Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

[TroyH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TroyH]

Did anyone see the bit on 'Sunrise' yesterday morning, showing the new environmentally friendly diesel vehicle? I was expecting to hear they had converted to biodiesel, but that isn't the case.

It seems they have purchased the first of what will be a fleet of diesel/electric hybrid trucks. Now, I dont know about the rest of you, but I felt this was a bit of a blow (possibly insult) to the biodiesel industry. I haven't seen any real government support or fleets of vehicles using biodiesel, and here they go purchasing a far more expensive technology.

I hope someone gets in their ear and they start running the diesel engine in the things on biodiesel. If they already are then thats great, but there wasn't any talk of it on the show.



Just like to hear your comments.

[gwalker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gwalker]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

My local postie contractor is working towards running his diesel fleet on WVO.
George

[Guest Close David]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

Now, I dont know about the rest of you, but I felt this was a bit of a blow (possibly insult) to the biodiesel industry.

Ummm, What biodiesel industry?
Realistically, how could they run a fleet on any sort of scale using Bio when the stuff is so difficult to get in anything above B2 or whatever this lame excuse for bio fuel is widely available at.

I think I am reasonably well aware of Bio fuels but there are only 2 places I know of in sydney where it is available at any realistic concerntration and I wouldn't use one of them unless it was actually the last fuel available on earth.

Organisations like the postal service tend to understandably try to standardise their vehicles and equipment as much as possible and I believe organising supplies of Bio around the Sydney depots right now could be a logistic nightmare if not impossibility let alone the outer areas and country towns. I have no idea of current Bio production around the sydney area but I would think it would not be an impossibility that there would not be enough to supply the postal fleet let alone all the other current users.

The other issue would be with warranty. Again it seems that anything over b5 is taboo with the majority of manufacturers and warranty is not only important to the Gov mint while they are using the vehicles but also when they sell the vehicles off.

These problems could certainly be overcome but untill the Bio industry can kick as much cash into the gov mint coffers ( and election campaigns) as the present oil companies, I sure cant see anything changing.

[TroyH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TroyH]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

I do see your point, but what I was trying to raise, was the fact that the technology they are using is very new (for diesels anyway) and yet they are supporting it, in preference over a cleaner product, that would also benefit significantly from their support. There is currently a huge biodiesel plant being built here in W.A. (40 million litres annual max production iirc) and someone like Australia post would likely not use retail fuel outlets. Why would it be any harder for them to fill their depot tank with biodiesel, rather than petro diesel. The kind of vehicles we are talking about are the small "lorry" type trucks that haul post from the central office to all the surrounding ones (In Perth at least, the ones that collect the mail from the small streetside mailboxes tend to be smaller petrol vehicles.).
In regards to warranty etc, that really is just red tape to cover someones ass. In reality we all know that in most new vehicles there isn't any problems with using B100. If they are buying a purpose built hybrid vehicle, surely it would be just as cost effective to buy ones that will cover use of B100. Mandating a minimum amount of biodiesel in petrodiesel could also have some impact there.

I dont see any real reasons that couldn't be rectified with a little work or commitment on the governments behalf, just possible excuses they might use.

[Guest Close David]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

I agree Troy.
I think it all boils down to the last lines in both our previous posts.

[TroyH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TroyH]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

Indeed. I did actually miss the last line in your post until after I had already posted. Sorry about that.

So, who owns a multinational biodiesel company that would like to lobby the government? Anyone?

[Cameron Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Cameron]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

So, who owns a multinational biodiesel company that would like to lobby the government? Anyone?

Can't help with that one Troy but what I have been working away at is contributing to redrafting of the UNSW Fleet Policy plus contributing to environmental evaluations of tender applications for the University fleet management including all leasing for both fleet and novated leasing for employees.

A fleet management company has been selected that is consistent with our new policy and they have as part of their environmental commitments to support the use of 'low carbon' fuels etc.

Everyone involved in this process here at UNSW knows exactly what I am up to and why. They know that it has been identified as a project within our 2007 Environmental Plan that was signed off by Senior Management and that will contribute towards our organisation meeting its environmental commitments in a continual improvement cycle.

Following a little preliminary consultation the new fleet company has indicated a level of support for biodiesel. This fleet management company is HUGE and provides these services for Government departments, Councils, large corporations etc etc.

With carefully planned and executed steps we can move towards our stated objectives.

Cheers,
Cameron
UNSW

[TroyH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TroyH]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

That sounds very promising. Your comments in the other thread sparked my interest about your project. I will follow with keen interest you progress if you continue to post about it. It's begun me thinking about my own uni's fleet of vehicles.
Keep up the good work!

[NewBioer Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close NewBioer]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

I dont think Australia Post's purchase of 2 or 3 of these diesel/electric trucks is anything but them trying to look green rather than being green. Australia Post is one place that could have made a change to Bio but instead of upgrading their diesel inground tanks, they had them all removed barr at 4 of their larger sites.

Daivd

[Guest Close David]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

If Aussie Post changed all their Motorbikes to something that could burn Bio, that would be a huge thing. Those Pissant Honda 110's have been the biggest selling bike in australia for like 100 years and apart from sales of about 50 a year to farmers, no one else buys the thing except the post office.

I reckon the post office could really look Uber cool if they delivered you mail on one of those classic looking Enfields that come in a diesel version and if it were running on Bio, the postal service could have a itself a promotional field day.
Every kiddy on the block would forget about being a Fireman and grow up with dream of being a posty riding one of their Mega cool bikes!

If they wanted something a little more modern instead of classic, maybe something like this would appeal as well?

[TroyH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TroyH]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

I gathered that they intended on replacing the whole fleet long term.

[NewBioer Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close NewBioer]

Re: Australia Post use "clean green" diesel technology

I think Australia Posts' long term plan is to sub contract out all the truck work. They blow on about what a good coprate citizen are but I think their egenda is to reduce overall service, and then become the next telstra.