Summary:
Colorado State Fleet Management supports reducing fuel waste and the public’s exposure to vehicle exhaust by limiting unnecessary idling in state-owned vehicle.
Background:
An idling vehicle gets zero miles per gallon, which wastes fuel and pollutes the air. Running an engine at low speed (idling) also causes twice the wear on internal engine parts compared to driving at regular speeds. The break-even point for shutting off and restarting an engine, as compared to leaving it to idle, is 1 minute. From the point of view of both emissions and fuel consumption it takes approximately 10 seconds of fuel to restart a vehicle's engine. For more information, visit the EPA Fuel Economy website.
I. Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to reduce the petroleum consumed and pollution emitted by State Fleet vehicles and to improve air quality, and reduce costs to Colorado taxpayers.
II. Policy:
No person who operates a state-owned vehicle that is managed by Colorado State Fleet Management, and designed to operate on public roads shall allow the vehicle to idle in excess of one (1) consecutive minutes in any period for gasoline-powered vehicles or diesel-powered vehicles.
No vehicle shall be left running and parked/unattended for any reason (gasoline or diesel), unless the following situational exceptions:
- The vehicle is forced to remain motionless on a public road because of traffic conditions over which the operator has no control;
- The vehicle is being used as an emergency vehicle in an emergency situation;
- The vehicle’s engine is providing auxiliary power for activities other than heating or air conditioning, such as loading, refrigeration, well drilling, or farming;
- Required by a federal, state, or local law or official, but only to the extent necessary to comply with such requirement;
- Running the vehicle’s engine is necessary for maintenance, servicing, repair, or diagnostic purposes;
- Running the vehicle’s engine during adverse weather conditions is necessary to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle; or
- The ambient air temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit for gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles, and idling of the vehicle is necessary to ensure the safety or health of the passengers or driver.
Individuals who do not adhere to this policy are subject to discipline and the loss of the privilege of using a State vehicle. This policy will remain in effect until further notice.
III. Other Policy:
The Greening of State Government Executive Order D 2015-013 requires state government to reduce average petroleum consumption per vehicle by a minimum of 4% annually and at least 20% by FY 2020 from a baseline of FY 2015 or 2% annually and at least 10% by 2020 for vehicles deemed exempt.
Executive State agencies and departments shall further achieve an absolute reduction in petroleum- based fuel consumption by 15% or 7.5% for vehicles deemed exempt over the same time period.
Also, check Clean Cities’ IdleBase for a list (cleancities.energy.gov/technical-assistance/idlebox/) of local and state regulations regarding Idling.