1. 1. Fuel for Thought Breakfast Lecture Series Tim Kovach Air Quality Planner, NOACA July 17, 2015
2. 2. Overview What does NOACA do? What is vehicle idling? What are common idling myths? How can individuals & organizations reduce idling? What does NOACA do to address vehicle idling? Conclusion
3. 3. What does NOACA do? Metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for Northeast Ohio Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina Counties Two main focus areas Transportation: TIP, bike & pedestrian planning, freight Environment: air quality, water quality Source: NOACA
4. 4. What is vehicle idling? Idling: running vehicle engine for non-propulsion purposes Common examples: Delivery trucks waiting to load or unload Cars going through a drive-thru, ATM Buses waiting to pick up/drop off riders Source: Chicago Tribune
5. 5. Idling is not always avoidable Emergency vehicles may idle to operate equipment, be on the alert Police cars responding to calls Ambulances operating medical equipment Vocational trucks may idle to power equipment Utility trucks with lift buckets Landscaping trucks with wood chippers Cement trucks Long haul truck drivers may idle to run HVAC units
6. 6. Why do people idle? Can break down idling into 3 main categories: Warming warming up car in winter, cooling it in summer Waiting running vehicle while stopped (e.g. waiting for a train to pass) Traffic routine stops due to traffic, stop lights, etc.
7. 7. How long do people idle? Idling estimates vary by location United States (U.S. EPA) Los Angeles: 12% of total driving time Atlanta & Spokane, WA: 18% Baltimore: 21% Europe (INRETS, France) United Kingdom: 13% Germany: 15% France: 21% We lack good data for Northeast Ohio
8. 8. How long do people idle? Time estimates from Carrico et al. (2009): Warming: 26% Waiting: 23% Traffic: 51% Total idling time: 16.1 minutes per day To curb traffic idling, drive alone less often 4.2 3.7 8.2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Warming Waiting Traffic Minutes Spent Idling Per Day Idling Time by Category
9. 9. Common myths about idling My engine needs to warm up when its cold It saves gas to run the engine, instead of turning it on/off Turning my car off and on puts additional wear & tear on it Idling produces less air pollution than turning the engine on/off
10. 10. Myth 1: Warming up your engine Perhaps the most common idling myth Has some truth cars get worse MPG when cold Carburetors need to warm up to work properly Electronic fuel injection eliminated this issue Source: Northeast Ohio Media Group/Cleveland.com
11. 11. Myth 1: Warming up your engine Mean response: 5 minutes, 1 second U.S.EPA: 30 seconds* Survey data from Carrico et al. (2009) 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 17.5 20 22.5 25
12. 12. Myth 1: Warming up your engine Cars warm up more quickly when driven Engine oil does not need to warm up first Synthetic oils can flow at -40F Idling does not help the battery Idling car batteries cycle more deeply, causing strain
13. 13. Myth 2: Idling saves on gas Common perception that turning car on & off uses more gas than leaving it running Similar to belief that its better to leave a light bulb turned on Livermore Light Bulb Source: Wikimedia Commons
14. 14. Myth 2: Idling saves on gas Mean response: 4 minute, 41 seconds U.S.EPA: 10 seconds Survey data from Carrico et al. (2009) 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 17.5 20 22.5 25 Minutes of Idling
15. 15. Idling is least fuel efficient option gets 0 mpg Average vehicle spends 60-73 hours idling per year Idling accounts for 5-7% of total fuel use Wastes >10 billion gallons of fuel per year Myth 2: Idling saves on gas Source: Argonne National Laboratory
16. 16. Fuel waste even higher for commercial vehicles Idling commercial trucks use 0.39-1.65 gallons of fuel per hour Adds up to total of 2.49 billion gallons of fuel each year Wasted fuel from idling costs: $44 per year for each car $392 per year for each commercial truck Myth 2: Idling saves on gas
17. 17. Idea that idling reduces vehicle wear & tear has some basis in fact Some car components only designed for set number of engine starts Myth 3: Idling reduces vehicle wear Source: Natural Resources Canada
18. 18. Mean response: 5 minutes, 43 seconds Natural Resources Canada: 46 seconds 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Survey data from Carrico et al. (2009) Myth 3: Idling reduces vehicle wear
19. 19. Myth 3: Idling reduces vehicle wear While stopping & starting has an impact, it pales in comparison to idling Idling engines do not run at optimal temperature Leads to incomplete combustion of gasoline Can cut fuel economy by 4-5% Idling also shortens lifespan of battery Overall, idling costs roughly 4 times more
20. 20. Some people believe idling cuts down on air pollution Mobile emissions are major issue in Northeast Ohio 66% of ozone precursors 58% of coarse particle matter 25% of fine particle matter Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Source: Mid-America Regional Council
21. 21. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Mean response: 3 minutes, 33 seconds U.S.EPA: 15 seconds 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 17.5 20 22.5 25 Survey data from Carrico et al. (2009)
22. 22. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Vehicle idling is a major source of carbon pollution Accounts for 94M metric tons of CO2 emissions Two times the emissions of iron & steel industries combined Significant source of emissions from passenger vehicles & households
23. 23. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Vehicle idling also generates large amount of conventional air pollutants Exhaust contains a number of harmful compounds Ozone precursors VOCs, NOx Particulate matter PM10, PM2.5 Carbon Monoxide Sulfur Dioxide Hydrocarbons - Benzene, acetaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene Vehicle exhaust linked to cancer
24. 24. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Idling particularly a big issue in school zones Approximately 600,000 school buses in US 99% run on diesel fuel Study finds link between idling & increased particle pollution Concentrations up to four times higher in peak hours Cutting air pollution reduces sick days Source: Streetsblog NYC
25. 25. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Need to consider idlings contribution to air pollution Northeast Ohio is nonattainment are for ozone Cuyahoga & Lorain in nonattainment for PM2.5 No reliable data on air pollution from idling in Northeast Ohio Can we come up with a rough calculation of costs?
26. 26. So can we estimate air quality impacts of idling in Northeast Ohio? Follow methodology from Carrico et al. (2009): 48% idle more than 30 seconds to warm car 46% idle more than 30 seconds while waiting 2,095,861 registered passenger vehicles in Northeast Ohio in 2014 (Ohio BMV) Calculate totals based on U.S. EPA emissions factors Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution
27. 27. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Pollutant/Fuel Total Emissions/Fuel Consumed* VOCs 128 tons Hydrocarbons 151 tons NOx 1,678 tons CO 3,376 tons CO2 3,982 Gasoline 27,020,186 *Note: These are rough estimates & should not be cited accordingly, but they likely represent the low end of the range of potential costs for idling in the region. Sources: Amanda R. Carrio et al. (2009). Costly myths: An analysis of idling beliefs and behavior in personal motor vehicles, Energy Policy 37: 28812888. U.S. EPA, Idling Vehicle Emissions for Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Heavy-Duty Trucks (Washington, DC: U.S. EPA, 2008).
28. 28. Myth 4: Idling reduces air pollution Pollutant/Fuel Costs Per Unit (ton/gallon)* Total Costs** VOCs $7,512 $961,470 NOx $17,490 $29,349,576 CO $20 $86,782 CO2 $40 $159,277 Gasoline $3.00 $81,060,557 Total $111,617,663 *Adjusted to 2014 USD values. **Note: These are rough estimates & should not be cited, but they likely represent the low end of the range of potential costs for idling in the region. Sources: U.S. Department of Transportation (2001). Estimation and Evaluation of Full Marginal Costs of Highway Transportation in New Jersey, Journal of Transportation and Statistics 4, no. 1. U.S. EPA, The Social Cost of Carbon, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/EPAactivities/economics/scc.html.
29. 29. So what steps can we take to reduce vehicle idling?
30. 30. Reduce single-occupancy vehicles 84% of Northeast Ohio residents drive alone to work National average: 76% Vehicle miles traveled continues to increase in Northeast Ohio VMT on the decline nationally 8,000 8,500 9,000 9,500 10,000 10,500 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 VMTPerCapita Vehicle Miles Traveled Per Capita, 2007-2013 United States Northeast Ohio Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey data. Federal Highway Administration, Traffic Trends data. Ohio Department of Transportation, Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled Report data.
31. 31. Reduce single-occupancy vehicles Driving less cuts into traffic idling, which accounts for majority of idling time Technologies exist, but they are less effective Shifting to other transportation modes can dramatically improve air quality Atlantas air quality improved during 1996 Olympics Number of asthma-related hospital visits fell 41%
32. 32. Anti-idling technologies Several anti-idling technologies currently exist Hybrid engines designed to shut off while idling Vehicle stop-start technologies, e.g. integrated starter- generators Source: Wikimedia Commons
33. 33. Anti-idling technologies Commercial vehicles require different options Problem is not just idling while driving, but for work-related features Options for commercial vehicles include: Electrified parking spaces Auxiliary power units Supplementary heating & air conditioning Source: Argonne National Laboratory
34. 34. Public awareness campaigns Idling is excellent target for public awareness & education campaigns Much of vehicle idling due to lack of accurate information among drivers Campaigns can help drivers line up actions with their own economic self-interest
35. 35. Sudbury case study Idle reduction campaign in Sudbury, Ontario in 2001-2002 Project used community-based social marketing principles Targeted parents & bus drivers at 49 schools Workers educated drivers about idling Idling frequency & time both fell by one-third Source: McKenzie-Mohr & Associates (2001).
36. 36. Anti-idling policies Public awareness campaigns not always enough Sudbury experiment did not work citywide May be necessary to reinforce these campaigns with policies, legislation Can help overcome barriers to action, short-term perspectives among drivers Idling is low-hanging fruit, can help get citizens invested in sustainability
37. 37. How does NOACA tackle idling? Developed public awareness campaign Drafted sample anti-idling ordinance for local municipalities Help public sector agencies to locate, secure financial support for idle reduction National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program (U.S. EPA) Clean Diesel School Bus Fund Retrofit Grants Program (Ohio EPA)
38. 38. Source: U.S. Department of Energy
39. 39. Source: Ohio EPA
40. 40. Conclusion Idling remains a widespread problem There are a number of myths about vehicle idling, but the costs are clear Taking steps to reduce idling could save Northeast Ohio millions of dollars, improve air quality We can address idling with technology, public awareness, and legislation NOACA is here to help local governments, organizations tackle vehicle idling
41. 41. Tim Kovach Air Quality Planner Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) (216) 241-2414 ext. 399 tkovach@mpo.noaca.org