The green

ON THE WAY TO
GREEN MOBILITY
Intelligent mobile assets management solutions help
reduce environmental threats

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Table of contents
1.0 Exectutive summary

2.0 Introduction

3.0 How does mobile assets management help reduce pollution?

3.1 Route optimization & dynamic routing

3.2 Driving style & fuel efficiency

3.3 Vehicle maintenance

3.4 Fleet size & composition management

3.5 Alternative fuel types

4.0 Conclusion
4.1 ROI case study: Reduced fuel consumption through reduced mileage,

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reduced idling and improved driving technique

4.2 ROI case study: Reduced emissions through predictive maintenance

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5.0 Benefits

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6.0 References

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1.0 Executive summary

Natural resources and preservation of the environment are becoming
more and more important. Is your company doing enough to help
preserve them? Is your company leveraging those efforts in any way?
Boost the public image and workers morale of your company by adopting
environment and health friendly principles.
The following whitepaper presents the positive effects of mobile assets management
systems on the environment. Leveraging the MAM systems for reducing the Green
House Gas emissions is a small step in the way of increasing the pro-environmental
awareness of your company. Reduction of GHG emissions can be achieved through
replacement of old vehicles with typically high GHG emissions and through reduction of the overall fleet GHG emissions.
While replacement of outdated vehicles with newer ones seems to be the most
straightforward way in going green, many fleet managers will find it simply too
challenging financially, especially when fleets of predominantly older vehicles are
in question. This whitepaper will therefore focus on less costly methods of reducing the GHG emissions and improving the companys public image by introducing
advanced Mobile Assets Management services.
In our experience, the reduction of GHG emissions can be achieved in several ways.
From reducing overall fuel consumption, optimizing the service routes and fleet-related operational procedures, to monitoring driver behavior in order to avoid excessive accelerating and engine revving, detecting and preventing excessive idling, to
ensuring proper vehicle maintenance. Reduced fuel consumption means not only
reduced GHG emissions but also decreased operational expenditures and consequentially, increased revenues. Therefore, improving the companys pro-environmental awareness also brings long-term financial benefits.

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2.0 Introduction
With the latest developments in knowledge on the GHG effects on global warming,
the environmental concerns should be beating the bell of most organizations using
large numbers of motor vehicles. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), driving a motorized vehicle is the single most polluting thing that
most of us do.
Motor vehicles emit millions of tons of pollutants into the air each year. With rising
income per household and the increase of transported goods, the use of motorized
transport is expected to continue to increase in the coming years, potentially
worsening air quality. Poor air quality in turn has been shown to have seriously
adverse effects on public health. The World Health Organization estimated that
970,000 people died prematurely from urban air pollution in 2005. The need to
tackle air pollution caused by transportation is widely acknowledged.
What Pollutants Do Motor Vehicles Emit?
A short list of classic air pollutants, and its effects on the organism according to the World Health organisation
Lead
Suspended particulate matter (SPM),
Ozone (O3)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Other air toxin emissions
Hydrocarbons
EXHAUST (TAILPIPE)
EMISSIONS
Fine particles

EVAPORATIVE
EMISSIONS
Fuel vapours

OTHER EMISSIONS
Rubber particles
Road dust
Brake dust

* See Appendix for more information on the health effects of the pollutants.

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Particles affecting The Global Climate Change and their distribution

82%

2%

Carbon dioxide from

Fossil fuels

Other Carbon dioxide

9%

Methane

2%

5%

Nitrious Oxide

CFCs and others

3.0 How Mobile Assets Management Can Help Reduce

Pollution?
Carbon dioxide accounts for approximately

There are two basic ways in which to search for environmentally friendly improvements of fleet operations:

85 percent of all greenhouse gases.

Minimizing the number of miles driven (drive less)

- Fleet size management & Fleet composition management
- Route optimization & Dynamic routing
Minimizing the pollution per mile driven (drive smart)
- Driving style & fuel efficiency
- Vehicle maintenance
- Alternative fuel types

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3.1 Fleet size management & Fleet composition management

If you want to run your fleet effectively and be environmentally conscious, then the
process of replacing the old fleet vehicles with new ones is the place to start. Optimizing the size and composition of the fleet is a big step in the direction of environment protection.
Size management
Right-sizing means adjusting the number of vehicles and equipment in the fleet
without jeopardizing the companys ability to perform its services and maintain the
quality of service.

Operating a vehicle with just one tire

under-inflated by 8 psi (56 kPa) can
reduce the life of the tire by 9,000 miles and
increase the vehicles fuel consumption by

Composition management
Mobile assets management systems vehicle information database contains various vehicle type specifics gathered: fuel consumption data, maintenance specifics,
overall vehicle performance, tire husbandry, frequency of diagnostic trouble code
appearance. Metrics are collected effortlessly as you perform your daily fleet management routines.

4 percent.

A comparison of different vehicle types can provide valuable information when

deciding on the purchase of the new vehicles, not only in regards to average fuel
consumption but also to maintenance and servicing costs, vehicle utilization and
environmental issues.

Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive

offer superior traction and braking under
slippery conditions, but the weight and
friction of additional drive train parts
can increase fuel consumption by 5 to 10
percent compared with two-wheel drive
vehicles.

As the On-Board Units gather all vehicle related data from engine telemetry and
maintenance activities to fuel consumption and performance averages, Key Performance Indicators are calculated and can be displayed as reports or within various dashboards on the Fleet Center portal. With the help of Telargo Service, fleet
managers are able to quickly and simply determine the optimal fleet size and mix in
order to minimize the GHG emissions.
Furthermore, Telargo provides the Vehicle Lifecycle Management solution specifically designed to extend the life of your vehicles and accurately determine the
break-even point when vehicle replacement is recommended. Combining the Vehicle
Lifecycle Management solution with reports on fuel consumption and maintenance
costs, you will find that replacing older vehicles not only decreases the GHG emissions but it also reduces the operational expenditures.

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3.2 Route optimization & dynamic routing

Recent studies show that 1.7 billion tons
of carbon are produced annually to fuel
vehicles in the United States.

Minimal number of miles driven is the goal we are aiming at from the perspective
of time, money and environment. On top of route planning, immediate responding
to real-time events, such as traffic jams or accidents and road-works can help us
achieve this goal. Route optimization and direct communication with the driver is
the best way to improve your accuracy, reducing travel times and especially idling.
Telargos Resource Scheduler application provides the means to optimize routes in
order to reduce GHG emissions. Calculating the most favorable route leads to faster
and shorter rides with higher average speeds. Additionally, Telargo Fleet Center
enables instant updating of drivers with traffic information and dynamic, on-the-fly
updating of trip orders.
This is the best way to avoid the polluting moments and improve driver habits with
constant idling reports and driver scoring methods.

3.3 Driving style & fuel efficiency

Improve the driving style of your drivers. Even a perfectly maintained vehicle will
pollute more than necessary if it is driven carelessly. A vehicles emissions will be
lower if drivers apply common sense to their driving and follow the basic rules of the
road.
Here are some tips on smart driving that reduces pollution;
Drivers should drive at moderate, steady speeds (ideally between 35 and 45 miles
per hour) and try to reduce idling times. High speeds result in greater emissions.
Telargo Service provides the tools required to quickly detect overspeeding and
excessive idling events, automatically generating alerts on the Fleet Center portal
according to pre-set criteria, as well as detailed activity reports.

Idling for more than half a minute

consumes more fuel than it takes to
restart the engine.

Fuel can be saved by turning the engine off and restarting it again if idling time is
expected to be longer than 30 seconds - idling for more than half a minute burns
more gas than it takes to restart the engine. You should take extra care in ensuring that your drivers minimize idling times. Telargo Fleet Center portal can generate idling alerts according to customer-defined criteria, quickly notifying the fleet
supervisor and helping to reduce GHG emissions.
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Driving in peak traffic can be avoided sometimes. Whenever possible, trips should
be planned outside rush hour and peak traffic periods. Drivers should try to
smooth the driving by accelerating and decelerating gradually, anticipating stops
and starts for traffic lights, changing traffic speeds, and so on. Telargo Service
provides the means to analyze traffic patterns and determine the peak traffic
periods while detailed driver and route reports (track & trace analysis) enable quick
determination of driving styles.

Operating an air conditioner in hot

weather can increase fuel consumption
by more than 20 percent in city driving.

Use of a vehicle air conditioner increases the load on the engine. This increases
emissions and decreases fuel economy. You should make sure that drivers park the
vehicles in the shade to prevent them from heating up in the sun. Besides keeping
the interior temperature of the vehicle more comfortable, this will lessen the pollution and waste that occurs when fuel evaporates from the engine and fuel tank.
Telargo Service supports connectivity with various sensors, enabling daily reporting
and subsequent analysis on air conditioning device usage.

3.4 Vehicle maintenance

Maintain the health of your vehicles. Poorly maintained or malfunctioning vehicles
can release as much as 10 times the emissions of a well-maintained one. Telargo
Preventative Maintenance is based on reminders which alert fleet managers to
service the vehicle according to manufacturers recommendations. It will reduce
vehicles emissions and enhance its performance. By taking proper care of fleet vehicles, you will also extend their life, increase their resale value, and optimize their
fuel economy.

Poorly maintained or malfunctioning

vehicles can release as much as 10 times
the emissions of a well-maintained one.

Prognostic Maintenance goes a step beyond ordinary preventative maintenance by

actually locating weaknesses in a vehicle through sophisticated diagnosis. Remote
Diagnostics use diagnostic procedures to pinpoint incipient problems. The predictions are based on real-time data from sensors and On Board Diagnostics as well as
the quality and historical information already resident in the system.
An example of utilizing predictive maintenance in keeping the environment clean, is
keeping an eye on the exhaust emissions. Proper working of the three-way catalyst
converter is crucial for exhaust emission control - this device converts the main
pollutants in the exhaust gas to less harmful gases.
It can only be achieved if the air-fuel ratio is kept within very tight limits (14.7 : 1,
air : fuel by mass for gasoline to ensure complete combustion).
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The Lambda sensor is responsible for keeping this ratio if the lambda sensor (and
eventually catalyst converter) does not work properly the emissions will increase
dramatically. With Telargo Service, the fleet supervisors are notified in real-time if
there is a problem with the lambda sensor, so they can issue a maintenance order
and fix the problem as soon as possible to minimize the pollution.

3.5 Alternative fuel types

There are many other fuel types beside gasoline that are more environmentally
friendly. Using these types of fuels can dramatically lower the pollution of our
environment.

Percentage emissions compared to petrodiesel

120

100

80

60

40

PETRODIESEL
20

20% BIOODIESEL BLEND

100% BIODIESEL BLEND

0
AIR TOXICS

CARBON
MONOXIDE

HYDROCARBONS

NITROGEN
OXIDES

PARTICULATES

Battery-electric vehicles
Are powered by motors that draw electricity from on-board storage batteries, which
act as an engine to propel it. Electric vehicles dont produce pollution from the
tailpipe or through fuel evaporation, which means they have great potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and smog-forming pollutants.
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The EPA estimates that reformulated

gasoline reduces ozone-forming emissions
and toxic air pollutants by 15 to 17
percent.

Bio diesel
Is an alternative to diesel fuel that is made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oil,
animal fats or tall oil (a waste product from pulp and paper processing). Compared with
conventional diesel, bio diesel combusts better and produces fewer greenhouse gas
emissions that contribute to climate change.
Ethanol
Is a liquid alcohol that is blended with gasoline to produce a fuel that is friendlier to the
environment than gasoline and can be used in virtually any gasoline-powered vehicle
manufactured after 1980. Most gasoline-powered vehicles can run on a blend consisting
of gasoline and up to 10 percent ethanol.
Propane
A clean-burning, gaseous fuel that is pressurized and stored as a liquid when used in
vehicles. When used as a vehicle fuel, it is often called LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) or
auto propane.

4.0 Conclusion
Implementing the Telargo service has a positive impact on the environment, improving
the companys image and employee morale. Perhaps the most compelling advantage is
that the effects can be measured and monitored on an ongoing basis, which guarantees
an ongoing improvement of your business practices and procedures. The results of
Telargo Service can be clearly seen from the case study in which the relation between
fuel consumption and the cost reduction is being explored.

4.1 ROI Case Study

Reduced fuel consumption through reduced mileage, reduced idling and improved driving technique.
Customer is operating 851 vehicles operating nationwide. Fuel consumption has been
lowered by 6% on a yearly basis. This is attributed to reduced mileage, reduced idling
and improved driver behavior. Driver Score Report shows driving style. With it we can
control drivers behavior and eliminate speeding, harsh acceleration and strong braking. This improved type of driving results in lower fuel consumption and lower emissions.
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Reduced idling
Running a vehicle at idle speed dramatically reduces engine life; 60 minutes of idling
is equivalent to between 80 and 120 minutes of driving time. The resulting loss of fuel
economy from excessive idling can add up to 800 gallons of fuel annually for the average
truck. On average an idling vehicle burns between 1.6 and 2.4 gallons of gas per hour.
With the help of driver education and Telargos Idling Report we have helped our customer learn that their vehicles average between 0.3 to 0.5 hours per vehicle PER DAY
of unnecessary idling! That is 0.5 to 1.2 gallons of gas saved per vehicle per day! This
is $1.45 to $3.48 saved per vehicle per day what accounts to average savings of
$2.7 * 851 vehicles * 22 working days * 12 months = $553,796.76 annually.
Idling reduction also has great impact on emissions reduction average CO2 idling
emissions for small utility vehicle are approximately 4700 g/hour. This results in
422,368,320 g of CO2 unnecessary emissions per year. If you price the credit at $12
per ton of CO2 emissions then the savings come to 5,064.00 USD annually.
Reduced mileage through route optimization
We used state-of-the art route optimization tool to improve route modeling based on
historical data. Based on old clients data and current improvements, reduced mileage
of up to 2.7% was achieved.
Calculation of CO2 emissions reduction:

BEFORE

per vehicle

AFTER

per vehicle

TOTAL

851 vehicles

Average miles driven per year 8,640

8,406

199,134 less miles

CO2 emissions ( 146 g/mile )

1.261.440 g

1.227.276 g

29,073 tones

Fuel cost per year

($2.93/gallon)

$ 1,265,760

$ 1,231,480

$ 34,280

Reduced mileage through reduced unauthorized mileage

What is happening to the vehicles after-hours? Are employees taking company vehicles
home, using them for personal business or on the weekend? Are workers performing
side jobs within business hours and even using company equipment?
Our postal client cut down 6% of total yearly mileage with help of the Telargo System
and its functions for monitoring vehicles, drivers login, geo-fencing and geo-corridoring.
Those miles are referred to as unauthorized mileage.
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Calculation of CO2 emissions reduction with unauthorized driving prevention:

BEFORE

851 vehicles

AFTER

851 vehicles

Total unauthorized
mileage reduction

Total miles driven per year

14.400,000

13.536.000

864.000 less miles

CO2 emissions ( 146 g/mile )

2102 tones

1976 tones

126 tones less

If you price the credit at 12$ per ton of CO2 emmisions then the savings come to 1.512.00$.
Fuel cost savings: 864,000 miles /20 gallons per mile * $ 2.93 per gallon = $ 126.576,00
CO2 emissions reduction with the implementation of predictive maintenance:

BEFORE

851 vehicles

AFTER

851 vehicles

Fuel consumption per year

( 20 miles/gallon )

720.000

712.000

CO2 emissions ( 146 g/mile )

2102 tones

2081 tones

Savings due to
lambda sensor
monitoring

7.200 gall. less

21 tones less

If you price the credit at 12$ per ton of CO2 emmisions then the savings come to 252.00$. Fuel
cost savings: 7.200 gallons* $ 2.93 per gallon = $ 21.096,00

4.2 ROI case study: Reduced emissions through predictive

maintenance
Lambda sensor
While working with national postal company who operates a fleet of more than 800
vehicles we have noticed a significant disproportion regarding the frequency of DTC
(diagnostic trouble codes) oxygen sensor (lambda sensor) failures are much more
common than with other fleets. The nature of stop and go practice is blamed for that
phenomenon.
There are 20% of vehicles inside their fleet that need maintenance of oxygen sensor
inside one half-year period. The described failure is attributed to 10% increase in fuel
consumption as well as in additional negative environmental impact.
On average, the lambda sensor failure event occurs half-way between service intervals.
With the use of predictive maintenance the lambda sensor failure is noticed immediately and both time-to-service as well as service time are lowered. It is possible to achieve
1% of fuel consumption decrease by using predictive maintenance.
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5.0 Benefits
Introducing the Telargo Service with our environment-friendly operational practices
into your business leads to many benefits:
Reduce the GHG emissions related with fleet operations
Leverage the Telargo Green Mobility concept for improving your public image
Effortlessly introduce the environment-friendly service improvements for a low cost
Raise the employee morale
Reduce the fuel consumption
Lower the fleet maintenance costs
Reduce wear on vehicle components and extend their life
Increase your revenues

6.0 References
World Health Organization Europe
Auto Oil II
Ntziachristos & Samaras
DieselNet
Environmental Protection Agency US
Office of Energy Efficiency Canada
Telargo is a comprehensive mobile assets management service that uses advanced technologies to significantly enhance the operation of the vehicle fleet by improving the quality of service, raising the efficiency
and drastically lowering the operating costs of the vehicle fleet.
Our main purpose is to enhance the business of our partners by providing them with intelligent, comprehensive and reliable solutions.

www.telargo.com

Disclaimer
The information presented herein is intended for illustration purposes only and is provided without any express or implied warranties including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.

Copyright 2007 Telargo. All rights reserved. Telargo and its logo are trademarks of Telargo Inc. All other
trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Telargo Inc.
2500 Plaza 5
Harborside Financial Center
Jersey City
New Jersey 07311-4035
T: +1 201 633 4780
F: +1 201 633 4784
Toll-free (US only): 1-866-MYTELARGO
E: info@telargo.com

Telargo GmbH.
Regus Center im Kastor
Platz der Einheit 1 / 20. stock
60327 Frankfurt a.M.
Germany
T: +49 (0) 69 975 03 142
F: +49 (0) 69 975 03 143
E: info@telargo.com
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Copyright 2007 TELARGO Inc.

www.telargo.com, + 1 201 938 1000