AltWheels Fleet Day 2008: Overview

At yesterday's AltWheels Fleet Day,
purchasing managers, municipal workers, and automotive journalists
converged on Staples World Headquarters in Framingham, MA (a town more
deserving of a fleet vehicle convention than any other) to celebrate
the fuel efficient future of fleet vehicles.

We know what you're thinking. Sure, the phrase "fleet vehicle" usually conjures up an image of a late '90s Crown Vic or Ford Ranger with a bad paintjob, a "How's my Driving" sticker, and a couple of vestigial lights and switches left over from when the local police department owned it. No matter if they're used for checking electrical meters or inspecting the accuracy of gas pumps, fleet vehicles get more abuse than they get attention. Until now, the closest a fleet vehicle ever got to "green" is when it was repainted for use in the parks department, or a few token CNG cars used by the gas company and the highway department. 

Today, many innovative fleet vehicle designs are borne from customer demand, according to AltWheels Founder Alison Sander. "It requires coinvestments," Sander told Wired.com, "but a manufacturer wants to supply a new product to as many customers as possible." When an innovative fleet director demands fuel efficiency, the manufacturers create some pretty cool products. We traveled to Framingham to check out the latest innovations in fuel-saving technologies for cars and trucks designed to be bought in bulk. Check it out after the jump.

Of course the usual suspects were there: the CNG Crown Vic, the '05 Fuel Cell Ford Focus, biodiesel trucks, and enough hybrid Toyotas that it looked less like a fleet car convention and more like a Whole Foods parking lot. They even had an electric bucket truck. Here are some of our favorites:

Michelin "Super Single" Tires

Turn your dually into a singlly! Replacing two tires with one reduces weight and rolling resistance. This comes from a Pete's Tire/Michelin exhibit. Sadly, this writer didn't have a CDL, so no test drive...

Ford Escape Plug-In

Part of Ford's partnership with So Cal Edison, a limited release of the plug-in Escape is part of Ford's short-term sustainability strategy. "We're focusing on affordable solutions that we are able to sell in high volumes to our customers," John Viera, Ford's Director of Sustainability told Wired.com. Right now, that means a plug-in hybrid Escape might see wider release between 2012 and 2020.

Smith's Electric Class 7 Electric Truck

The Smith Electric Truck is the Chevy Volt of delivery vehicles -- except it's been on sale in Europe for quite awhile. Kudos to Smith for their advertising: all you need to know is written on the trailer.

New Amsterdam Project (NAP)

We really think this is the urban delivery solution of the future. Dallas is never going to be Amsterdam, but the majority of light-duty delivery drivers in America's urban areas could do well to ditch the fifteen-year-old Nissan Stanza and hop on to an electric-assist delivery tricycle. It's like a socially responsible version of Mr. McFeely. Plus, we're told the trikes "fly under the radar" for most licensing requirements, which means no more parking tickets.

Photos: Wired.com