Fleet Operations is dramatically and rapidly expanding the use of alternatively-fueled vehicles in the Detroit Edison and MichCon fleet.

Hybrids

As we retire older vehicles used by Detroit Edison and MichCon supervisors, we are replacing many of them with Ford Escapes Hybrids. These vehicles extend our commitment to minimizing our impact on the environment by lessening our reliance on gasoline and reducing CO2 emissions.

Detroit Edison's field operations recently began using a hybrid lift bucket truck, which can operate for up to four hours without running the diesel engine. Using only the electric lift will result in significant reduction of noise and emissions in residential neighborhoods.

Compressed Natural Gas

In late 2009, MichCon was awarded a $5 million grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to expand the use of natural gas as vehicle fuel in Michigan.

MichCon will use $2.8 million of the grant funding to convert 165 service vehicles – 157 Ford E350 vans and eight Ford Super Duty pickup trucks – to burn compressed natural gas (CNG).  The remaining $2.2 million will be used to upgrade MichCon’s 11 existing natural gas fueling stations and to build two new stations. 

The ARRA grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Clean Cities coalition in Ann Arbor. MichCon is matching the full grant amount with $5 million that will be used to purchase the base vehicles for conversion to natural gas.

Natural gas vehicles (NGVs) offer a complementary technology to gasoline, hybrid and electric vehicles - and they are particularly well suited to medium- and heavy-duty applications.  NGVs are ready for the road today with technology that operates like a gasoline vehicle, but with lower fuel costs and significantly lower emissions.

The first group of NGVs will roll into MichCon's fleet in late 2010 and will continue through 2011. The two CNG fueling stations should be in service by year-end 2010.  One will be located at MichCon’s Allen Road Complex in Melvindale and the other will be at the company’s Belle River Mills Compressor Station in East China Township.  Both will be open to the public.

Other Technology

We continue to support the advancement of fuel cell technology for both energy storage and transportation use at our Hydrogen Technology Park in Southfield, Michigan. Detroit Edison has also, in the past, maintained a fleet of electric vehicles through cooperative ventures with Ford and GM.