Announcements

Alternative Fuels: Vehicles and Pilot Projects

The City of Lawrence has made an on-going commitment to researching and pursuing alternative fuel vehicles when it is reasonably economical to do so. Our fleet inventory currently includes three hybrid vehicles (combination of electric and gas powered) and nine flex-fuel vehicles (alcohol and gas) Flex-fuel vehicles are capable of operating on variations of typical unleaded gasoline up to an E-85 blend, or 85% ethanol.

E-85 pilot program

Steve Stewart, Central Maintenance Garage Manager, worked with the Kansas Corn Growers Association to help support an E-85 pilot program for the stock of flex-fuel vehicles in our fleet in 2001. A summary of those program results is attached below as well as a copy of the media release at the initiation of the program. Currently, an ethanol plant is being constructed in Kansas, which may make the fuel a more economical choice for City vehicles.

Future pilot programs

Options for future pilot programs include the possibility of testing bio-diesel in larger equipment. Funding is not available to undertake this program at the current time.