Surrey City Fleet earns E3 Gold Rating
Fraser Basin Council Executive Director David Marshall presents Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Surrey City Council with an E3 Gold Rating Award on May 9 to mark the City's high achievements in fleet management. |
The City of Surrey has been recognized as having one of the top-rated green fleets in Canada and has become one of four municipal and corporate fleets in the country to receive an E3 Fleet Gold Rating from the Fraser Basin Council.
The Council’s E3 (Energy, Environment and Excellence) Fleet Rating is Canada’s only green fleet rating and certification program for both private and public sector fleets. Surrey's gold rating recognizes the City's reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, an investment in low or no-carbon vehicles and energy efficient technologies, as well as a commitment to staff development and management excellence. For details on the program, visit e3fleet.com.
“The City is proud of the work we’ve done to upgrade our fleet and reduce our carbon emissions, and we’re very pleased to be recognized as a leader in Canada,” says Mayor Dianne Watts. “It’s important for municipalities to set an example, and our staff have done an exceptional job. Surrey is the only municipality in Canada to host two municipal hydrogen fuelling stations, and we’re introducing a number of alternative vehicles, including hydrogen, electric and Canada’s first natural gas municipal waste collection truck.”
Under the E3 Fleet Program, public and private sector fleets can seek formal ratings, which are based on several criteria. The City of Surrey has undertaken a number of actions related to these categories, including:
- Greenhouse Gas Performance: The City has demonstrated reductions in GHG emissions with an 18% reduction in the past two years.
- Fuel Efficiency: The City has demonstrated year over year gains in fleet fuel efficiency, averaging a 1.3% efficiency gain per year.
- Vehicle Purchasing: The City purchased fuel efficient and alternative technology vehicles.
- Fleet Action Plan: The City has committed to reduce vehicle carbon emissions by 20% by the year 2020.
- Training and Awareness: Staff training was developed and implemented and City drivers underwent fuel efficient driver training.
- Idling Reduction: The City adopted an idling reduction policy, which included employee training and implementation of auto-shut-off technology in fleet vehicles.
- Fuel Data Management: Automated fuel data management systems and consumption monitoring and reporting systems have been implemented.
- Operations & Maintenance: Regular and consistent vehicle maintenance standards including emissions testing and environmental standards for waste management have been established and are being followed.
- Trip & Route Planning: City staff utilize route optimization techniques and leverage automatic vehicle location (AVL) technologies for snow and ice control operations.
- Utilization Management: Methods are employed to ensure the efficient and optimal use of vehicles.
The City of Surrey Engineering Department has announced it is working on a number of additional fleet-related initiatives including:
- Surrey is the only municipality in Canada to host two municipal hydrogen fuelling stations. Both of these stations are fully funded by the Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association.
- The City is operating two zero-emission Ford Focus hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCV) and is working toward expanding the number of FCV’s through a partnership with Powertech Labs. Surrey is establishing itself as a desirable market area for major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
- Over the course of 2011, the City will introduce a number of 100% electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a pilot project that will assist the City in assessing the performance of and establishing the appropriate operational changes that are required to ensure that this type of vehicle will be effective in its deployment as part of the City’s fleet.
- The City will introduce Canada’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) municipal waste collection truck for residential curbside service (a nominal number of CNG deployments have already occurred in Canada but for commercial services only). Natural gas emits 20 to 30% fewer GHGs compared to gasoline and diesel fuels. In addition, natural gas does not pool when it is spilled and is therefore it’s not as impactful from a contamination perspective.
- In partnership with SFU’s School of Mechatronics (Surrey campus), the Engineering Department is co-sponsoring a post-doctoral research project, which was initiated in April 2011. It is focused on developing a tool that will help the City better assess the pros and cons of low carbon alternatives to gas and diesel municipal fleet vehicles. It will evaluate the City’s alternative fuel vehicles and compare full life-cycle costs (capital, operational, depreciated costs), environmental pros and cons, operational and logistics benefits and limitations.
- Surrey is the only municipality in Canada to host two municipal hydrogen fuelling stations. Both of these stations are fully funded by the Canadian Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association.
