Eco-friendly news vehicles

[photogreys]

I work for the FOX O&O in Salt Lake City and we have been mandated by News Corp to be an environmentally friendly news room. We have phased out all of our paper and plastic cups, recycle all of our printer paper and dispose of our batteries properly(ie. we incinerate them and don't throw them into the landfills). Recently we have been looking into hybrid cars and other methods to reduce our fossil fuel footprint but have not found a vehicle that fits our needs. Do any of you use these kinds of vehicles and what would you reccomend to us? What are your experiences with them and have they helped or hindered your newsgathering experiences? We have looked into Rav 4's, Toyota Highlanders and even bio diesel live trucks what can we do?

[pre-set]

A Sprinter ENG could run on Bio-diesel, assuming it's rated to run on LSD (low sulphur diesel, <500ppm sulphur).

Not sure about E Super Duty Fords with the Powerstroke engine and biodiesel, though.

The hard part is finding a reliable, consistnet supply of green diesel. You might have to get a big tank at the station and only fill up there. Plus, you'll have to have a fleet of Sprinters, which pretty much suck.

I'm glad we're staying with our 7mpg V-10's.

[Land Rover]

We have a new Ford Escape hybrid here. Its not too bad but it shows were only getting about 26 mpg. That's like just about any other four cylinder so I don't see the big impact its supposed to have. I'm sure it comes down to how its driven as well.

[micaelb]

I'm not sure if Flex-Fuel vehicles fit the bill for you guys. Here in parts of the Midwest you can find e85 (70% or greater ethanol) that's a lot cheaper than gasoline but your fuel mileage will drop. Here's a list of 2008's that will run on e85:

http://www.e85fuel.com/news/090407_2008_ffv_release/090407_2008_ffv_release.htm

My Explorer runs just fine on e85 but I get about 13mpg instead of 15. Your mileage may vary....

[rocky1138]

not vehicle related, but you could also re-print today's goole map directions onto yesterday's scripts. you might have to buy another printer for "scrap" paper, but eco-friendly & less $$$ in the budget for paper each month

[photogreys]

Thanks for the input. Locally we have B20 biodiesel available to us and we do have access to purer versions of it throughout the state. Unfortunately E85 is not big here in Utah and we would be hard pressed to find a regular supply of it although having the option to use it is a very good idea. Finally I am shocked about the gas mileage on the Ford Escapes, I would think that it would be better. What is the price difference between the Escape hybrid and the regular 4 cyl version? We were looking into Toyota Highlanders but they were just too much for our budget even though we might save on gas down the line.

[Canonman]

Thanks for the input. Locally we have B20 biodiesel available to us and we do have access to purer versions of it throughout the state. Unfortunately E85 is not big here in Utah and we would be hard pressed to find a regular supply of it although having the option to use it is a very good idea. Finally I am shocked about the gas mileage on the Ford Escapes, I would think that it would be better. What is the price difference between the Escape hybrid and the regular 4 cyl version? We were looking into Toyota Highlanders but they were just too much for our budget even though we might save on gas down the line.

Just a side note, my dad isn't getting the great gas mileage on his Prius that Toyota claims one should get. Apparently others have raised the same issue. But if you can get the car on electric power for a portion of the time, it should really help cut down on pollution. The Prius is on electric power pretty much any time it's stopped at a traffic light or inching along. Just imagine how much cleaner the air would be in major metropolitan areas where rush hour traffic is a lot of sitting still and/or moving at 5 mph, if everyone was running a hybrid.

cm

[cameragod]

I went from a 2liter petrol Subaru to a 3liter diesel Mitsubishi Challenger… and reduced my running costs by more than a third. Even though I’m not able to get bio-diesel yet I recon it must be better for the environment for me to be using less fuel.

[McQueen]

F-hybrids! Overrated. My wifes diesel VW Jetta get 48 mpg hwy. Wait for the new Blue Motion diesels to show up, euro version Polo gets 60+ mpg and the smaller(now cancelled) Lupo got 75+ mpg.

[Canonman]

Guys I think you're missing the point. The hybrids aren't so much about being cheaper to operate, they're about being environmentally friendly. Less dependence on fossil fuels for our daily commutes.

I think someone is even working on a hybrid diesel/electric vehicle. It's not a new idea btw, WWII submarines were diesel/electric hybrids.

cm

[McQueen]

I'm waiting for the Boeing 747 Jet A/Hybrid...supposed to do a little better than the 3,400 gallons per hour! that the current one burns. I'm sure I'll be waiting a long time.;)

[newsshooter]

I'll stick with my BIG FAT V8 VORTEC TAHOE. I'm suprised about Fox going green... did corporate fire all the republican managers and hire all tree hugging liberals? What is this world coming to.

[amp]

Could we at least put solar panels on our crappy Live 3 so the battery gets charged when it is parked and does go dead like it usually does?

[pre-set]

Guys I think you're missing the point. The hybrids aren't so much about being cheaper to operate, they're about being environmentally friendly.......

cm



No, what it's really about is a massive, wastrel of an industry trying to pay lip service to being "green", while still having a carbon footprint the size of Al Gore's.

If our stations really wanted to make an effort at reducing carbon emmissions, they'd turn off the fawkin' computers, lights, copiers, landscape lighting, and 30+ TV montiors in the newsroom that run 24/7.

But none of those things sound as cool in promo's as " Now, with the ONLY fleet of hybrid news vehicles in the tri-county area! ".


That's what this bullsh*t is really about.

[Canonman]

No, what it's really about is a massive, wastrel of an industry trying to pay lip service to being "green", while still having a carbon footprint the size of Al Gore's.

If our stations really wanted to make an effort at reducing carbon emmissions, they'd turn off the fawkin' computers, lights, copiers, landscape lighting, and 30+ TV montiors in the newsroom that run 24/7.

But none of those things sound as cool in promo's as " Now, with the ONLY fleet of hybrid news vehicles in the tri-county area! ".


That's what this bullsh*t is really about.

I was speaking in real terms about hybrid technology in general, not just news fleets. I'd be inclined to agree that it will be exploited as a station promotion. You're totally right about the way we waste electricity which creates a need for more power generation from fossil fuels.

If I had the cash, I'd stick a wind generator in my backyard tomorrow, just to get a laugh at the electric company having to PAY ME for any excess power generated.

BTW, you left 'live in HD' out of your promo tag. Gotta get that one in there too you know.

cm

[thru-the-lens]

If I had the cash, I'd stick a wind generator in my backyard tomorrow, just to get a laugh at the electric company having to PAY ME for any excess power generated.cm

You had better check with your neighborhood association to see if they will "allow" you to have a windmill in your backyard. Actually there is a good story to be had behind this. Some neighborhood associations have restrictions on your roof. You could be prevented from putting solar panels up on your roof to generate electricity.

Personally, I would love to be able to afford solar panels to sell back excess electricity to the power company. I just can't afford to do it and I don't have to deal with a neighborhood association.

I checked and there are a couple of companies that will install solar panels on your roof for free...the catch is you buy the power you use from them at their prices. I wasn't convinced that was such a deal.

thru-the-lens.

[Canonman]

You had better check with your neighborhood association to see if they will "allow" you to have a windmill in your backyard. Actually there is a good story to be had behind this. Some neighborhood associations have restrictions on your roof. You could be prevented from putting solar panels up on your roof to generate electricity.

Nope, no neighborhood association here. No deed restrictions either. There might be a city ordinance preventing it. But I hear those things are pricey so I don't think I'll be able to do it anytime soon.

cm

[dw438]

I work for the FOX O&O in Salt Lake City and we have been mandated by News Corp to be an environmentally friendly news room. We have phased out all of our paper and plastic cups, recycle all of our printer paper and dispose of our batteries properly(ie. we incinerate them and don't throw them into the landfills). Recently we have been looking into hybrid cars and other methods to reduce our fossil fuel footprint but have not found a vehicle that fits our needs. Do any of you use these kinds of vehicles and what would you reccomend to us? What are your experiences with them and have they helped or hindered your newsgathering experiences? We have looked into Rav 4's, Toyota Highlanders and even bio diesel live trucks what can we do?
The problem with hybrid vehicles for news gathering is this - driving habits.
Hybrid vehicles work best in big-city driving, where there's lots of braking to recharge the batteries ... stop-and-go traffic where the engine shuts off the gas and runs solely on battery power ... They're not good for running and gunning ... and the jury's still out on long-term reliability. How many miles/year do your non-MW/Sat vehicles do per year? Due to your coverage area, how many true four-wheel drive truck-based -Ford Explorer, etc.- vehicles are needed due to high water or rugged terrain? True hybrids can't do that work - yet. The Escape hybrid is a car-based SUV, which is great for in-city work and the occasional sprint to the hinterlands, with room for a limited amount of gear.
How much room do you need for gear? The standard network freelance guy here in NY uses those nice Chevy Suburbans or Tahoes like the police and Secret Service have. And I've seen idiots try and cover a flood area in a Crown Vic.
The new crop of diesel vehicles may be something to look into ... especially as diesel fuel can be made with a lot of alternatives to fossil fuel and the technology is there and readily available... just think of the tie-in you can get with MickeyD's when you're using all their french fry oil as fuel ... when the new engines that are California-emissions compliant [meaning they can be sold in NY] come on the market ... I may get one.
Then again, the first ones are Mercedes E-class. $$$$$.

[Freddie Mercury]

Nope, no neighborhood association here. No deed restrictions either. There might be a city ordinance preventing it. But I hear those things are pricey so I don't think I'll be able to do it anytime soon.

cm

I did a story on a guy having one put in (rural area). It was quite expensive but he was well-off and wanted to feel good about things. Once the blades got turning and the turbine was revving it was more than a little loud. It's not a great option for neighborhood settings.

[photogreys]

Diesel sounds like a great idea, unfortunately SUV size diesels aren't prevelant in the US as of yet. Perhaps it will change in a few years but as for now the domestic or even foreign diesel offerings limit themselves to large 3/4 ton pick up trucks which we really have no use for. We drive long distances and only run into limited amounts of stop and go traffic during rush hour everyday so hybrids might not be the way to go. Thanks for the input though.

[Land Rover]

If I had the cash, I'd stick a wind generator in my backyard tomorrow, just to get a laugh at the electric company having to PAY ME for any excess power generated.
cm

Of course I can't find it now. There was a story a few weeks ago out of Savannah, I think, where someone put one up in a historic home district and people wanted it down. The article said that it would be decades before the amount of money saved on electricity equaled the cost of the wind turbine and its installation.

[Land Rover]

... when the new engines that are California-emissions compliant [meaning they can be sold in NY] come on the market ...

Just get a Hummer H2 and slap a factory hybrid badge on the back like a friend of mine did.

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/ereitzell/H2_hybrid_21.jpg

[Deaf and Blind]

Well you can always go for a VW Caddy. It's based on a VW Gold floor pan so it's compact, yet has 123 cubic feet of space in the back so that is more than enough for all of your camera equipment plus a small desk and seat for in the field edit pack / vtr / player so work can be shotlisted.
The TDI is returning 37mpg around trown which works out at about 500 miles to a tank full.
http://www.volkswagen.com.au/caddy/features.asp

You get around 40-45 mpg out on the highway. so you can keep going while everyone else is stuck in a gas station.
If nothing else just think of the dollars saved over a vehicle which does half of that in fuel costs.