Reduce Fuel Use through Electrification of Transportation Systems
Converting transportation systems to fleets fueled by electricity , over time , positively impacts both local and regional air quality , reduces GHG emissions , enhances the natural environment , and can support our efforts to operate in a more resilient manner . Electrification also reduces both our fuel and maintenance costs resulting in lower life cycle operating costs of our various fleets and equipment . In addition , by converting our buses , PTVs , cars , and trucks to electric ( and hybrid ) power , along with the ground service equipment owned by our airline partners , we also improve the quality of the customer experience through cleaner landside air as well as the working conditions for our valued employees engaged in airside activities . Longer term , we expect electrification options to expand into aircraft fleets with both electric and hybrid planes becoming a reality over time .
Baseline
Fuel Consumption : On an annual basis , Authority buses , vehicles , and equipment consume more than 1,200,000 gallons of petroleum-based fuel . Of the top five consumers of fuel in 2019 , Dulles International had the top three with PTVs , airport buses and the vehicle fleet consuming 448,000 , 326,000 , and 177,000 gallons , respectively . Reagan National ’ s bus fleet used 155,000 gallons in 2019 with its vehicle fleet consuming an additional 139,000 gallons . As it relates to jet fuel whose use is outside the control of the Authority , airlines at Dulles International purchased 492 million gallons of jet fuel in 2018 6 whereas at Reagan National , the total was 197 million gallons .
Metrics to Measure Success
Reducing the petroleum-based fuels that we use across our fleets is one of the most direct ways to measure success as we strive to electrify our various transportation systems and reduce our environmental impact . We know , for example , that upon replacing a diesel bus with an electric one , the Authority will save between 9,000 - 11,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year for the life of the bus .
In addition to fuel usage , we can track and report on the percentage of our various fleets that are electric or hybrid . Currently , none of our bus or PTV fleets are electric- or hybridpowered and only 1 % of our cars and trucks fall into this category . Over time , as costs continue to decline and technology improves , the goal of the Authority is to transition most of our vehicle types and equipment fleets to electric- or hybridpowered .
Assisting our tenants with electrification of their systems is also a priority . In 2018 , we were successful in obtaining FAA funding to support the electrification of certain ground service equipment ( GSE ) units for United Airlines at Dulles International . However , overall , we calculate that less than 10 % of the total GSE fleet
Mobile Lounges and Plane Mates
Iconic to Dulles International Airport , the Authority has been operating two types of PTVs — Mobile Lounges and Plane Mates — as the primary means of transporting passengers from the Main Terminal to the Midfield Terminals since the 1960s . Currently , 26 Plane Mates and 14 Mobile Lounges are in operation and last year these vehicles transported nearly 12 million passengers across the airport .
In 2019 , NREL mapped out the daily duty cycle of select PTVs by using tracking devices ( dataloggers ). This analysis determined that the vehicles travelled less than 50 miles per day , had a fuel economy of 1.6 miles per gallon , and were idling roughly 80 % of the time .
6 2019 jet fuel data pending
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