Representative James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin has sent a letter to new EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson calling attention to the benefits of using gallons per mile as measure of fuel economy. Read the press release and letter here.
Rep. Sensenbrenner has also proposed support for hybrid trucks. Given the low MPG of trucks (delivery trucks, garbage trucks, etc.), we believe this makes a great deal of sense. GPM makes clear that even a modest MPG improvement on trucks will save tons of carbon over 10,000 miles of driving.
Quoting from the press release: "In reducing fuel consumption, our focus should start with the least efficient vehicles. Because trucks consume much greater quantities of fuel than cars, even seemingly modest efficiency gains result in substantial fuel savings," Sensenbrenner said. "Trucks consume 48 percent of our fuel and each individual truck consumes substantially more fuel than a passenger car. Trucks, not cars, are the low-hanging fruit, and trucks should be a primary focus of hybrid technology research."
The press release then describes the benefits of replacing conventional garbage trucks with hybrid garbage trucks. We think this is a compelling application of the GPM argument.
Coca Cola recently purchased 185 hybrid delivery trucks.
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