NYC study of actual fuel economy of fleet finds hybrids more fuel efficient as compared to conventional vehicles than expected
06 June 2020
Using telematics, NYC Fleet, part of New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), recently analyzed actual fuel economy in its hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles and compared it to the EPA ratings for each make and model.
The results showed that hybrids performed better against their EPA ratings than non-hybrids—i.e., hybrids are even more fuel efficient as compared to regular fuel vehicles than expected.
In 2019, DCAS upgraded its vehicle telematics systems in a contract with Geotab and AT&T. This system has improved the ability to report on use-based fuel economy per vehicle.
DCAS Fleet looked at actual fuel economy in calendar year 2019 for 4,000 non-policing fleet units including sedans, SUVs, pickups, and vans. These units traveled more than 18 million miles in this period with half the mileage using hybrid vehicles and the other half non-hybrids.
DCAS Fleet focused on hybrids and not plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) or fully electric vehicles (BEVs) for this analysis.
For each of 106 separate vehicle models and years, Fleet compared the EPA fuel economy to the actual fuel economy. According to the EPA ratings, the hybrid vehicles should have been 118% more fuel efficient than non-hybrids. In fact, the hybrids were 155% more fuel efficient.
Dollar for dollar, hybrids knock emission and GHG reductions by BEVs especially long range ones out of court.
And they don't require deeply regressive subsidies, with the rich panhandling from the poorer, who are anyway far less likely to have anywhere to plug in.
Posted by: Davemart | 06 June 2020 at 02:32 AM
When a mid sized hybrid gets 40 mpg instead of 20, you save fuel.
Posted by: SJC_1 | 06 June 2020 at 07:04 AM
We're talking NYC where driving 2 miles takes 15 minutes on a good non-pandemic day. Regen braking is at its best given all the start/stop. No pure gasser on earth is getting its sticker MPG in Manhattan.
Posted by: Albert E Short | 06 June 2020 at 08:15 AM
Ain't that the truth, Al.
Speaking for myself, in hybrid mode my car can easily beat 155% of its EPA-rated fuel economy so long as I'm taking things lazy. The trip computer has measured over 60 MPG when cruising at 40 MPH vs. a roughly 38 MPG highway rating. That goes the same for stop-and-go, in which the engine scarcely runs at all.
There's a strong case for mandating that all LDVs be hybrids.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 06 June 2020 at 11:31 AM
E-P:
Good to see you are partially electric(ha).
Posted by: Lad | 06 June 2020 at 07:12 PM
Somewhere between 75% and 80% electric. The base model of my car is EPA rated at something like 26 MPG; my trip computer says I'm getting close to 130. (PHEV, of course.)
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 06 June 2020 at 08:22 PM