Dominion Virginia Power creates electricity for thousands of residents in 12 states, making it a recognizable name on the East Coast. The Virginia-based utility company is hopping aboard the green-vehicle train by investing in two plug-in hybrid cars and a pair of hybrid utility trucks. While Dominion Virginia Power still needs to work on cleaner ways to produce electricity, it is taking the first step to creating a sustainable vehicle fleet.
The utility has purchased two International DuraStar hybrid-electric trucks for use in its northern Virginia offices. These “bucket” trucks, along with the company’s traditional diesel trucks, run on a blend of 80% diesel and 20% biofuel created by local soy farmers. Utility officials indicate that its 783-truck fleet will use 1.7 million gallons of biofuel in the next year. Dominion Virginia Power drivers will save up to 60% of their fuel compared to traditional trucks because the buckets do not operate with biofuel. A utility worker can raise, lower and manipulate the bucket using the truck’s battery, eliminating emissions and saving biofuel for daily routes.
Dominion Virginia officials will tool around in a pair of Toyota Prius hybrids outfitted with plug-in equipment in 2009. A123 Systems outfitted both hybrids with its Hymotion L5 plug-in module as well as a 5kWh nanophosphate lithium-ion battery. The utility’s hybrid cars will be able to achieve 100 miles per gallon for 40 miles using the electric-drive option before resorting to gas reserves. The Hymotion module allows a driver to recharge the battery pack in five hours using a 110-volt outlet. Dominion Virginia will likely hype up the decreased emissions of its Toyotas in its advertisements, including a 50% decrease in greenhouse emissions compared to the standard issue Prius.
Each hybrid involved in this initial purchase will be tracked for performance and fuel economy by the Idaho National Laboratories run by the Department of Energy. The Toyota Prius plug-ins should stand up well to the test of driving thousands of miles in the next year given the vehicle’s track record. The real question lies with the mechanical performance of the International DuraStars, which will test out the use of battery power for non-driving functions in various climates. While Dominion Virginia Power is only making a small dent in its overall fleet, the cost efficiency of running these vehicles will appeal to the number crunchers at this regional utility.
