by NAFA fleet

ABOVE: Riverside’s fleet uses a variety of alternative fuels and runs 42% of its vehicles on them. This was part of the reason for the No. 1 rating recently awarded. (Photo provided by the city of Riverside, Calif.)

fleet, we looked into every possibility electric, hybrid, hydrogen, propane, really anything considered low emission. Our current plan is to replace older vehicles with those using alternative kinds of fuels. Whenever we go out to purchase new vehicles, that’s what we look for. That’s what we’re careful about, purchasing something that reduces, like our plan. We’re starting to do the research on replacing our heavier duty vehicles. It’s a little stressful. There’s a lot of talk about electric cars, and we’ve worked closely with the Department of Electricity, working to plan carefully with the infrastructure so it will be able to support the vehicles planned.”

Spiking said the award is something fleets can apply for, a competition of sorts. “I started working here in 2015 and have worked on this annual report almost every year since then. There are requirements, of course, and only certain kinds of fleets can apply; we’re a government agency, so we qualify. And it feels so good to be No. 1! Everyone works so hard to make it happen. Our mechanics put in a lot of work to make sure everything is up and running properly.”

2022 wasn’t the first time Riverside took first place in the green fleet competition, and it won’t be the last either. Plans are continually evolving with more developments and innovations always underway, a crucial part of being environmentally responsible. (Photo provided by the city of Riverside, Calif.)

When asked if the No. 1 rating had any perks or benefits for the winners, Spiking said, “I believe there could be. A lot of different cities have requested tours of our facilities, looking at us for best practices and ideas they could incorporate. I believe, too, there are grant opportunities. I mean, we have a station here where the public can fill their cars with CNG (compressed natural gas). I’m not sure if the award in 2012 had anything to do with some of that.” compressed natural gas is a gasoline and diesel fuel alternative consisting primarily of methane. It’s created by compressing methane down to less than 1% of its volume; it is safer than gasoline and diesel fuels because it is nontoxic and doesn’t contaminate groundwater.

Spiking said other cities considering this kind of program might do as she did when she first began her work with it all.

“For me, being one who helped with the applications, I’d say familiarize yourselves with the city’s policies, goals, what’s green and sustainable already. Look at the city website. Do some research. Reach out to the city manager’s office. What’s their current fleet composed of? What do their vehicles do? You have to kind of immerse yourself into the whole process.”

But of course it can’t be done in one fell swoop.

“We have a vehicle replacement program. To give you a little background on that: When the city vehicles are purchased, initially there are monthly fees that are paid into a reserve fund. Once the vehicle has reached the end of its usefulness, there is some money set aside for the replacement. It’s not such a big bite all at once.”

There are criteria to meet when it’s time to replace vehicles. “Alternative fuel sources, flex fuel, electric we’re starting the process, but we have to work on the infrastructure to meet all those needs. Heavy vehicles are replaced with better choices, but they’re better not just because they’re newer, but because the fuel usage is cleaner. (We’re) always keeping that 2040 goal in mind. Diesel fuel will be going away. Most of our trash trucks are almost all CNG tanks now, and they have a certain lifespan of about 15 years. So we were looking into the replacement costs, and we realized the trucks were actually in pretty good shape, and that got us thinking. We reached out for quotes, comparing the cost of replacing the tanks versus replacing the trucks altogether. We ended up just replacing the tank, which cost less but still gave us good results.”

This plan has been going on in various incarnations for some time now, with Spiking noting, “Our oldest vehicle is a Honda Civic, and it’s a 2000. We just put in an E85 fuel pump for a few vehicles.”

E85 or flex fuel is a term that refers to high-level ethanolgasoline blends, containing 51% to 83% ethanol, which is made from plant materials, such as corn, sugar cane and grasses. The ratio depends on geography and season.

“But we do still have a few diesel trucks. The fire trucks are considered emergency vehicles, and they still use diesel. But there’s beginning to be more manufacturing of all-electric, so we’re getting everything else in order. Have to be ready to use them when we can. The solid waste department has an order in for, I think, six solid waste trucks, and that should be exciting. You have to wonder, how

will they work? What will be the benefit?”

As with just about everything else, the pandemic and supply shortages slowed everything down for a while, but Spiking said, “I feel like we’re still on track for our carbon neutrality by 2040, and I believe the rest of the city is working toward it, too. The city manager, Mike Futrell, is very proactive. He’s constantly reading up on all the newest news, and how they’re planning all the infrastructure. I believe they’re making solar-powered chargers that don’t need to be plugged into anything. He wants to stay up on everything. A lot of the trucks have GPS systems now; most of our vehicles, in fact, have a GPS, and I know that our refuse department uses them to map their routes for the trash trucks. They can figure out the most efficient route, even down to analyzing things like a right or left turn and analyze idle time because that also affects emissions.”

Spiking concluded, “Community reaction has been, I would hope, good! I know that when the No. 1 rating was announced, our marketing department sent out a social media blast. I think a lot of people may not really understand all that’s involved when they see city vehicles driving around. It’s not just the city and not just the fleet. It

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