"What Should the Governor Drive?" campaign kicks off

By AMY F. BAILEY
The Associated Press
9/15/03 3:28 PM

LANSING, Michigan (AP) - Replacing the state's fleet of vehicles with fuel-efficient cars could save millions of dollars and reduce emissions, according to a report released Monday.

The Michigan Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign released the report as part of its "What Should the Governor Drive?" campaign aimed at reducing vehicle emissions and improving the environment.

It's a spinoff of the "What Would Jesus Drive?" anti-sport utility vehicle campaign, which contends consumers and automakers have a moral duty to drive and manufacture vehicles that are kinder to nature.

Representatives from the campaign and religious leaders presented the report to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's constituent services office on Monday.

The state would use 101,819 fewer gallons of gasoline and save more than $100,000 a year after beginning to replace its fleet of vehicles with fuel-efficient cars, the report said.

After replacing the state's entire fleet with the most fuel-efficient vehicles in each class, it would use 610,913 fewer gallons of gas a year, the report said.

Altogether, Michigan would use 4.58 million fewer gallons of gas after 10 years of the policy, the equivalent of keeping 1,018 cars off the road between 2009 and 2013 if it were implemented this year, the report said.

At a rate of $1 per gallon, Michigan would see its spending on gasoline drop by more than $4.5 million over 10 years, the report said.

The savings in the report are based on Michigan's fleet of 6,934 cars and light trucks, excluding police cars. If the cars are replaced every six years, approximately 1,156 new vehicles are purchased annually. The whole fleet would be replaced after six years.

The use of fuel-efficient vehicles by the state also would cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, the report said. Nitrogen oxide emissions also would drop by 4,009 pounds by 2006 and then level out.

Kim Winchell, coordinator of the Michigan Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign, said the report shows the state could cut emissions, save money and help create a market for fuel-efficient cars at the same time.

"We are not here today to be antagonistic toward the governor. This is not an anti-SUV campaign," she said. "This is just the beginning of a conversation."

The state has cut its leased fleet by nearly 1,300 vehicles -- from 10,374 to 9,081 -- since February, saving $2.7 million, said Bridget Medina, a spokeswoman for the Department of Management and Budget.

"We're already moving toward downsizing the fleet," said Liz Boyd, spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

A report prepared by the state Department of Management and Budget shows on that only 5.1 percent of vehicles owned or leased by the state government in late May were SUVs.

The report commissioned by the Michigan Interfaith Climate and Energy campaign said that if the state replaced half of its fleet with hybrid electric vehicles, it would see even larger reductions in gas use.

The state would use 181,415 fewer gallons of gas a year after beginning to replace half of its vehicle fleet with hybrid electric cars, the report said. Altogether, the state would use 8.16 million fewer gallons of gas over 10 years, saving $1.5 million.

The savings generated over 10 years by replacing half of the state's car fleet with hybrid-electric cars is less than buying the most fuel-efficient cars in each class because hybrid-electric cars cost more.

"The high up-front costs of hybrid purchases on a large scale would pose a major obstacle for most state governments at present," the report said.