Fleet Name: Town of Waynesville Fleet Management
Domicile Site: Town of Waynesville, NC
Service Area: Town of Waynesville is located in Haywood County west of Asheville, NC. The Town of Waynesville serves 10,000 residents.
Fleet Purpose: Provides quality, timely service maintaining the fleet for all the town’s departments. Maintains the gasoline, diesel, propane and electric fueling infrastructure.
Alternative fuel or technology: Biodiesel, LPG, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations.
When started: In 2004 the first Toyota Prius purchased for Administrative use. In 2014 the Town partnered with Alliance AutoGas and Blossman Gas headquarters in Asheville NC to convert 3 pickup trucks to LPG using the PRINS conversion system, then adding 4 more pickups in 2015. In 2014 and 2015 the town converted 20 police cruisers to LPG. Blossman Gas installed a LPG fueling system at the Public Works facility to fuel these vehicles. All vehicles are bi-fuel.
In 2015, the town began purchasing B5 biodiesel obtained from Blue Ridge Biofuels and uses it in its 42 diesel vehicles. In 2015, the town partnered with Brightfield Transportation Solutions, an EVSE vendor in Asheville NC, to install both a Level II and DC Fast Charger in a well-used parking lot downtown next to popular restaurants and shops. The Nissan Corporation donated the DCFC equipment through Brightfield TS. Then the town purchased a Chevy Volt for town use and installed a second EVSE at the Public Works facility to charge its PEVs. The Town purchased a battery electric Nissan LEAF in December 2016. These initiatives are under the administration of the Public Works Director, David Foster.
For 2017, there are 42 Diesel Trucks using B5; 27 LPG; 2 HEV; 3 PEV; in the fleet. The use of these alternative fuels and technologies resulted in the reduction of 26,528 gas gallon equivalents and 67.7 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Financials: Most of the town’s alt fuel project costs have been covered by the town. No grant funding has been used to date. The DC Fast Charger was donated by Nissan North America through Brightfield Transportation Solutions. The Coalition Coordinator and Fleet Consultant presented to Town Council and staff about 4 years ago and explained the benefits of alt fueled vehicles and offered our assistance. We introduced the town officials to both Brightfield Transportation Solutions and Alliance AutoGas staff who partnered on the EVSE and LPG vehicle/infrastructure projects. The town financed the LPG conversions through Wells Fargo.