Fuel-Efficient and Alternative-Fuel Vehicles Snapshots

See "snapshots" of several communities' experiences with fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles.

Ventura County
Population: 844,713

Snapshot

Ventura County’s fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles program includes a broad range of hybrid and partial zero emissions vehicles. The county adopted a no-idle policy for all diesel and gas vehicles that requires operators to turn off vehicle engines after one minute. It also conducts smog testing on its vehicles every two years, which is more frequently than required by state law.

More Information: Ventura County Administrative Policy Manual, Chapter III, Procedure #26

Kern County
Population: 839,597

Snapshot

Kern County’s standards for vehicle purchases promote alternative-fuels and low-emission vehicles. Any purchase not meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Certified SmartWay designation requires justification and approval from the County Administration Officer’s Office. The standards also require consideration of employee safety as well as vehicle durability and reliability.

More Information: Kern County Policy and Procedures Manual Chapter 5 – Purchasing Procedures, Appendix C, (1.5) www.co.kern.ca.us/cao/policy/05.pdf

City of Tulare (Tulare County)
Population: 59,535

Snapshot

The City of Tulare’s “green fleet” consists of 48 light vehicles, including seven police vehicles that use E-85 ethanol, 17 refuse vehicles, 36 buses that use liquefied natural gas, and street sweepers and other light vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. (E-85 ethanol is a fuel which is 85 percent ethanol.)

More Information: Extreme Area Ozone Plan, City of Tulare Control Measures
http://www.ci.tulare.ca.us/pdfs/AirControlMeasuresRev.pdf

Los Angeles County
Population: 10.4 Million

Snapshot

Los Angeles County created a Clean Fuels Program Policy in 2007 to move the county forward in greening its fleet and improving air quality. The policy promotes the purchase of hybrid vehicles as the county’s standard light vehicle. In 2009, the county updated its Clean Fuels Program Policy to include other alternative-fuel vehicles, including compressed natural gas vehicles.

More Information: County of Los Angeles Clean Fuels Board Policy Revision, February 3, 2009; http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/supdocs/47141.pdf

Compiled May and June 2010

The above snapshots were prepared with generous support from AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah.

City of Santa Monica
Population: 91,439

Snapshot

The City of Santa Monica adopted its first sustainability policies in 1994. Today, 87 percent (566 vehicles) of its municipal fleet runs on alternative fuels, including CNG, propane, hydrogen, biodiesel and electricity. (The fleet total does not include fire or police response vehicles.) In addition, its transit system includes 198 Big Blue Buses, which operate exclusively on alternative fuels.