Driving Change FAQ
PTI Staff Contact: Ronda Mosley, 937-667-4142
PTI Driving Change FAQ Denver Case Study [PDF]
1) Why should I join this pilot? What are the benefits to my jurisdiction (reduced emissions, cost savings, meeting federal law reporting requirements)?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 20 percent of total U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are from passenger vehicles (cars and light trucks).
Driving Change calculates a vehicle’s CO2 emissions and correlates those emissions to driving behaviors.
Aggressive driving, fast starts and hard stops, speeding and excessive idling all increase fuel burn. As fuel burn increases, so does your vehicle’s emission of CO2.
By measuring those driving behaviors, and putting in place strategies to improve those driving behaviors, your jurisdiction will reduce CO2 emissions, increase vehicle MPG, lower fuel costs, improve driver safety, and enhance public health—in addition to improving your city’s reputation as a good place to live and work.
2) What is the cost to join this pilot program? What is the cost to install units in each vehicle?
The initial or upfront cost per vehicle is $585 which includes the measuring device and its installation in each vehicle, vehicle ‘registration’ in the program, and the creation of online dashboards customized to a particular organization’s fuel and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction objectives.
In addition, there is an ongoing cost of $35 per month for access to online performance reports where drivers and their supervisors will see personalized results in the form of online dashboards, and monthly user meetings orchestrated by professionals with experience in working with user groups to achieve the goals of the jurisdiction.
PTI members receive a 10% discount off the monthly subscription fee.
Throughout your participation in the program, drivers and supervisors will have access to vehicle emissions information through a website—allowing everyone to track the success of the reduction strategies employed.
If your organization requires assistance in managing goal attainment, Enviance supports you with user group and adoption management.
For an additional fee, you can receive professional consultation for the creation of customized dashboards that will target a jurisdiction’s particular objectives, and the moderation of monthly meetings, led by experts, to assist in achieving the results desired.
3) How long does it take for installation, set-up and training?
Once the device is installed, which takes 45 minutes per vehicle, on average, it will begin transmitting the data to the system which analyzes and displays the information in personalized, online dashboards as well as on customized jurisdiction-wide dashboards to be used for managing goal attainment.
Enviance provides standard guides that can then be printed or emailed to all drivers. These guides provide the explanation of the dashboard contents. In addition, access procedures will be reviewed in the users’ kickoff meeting, and can be refreshed at subsequent meetings.
Enviance can also provide more extensive training (to include CO2 reduction strategies, etc.), if needed.
“Driving Change represents the type of sustainability solution that will become very important to cities across the country.”
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
4) What payment options are available for participation in the pilot?
Jurisdictions can choose to include the cost of the measuring device that is installed in each vehicle in the monthly subscription or to pay for the device separately, at the time of installation.
In addition, jurisdictions can choose to pay the monthly subscription once a month, once a quarter (for 3 months of service) or once a year (covering 12 months of service).
5) Do I get a discount for being a PTI member?
Yes. PTI has negotiated a 10% discount for its members.
6) Can you explain the health/environmental benefits of this program?
The increase of carbon dioxide in the air can potentially harm the Earth but it can also harm the health of many people.
An example of this is a government study by the EPA and Harvard University which shows that the effects of air pollution due to carbon emissions in 1995 China caused 178,000 premature deaths and 4.5 million deaths because of pollution-related sicknesses.
7) What is the duration of the pilot program?
The duration of the pilot program runs for one year, and can be extended. In order to get the information needed to really measure and modify driving behaviors, we recommend a two-year pilot, at a minimum, so you can see year over year trends. In some cases, municipalities are considering 3-4 year pilots.
“The Driving Change pilot program in Denver proved that if you can measure it, you can manage it.
“As the transition to cleaner alternatives begins, Driving Change can be an important solution for municipalities to manage existing fleets as efficiently and sustainably as possible.”
Alan Shark, PTI Executive Director
8) What can I expect at the conclusion of the pilot program?
The goal would be to achieve a measurable fuel savings and CO2 reduction. Online dashboards will track your success in achieving these objectives.
In addition to saving money and assisting in the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas, you will also have succeeded in making your city a safer and healthier place to live and work.
9) Please explain how the technology works.
A measuring device will be installed on your vehicle and the device will transmit incidents of idling, speed and aggressive driving, along with fuel consumption data, via the cellular telephone network, to an Internet system that analyzes your data and produces reports and ‘dashboards’ so you can see your carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Throughout participation in the program, drivers can securely access personal driving and emissions information through this website. Municipal managers will also be able to access “roll up” reports that provide comparisons useful for goal attainment management, including department to department comparisons, actuals v. targets by group, etc.
10) Who are the key players that need to be involved from my jurisdiction?
We have found that the key players that need to be involved are personnel in your environmental group, and the managers of all the organizations whose drivers will be participating in the program.
11) Who can I call upon if there are any problems?
If you have any problems, you can contact Enviance Customer Service at 1-866-Enviance (368-4262) or via E-mail at drivingchange@enviance.com.
Enviance is the company behind Driving Change and their customer service representatives are available Monday-Friday, 9 AM—9 PM Eastern Time, excluding company designated holidays.
12) Who will offer technical assistance, training, and maintenance?
Enviance will provide technical assistance, software and hardware maintenance services, initial training, and ongoing user group support, all of which is included in your subscription. Enviance also offers a number of other training programs and services, like user and vehicle administration services.
For more information on additional Enviance services, we can get you in touch with an Enviance representative.
13) Will I have control over how the information gathered during the pilot, regarding my city/county, will be utilized?
Absolutely. You own the data and have complete control over how the data is used and distributed.
Contact: Ronda Mosley, PTI Assistant Executive Director for Research and Government Services
10-09-2009 Send a link Driving Change Sustainability Print version
