VANCOUVER -- The City of Vancouver and the Corporation of Delta are the first municipalities to earn Gold Ratings from E3 Fleet, a national program that recognizes excellence in fleet management and environmental performance.

Launched in 2006 as an initiative of the Fraser Basin Council, the E3 Fleet Program is designed to assist trucking, utility, urban delivery, courier, government and other fleets increase their fuel efficiency, reduce emissions, manage expenses and incorporate new technologies.

Under the E3 Fleet Program, public and private sector fleets can seek formal ratings, which are based on several criteria. These include a fleet action plan, staff training, idling reduction practices, vehicle purchasing practices, fuel data management, fleet operations and maintenance, trip and route planning, fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas performance.

“The E3 Fleet rating is both exciting news and a tremendous encouragement to us as we strive to become the greenest city in the world,” Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said. “Our Engineering Services staff are to be congratulated for taking multiple steps to improve fleet efficiency by 4% and cut overall emissions by 0.4% between 2006 and 2008. These include employing the right vehicles for each fleet function, assessing the full lifecycle costs of each vehicle purchased, testing alternative fuels, adopting new technologies and piloting such practices as nitrogen tire inflation and engine control module reprogramming.”

Vancouver has also recently purchased medium-duty hybrid electric trucks, which are cleaner, more energy-efficient vehicles and new to Canadian roads.

The Corporation of Delta has cut its corporate fleet emissions dramatically, even in the face of increasing demands for service. The corporation improved its fuel efficiency by 6% for every kilometre travelled, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1% overall between 2007 and 2008.

The municipality’s E3 success can be attributed to several key fleet initiatives, including: a fuel-efficient fleet purchasing strategy that replaced 16 conventional vehicles with 16 hybrid vehicles over a two-year period, a successful anti-idling campaign, a vehicle right-sizing program and the installation of GPS and idling auto shut-offs units for Delta’s larger vehicles.

Delta also uses biodiesel in all of its diesel engine vehicles and has launched a fleet training program that is driven by a newly appointed fleet trainer.

“I am thrilled that the Corporation of Delta has been able to achieve one of the country’s first Gold E3 fleet ratings,” said Mayor Lois E. Jackson. “Reducing the environmental footprint created by our corporate fleet has been a huge effort on the part of a lot of people - the Engineering and Climate Action Departments, our corporate policy analysts and upper level management, everybody. It’s a municipality-wide commitment that’s paying off.”