Company Report: City of Hamilton
Out of the Fog of History Supply Chain Digital learns that a new City of Hamilton is emerging, driven by an award-winning Green Fleet as Ontario’s ‘steel city’ cleans up its air

The City of Hamilton received this award for becoming Canada

This is a diesel-electric hybrid bus used in the City of Ham

Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, Central Fleet Manager Chris

Anyone who hasn’t been to Hamilton, Ontario for a while will notice a qualitative difference in the atmosphere. The city was built on foundations of heavy industry – steel making and auto production. Back in the day there was a taste in the air, something a bit sharp. The steel mills brought employment but they also generated pollution. Today, they are cleaner, higher-tech and, as a consequence, employ fewer people. 

“We are seeing an increase in highly-qualified jobs – we have more academic, white-collar and professional people,” says Chris Hill, manager of the city’s central fleet. The municipal authorities are making a concerted effort to ensure the city measures up.

EFFICIENCY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
“We have had a strong ‘green fleet’ plan in place since 2006, with a strong emphasis on new technology, especially hybrid vehicles – we now have over 140,” says Hill. There is also a focus on improved driver performance, through training, and to use technology to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions.

“We are putting measures into place to reduce idling,” he said. “One of the reasons our drivers keep their engines running is to run the heaters during winter and the air conditioning in summer. We have vehicles that use less fuel from the tank to power separate heating systems; the engines don’t have to be kept running.” Gelling, or waxing, used to be a reason to keep diesel engines running in the deep cold. That’s not really a problem now.

“Vehicles today have direct injection, plus the fuels have additives to reduce waxing,” he continued. Technological developments have also helped the drive to reduce emissions. Engines compatible with 2010 standards emit virtually no SO2, NOx or particulates. “You can put a clean handkerchief at the exhaust of a diesel engine for a few minutes and it will come away clean.” But particulates are still in the environment, generated by older engines, by industry and as a result of the past. Hamilton is making an effort to eliminate them for good.

“We have a fleet of high-tech street sweepers, which have been designed to control and capture invisible particulates,” said Hill. “They were a joint purchase with the City of Toronto – together, we ordered over 70. They are changing the street-sweeping industry.” Fine particulate matter includes tire debris and other materials. The action of vehicle tires as they travel down the road kicks particulates up to two meters in the air. These machines capture and remove them.

The best way of controlling particulates is, of course, to ensure that they aren’t produced in the first place, which modern engines are moving towards, if they aren’t there already. The same applies to greenhouse gases and one way of reducing their output is to cut fuel consumption.

“We use a couple of hybrid technologies, starting with the first gas/electric Toyota Priuses. Most of our light fleet is now gas/electric hybrid,” said Hill. Hybrids will now be bought wherever possible. “In the heavy duty area, there aren’t many currently available. We have three diesel/hybrid hydraulic launch assist garbage packers on order, from Peterbilt using a system developed by Eaton Corporation. They use a kinetic energy recovery (KERS) system, which looks like it will save 15-30 per cent fuel consumption.”

As the garbage packers currently use, on average, a liter for each kilometer, fuel savings could make a big difference to the city’s budget. “We have some GM - Allison diesel/electric hybrid buses, which we’ve had for three years and are showing 10 to 15 percent more efficiency. Our transit inspection vehicles are hybrid Ford Escapes and their advantage means they pay for themselves in a year. We’re looking to push manufacturers to develop hybrids for pick-up trucks and SUVs. We may see battery-electric Transit Connect vans from Ford and our Provincial government will be supporting them with rebates of up to $10,000 each.” 

ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Making the case is firmly based on economic benefit, as well. Hamilton’s fleet division has undertaken lifecycle studies that indicate the overall money cost of high-tech vehicles is around $600 per year over the norm. As the capital cost works out at around $1,200 annually over eight-year lives, the fuel saving is clearly significant – and energy prices have been trending upwards.

Other advantages come from reduced servicing costs – KERS systems reduce wear on brakes, for example. The city’s diesel fleet runs on B5 biodiesel and will continue to do so through their current contracts. Natural gas is used in city buses and on ice resurfacers, and propane is used in tar kettles and forklift vehicles. There is even some use of solar power, for traffic direction equipment, such as arrowboards. 

“The two biggest things that have helped are driver training – reducing the use of the right foot – and government leadership,” says Hill. “We’re very interested in the development of electric vehicles but that will fizzle out if the government gets in the way or fails to stimulate interest.”

In order to promote interest, from the public, manufacturers and government, Hamilton and Toronto jointly organize a Green Fleet Expo, to be held this year June 9/10. So far, Hamilton has been setting an example. It has the first silver-award Green Fleet in the country. Modeled after the LEED standard for buildings, the E3 Fleet Rating program recognizes effective planning and operation of vehicle fleets across the country. Its award is a recognition that Hamilton has changed, and how far it is on the way to becoming a true ‘green city’. 

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