Fleet is dedicated to helping the District reduce its fuel consumption and improve air quality. They accomplish this by acquiring over 700 alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles, including those that use bio-diesel, E-85, electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG), and ultra-low sulfur diesel. In 2011, the District introduced bio-diesel (B-20) fuel, which is used by over 2,300 vehicles and comes from 20% renewable resources.
The District is among a select few major cities to use this renewable resource. In 2012, the District acquired 10 alternative fuel vehicles for trash collection, street sweeping, snow removal, and other services using federal stimulus funds provided by the EPA through the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).
Since 2009, Fleet's environmental expertise has been recognized with the Government Green Fleet award every year. The District introduced DC Fleet Share, a motor pool operation that allows government employees to reserve a vehicle online on a first-come, first-served basis. This innovation maximizes fleet utilization on an hourly basis, allowing a high number of trips to be supported by a smaller number of vehicles. The motor pool offers fuel-efficient Honda hybrids and Chevy Volts (plug-in electric vehicles) added in 2012 to increase vehicle productivity and reduce shared-use vehicle issues.
