Is anyone aware of any studies/pilot programs that have been developed to encourage consumers to purchase and/or use more fuel efficient vehicles? What were the results of those campaigns, and what was learned?
Thanks for your assistance,
Doug
Doug Manarin, P.Eng.
Climate Change Programs Sustainability Group
#203 - 456 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1R3 CANADA
tel: 604.871.6911
fax: 604.871.6524
e-mail: [email protected]
www.onedayvancouver.ca
Promoting Fuel Efficient Vehicles -- Strategies for Programs
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Doug,
Before I moved to Vancouver I worked in the UK on several transport programs that were focused on encouraging consumers to switch to more fuel efficient vehicles both in government, corporate & community settings. You can try http://www.act-uk.com/index.jsp which is focused on travel planning officers in local government. You might also like to look at http://www.bedzed.org.uk/main.html which focuses on a zero fossil energy development and has a great deal of info on transport. I'm also open to e-mail / phone calls if anyone wants to know more.
Tricia Patricia Barnes,
B.Sc., Adv. Dip E.D.M., P.G. Dip E.D.M., M.Sc.
Senior Partner, Barnes and Jeffreys,
Sustainable Business Consulting,
1956 3rd Avenue East, Vancouver, B.C. V5N 1H5
Phone: (604) 255 3060
Cell: 778 288 8731
Web: www.BarnesandJeffreys.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Indiana's BioTown Initiative is promoting ethanol and bio-diesel use in a pilot community of 500 people.
John Motloch
Director, Land Design Institute
Professor of Landscape Architecture
Ball State University
765-285-7561 (phone)
Doug:
If you have not looked at the New Dream website this may interest you. http://www.newdream.org/ This organization recently ran, and is continuing to promote, green cars.
Dear Doug:
The Greenfleet program in Australia has started to show some interesting results. When I first look at in about 2 years ago it appeared to have no real uptake. I was in New York recently and saw how financial incentives were being applied. There are bank loans I believe with preference rates being offered. Perhaps Van City would be interested in this as a local initiative.
L L. E. Johannson
B.E.S., (Hons) M.Sc., FRSA
Greetings
Vancity here in British Columbia did offer loans for 'fuel efficient' vehicles at a discount that is a loan at Prime for 5 years for up to $35,000 when I purchased. Further the Provincial Government here offers a rebate of a portion of the sales tax (amounted to some $700 on my Prius). As laudable as these initiatives are, not sure an incentives like these are the driving force behind for example the purchase of a Prius, which has one on a wait list of several months to buy. It was interesting to note at the local dealer sponsored Prius buyer night shortly after I acquired mine, that most of the people in the room were definitely over 40 and very environmentally tuned in and interested in the technology. My salesman advised at the time of purchase that nobody leases a Prius and all pay cash or borrow the money independent of any dealer/Toyota financial offering. I have checked the used car adds several times and have yet to see a used Prius for sale. More to the point with respect to financial, the taxi fleets here are shifting in large numbers to Prius more so than any other place in Canada based on what I have seen. They get the money at prime and make enough savings in gas (99.9 cents a liter today) to make the payments. As an example last week I was in a taxi/Prius that was three months old and he had some 29,000 km on his, which is more than I have on mine, which is 18 months old, so obviously his annual savings are many orders of magnitude larger than mine. The word in the taxi world here is great car, reliable, next to no maintenance and it look like it will pay for itself in three years. Previously the habit was to buy second hand Police cars. Sense that the financial incentive at the tax level and by financial institutions is more a marketing and promotional effort, causing individuals to think and is not necessarily a financial deal maker (still important but). Ordinary individuals buy the sizzle (technology, public statement, environmental impact). The real economic value rests with the high mileage drivers like taxi operators.
R Forrest Smith
EcoSol Consulting Inc.
1512 Regents Place Victoria BC V8S 1Y4
A bank in Australia (Credit union to be exact) offers lower percentage loans as mentioned earlier but have also extended the incentives to offset Greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicle for the life of the loan . Nice little package but uncertain of its success or otherwise. visit: www.mecu.com.au and look for the Go Green car loan. They also off a similar reduced rate loan for home improvements that include energy and water saving devices. They give examples of this as meaning "... heat pumps (reverse cycle air conditioning), high efficiency gas heaters, solar electricity generation, wind electricity generation, solar hot water, grey water recycling system, waterless composting toilet, rainwater tanks, insulation, 5 star energy efficient glazing and awnings..." I'm impressed with the intention, but as mentioned earlier, am uncertain of how effective it has been as a program.
Enjoy.
Megan Bytheway
[email protected]
Doug:
I would suggest that you speak with Stephen Akehurst at Natural Resources Canada. Stephen is the senior manager for the energy guide label program that indicates the fuel efficiency of all new vehicles sold in Canada. I would suspect that he would be well placed to answer your questions. Here is his contact information (613 992 6390; [email protected]). Please let us know what you find out.
Best,
Doug
Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph.D.
McKenzie-Mohr Associates
(506) 455 5061 voice/pager
(506) 455 0550 fax
[email protected]
http://www.cbsm.com