TITLE
Recommendation to respectfully request that the City of Long Beach sign on as a Local Government Partner to the Plug-In Partners National Campaign; and as part of the City's commitment to Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV), request City Manager review upgrading the City's fleet of hybrid vehicles to plug-in hybrids, consider establishing a soft fleet order for future purchases, and report back to the City Council on the progress.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach is committed to reducing our carbon footprint on the environment and reducing air pollution emissions by purchasing the most fuel-efficient vehicles possible for our City fleet. The City has requested waste haulers to use only alternative fuel refuse collection vehicles within city limits, the port is requiring harbor yard equipment to be alternative fuel vehicles, and the City has successfully integrated gasoline-electric hybrids into its fleet.
Current technology has expanded on the gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle to the more efficient plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)., A PHEV allows the vehicle to run for 50+ miles on battery-electric power, plugs into a regular wall socket for recharge, and contains a gas tank as back-up. PHEVs will save the city money on fuel costs while cutting pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by half compared to a regular hybrid.
Many automobile manufacturers have publicly tested PHEV prototypes. A number of conversion programs and opportunities are available by both public and private agencies, and have been implemented to much success for municipal fleets and personal use.
Plug-In Partners is a national grass-roots initiative to demonstrate to automakers that a market for flexible-fuel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) exists today. A number of cities have signed on as Local Government Partners to the Plug-In Partners National Campaign, including Austin, Los Angeles, Burbank, Oakland, Boston, Chicago and over 50 other cities. These cities have ...
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