Cincinnati officials developing Green Fleet Plan to eliminate fossil fuels from city vehicles by 2025; car sharing may play role

Cincinnati, Ohio city officials are developing a Green Fleet Plan that would end the city’s dependence on gasoline or diesel motor fuels by 2025.

The Green Fleet Plan is being developed for the city’s 3,654 vehicles and is expected to be finished by mid-2012. According to a 2011 report, existing city vehicles have a median fuel efficiency of 12.15 mpg.

Part of the solution may include the use of a car sharing service; Zipcar entered the Cincinnati market in September 2011.

The idea would be that the city could contract with Zipcar to provide a certain number of vehicles in the city and the city would then utilize the service for quick runs when employees need to be on-site for inspections or other service calls. The service would not completely eliminate the need for city-owned vehicles, but it is envisioned as lessening the need for the city to own as many automobiles.

...the city will be moving forward with these discussions but will be looking at a competitive bidding process that will engage more than just Zipcar.

Source: Green Car Congress