University of Virginia
OP-15: Campus Fleet

The University of Virginia Facilities Management Fleet recently earned the Sustainable Fleet Accreditation, recognizing its efforts to build a fleet of cleaner and more sustainable vehicles. In the past year, the department has reduced its gasoline consumption by 3,200 gallons and its carbon emissions by 28 metric tons by replacing 10 of its older, less efficient vehicles with electric and hybrid vehicles. The team also reduced the department’s number of older diesel vehicles by 50% down to just 13, resulting in a reduction of 2,500 gallons of diesel and 26 metric tons of emissions.

UTS provides bus service to virtually all areas of Grounds for the UVA community. In addition to UTS's TDM initiatives, UTS also runs on a mixture of biodiesel. UTS currently runs on a mixture ranging from B5 to B10, but would prefer to run on B-20 if it were available. Parking and Transportation has developed a long-range fleet replacement plan that will result in more fuel efficient buses that are also built to adhere to newer regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. As an example, all bus replacements since 2012 now include Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) tanks that reduces engine non-GHG emissions, particularly NOx and particulate matter (PM). UTS received 7 new buses in 2017 and is on track to receive 8 new buses in 2018, representing 44% of the transit fleet. As these buses are put into service, older and less fuel efficient buses will be retired.

Right-sizing fleet and fleet vehicles: UVA has started assessing the fleet through a LEAN Initiative for Facilities Management’s Fleet. Through this process, UVA has laid ground work that will result in opportunities to improve processes, reduce waste, and make better use of all of our resources. The end goal is to define a high-value fleet that allows UVA staff to perform their duties efficiently, with the least amount of carbon emission.
Some of the processes toward achieving this goal are:
Clearly define the specific duties and physical requirements of new vehicles to be purchased: This enables the fleet managers to right size the replacement vehicle by determining what vehicle best suits the business need. For example, UVA will be able to determine that purchasing a vehicle with a V-6 engine instead of a V-8 engine or use a smaller all-terrain vehicle rather than a full size truck. The smaller engines and vehicles will result in improved fuel efficiency and therefore reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Certain tasks will require the larger vehicle, and the fleet managers will look at other opportunities to be more efficient.
Perform a lifecycle cost analysis of the FM Fleet to identify the oldest, least efficient vehicles and remove them from service replacing with optimally sized vehicles.
Explore and implement software technology to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions: Vehicle software controllers that customize and optimize engine calibration, idle speed, shift pattern, and torque management are available for deployment in fleets. One vehicle optimization software has studied the impact of fuel consumption on several large fleets throughout the country and measured fuel savings ranging from 6% to 12%, depending upon application of vehicle.
Develop a cross-functional fleet management working group with the Office for Sustainability, Parking and Transportation and other relevant entities to research Alternative Fuel Technologies to be incorporated into FM’s Fleet: Many alternative fuel options exist for fleets and need to be assessed considering the specific requirements of the fleets at UVA as well as the infrastructure to appropriately maintain the vehicles. A fleet management working group would explore the capabilities of the alternative fuel vehicles to perform the requirements UVA has of its vehicle fleets, total cost of implementation including any new infrastructure required, return on investment, and carbon reduction based on UVA energy sources.

Risk & Liability Management Vehicle Database