at best and I have reservations about acceptance by the public.

Chevrolet Silverado: The new Chevrolet Silverado hybrid pickup is a series design with the gasoline engine running most of the time. The engine stops at traffic controlled intersections restarts when the brake pedal is released, similar to a Honda. The system is estimated to increase current mileage of a standard 5.3L V-8 Silverado by 10-12%.

Our current Silverado pickups with 5.3L V-8 average about 12.53 mpg. Our current Silverado pickups with 4.7L V-8 average 13.52 mpg.

Advantages: These are full size pickups extended cab and regular cab similar to ones used by every department the city. The addition of electrical outlets in the bed makes this truck more attractive for use of electrical tools in the field. We currently use generators or inverters to accomplish these tasks.

Disadvantage: These trucks are currently only available to fleets. They will be available to the public third quarter of this year. This truck is configured only in an extended cab because of space required for the additional batteries. Justification would have to come from the vehicles ability to perform jobs and not pay back the cost difference through the increased fuel mileage. The other concern I have is with the electric driven hydraulics and ventilation systems when the engine is not running. These systems are unproven and could be expense to maintain after the truck is out of warranty.

Pricing: The hybrid option is an additional $2,500.00. Vehicle cost will be around $18,000.00 for a two-wheel drive and $19,000.00 for four-wheel drive.

Dodge Ram Pickup: The diesel Ram hybrid pickup is currently in testing with the U.S. Army. This unit is not likely to available for fleet service for a few years. Not much information is available at this time.

Ford Escape: The Ford escape is currently running behind the production schedule provided by Ford. The cost over run has been excessive. The current configuration that will be released to the public in the fall is based on Toyota technology. The system used is similar to the first generation Prius. It should be a practical SUV when released. The draw back to any new release is working out all the little problems. Ford has been extremely liberal in the past with warranty extensions.

Pricing: At the present time two-wheel drive is estimated to be $26,000 and four wheel drive $28,000.00.

Lexus R400H: This SUV is to be released in November or December. It is Toyota second-generation (synergy) technology. It should comparable in performance to the new Prius. Pricing is in the $42,000.00 range; dealers are taking deposits and putting the customer on a list. Colors are not available at this time. Units will be ordered the dealer will go down the list of customers until the units are sold.

Very little information is available for the GM fuel cell mini vans. There is currently seven units in Washington D.C. These are being used by congress around the D.C. area. GM is testing units in Germany and Japan. The goal is production of a viable vehicle by 2010. Hydrogen fueling infrastructure will be a concern.

Steve Stewart

Central Maintenance Garage