As of last year, 13% of the United States Postal Service's fleet of 289,000 vehicles were using alternative technologies and fuels such as hybrids, electrics, natural gas, bio-diesel. It's a good start, but what is wrong with 100%?
Back in 2003, Federal Express started an ambitious program of trying to convert their fleet to non petroleum based sources, but they have hit a bump in the road. As technologies gain in usage, like the calculator, the DVD player, or hybrid or pure electrical vehicles, the costs will go down. Fed Ex jumped, but because few companies followed, the prices were too high to make their noble goal cost affordable.
Mitch Jackson, FedEx's director of environmental affairs and sustainability, always knew he couldn't go it alone. His team, which included the green group Environmental Defense, decided from the start that it would share all engine technology it devised with anyone. "We were optimistic," he says, "that if we were out there helping manufacturers to sell it, then others would follow and create the market."
Jackson, 44 and a FedEx lifer, figured that other companies would realize the ultimate cost savings and start placing orders for test vehicles. They didn't -- in large part because of the initial sticker shock. Priuses and other passenger hybrids carry a 20% to 25% price premium over comparable nonhybrids; the engines that Mercedes and the Cleveland-based Eaton Corp. produced for FedEx upped costs 75%.
The biggest company in the world (still bigger than Wal-Mart) is the US government. On just the issue of vehicles, we can produce vast change in the market simply through the economy of scale. The 250,000 non alternative fuel vehicles left in the post office fleet can be switched over 50,000 a year as trucks leave the fleet due to age, and wear and tear.
There are now over 650,000 vehicles in the federal fleet. For example, many upper level military officers have civilian cars that are used not in the deserts of the middle east, but for riding around the base. They can go alternative energy as well.
The carrot and stick approach can be used at the State, County, and City level government as well. Offer goodies to these governmental agencies in exchange for converting their cars over. With the market in place, manufacturers will compete for contracts. Hopefully, Ford, GM, and Chrysler will be motivated to sell these cars to the government, then realize that since the plants are built, they can sell some to the American people who have a tax credit incentive for switching out from driving their suburbans for a Ford Escape, a Prius, or a Chevy Volt.
Also, can Barack get Jimmy Carter over to the White House to help re-install the solar panels on the roof? I hear he is good with a hammer.