xcel
11-16-2006, 06:15 PM
We are not taking a big risk, as the vehicle is warranteed for three years. (http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=26659)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/HCH-II.jpgErnest Waititu - Athens News - Nov. 16, 2006
The era of hybrid cars as exclusive possessions of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Cameron Diaz and other Hollywood idols is finally over.
With the purchase of a 2007 Honda Civic hybrid car by Ohio University Transport and Parking Services, students, staff and faculty now have a chance to drive in a hybrid car and bask in the ensuing glamour and political correctness that has dominated Hollywood streets for months.
The vehicle is the first hybrid car in the university motor-pool fleet. It will be rented at the same rate as the other full-size vehicle rentals: $16 per day and 35 cents per mile, said Sherry Barnes, director of OU's Transportation and Parking Services.
Barnes told The Athens NEWS this week that the university has been spending a lot of money on fuel costs, and it wanted to do something that was going to reduce dependency on fuel.
In addition, the car shows that the university cares about the environment, Barnes said. While admitting that one car will probably not make much change to the environment, Barnes said, "the university is concerned about the environment and wants to be able to contribute to a greener environment" in whatever small way it can.
With the new purchase, OU becomes one of the first state institutions in Ohio to adopt hybrid cars, Barnes said. And this is just a start, she added, expressing confidence that her agency will soon add another hybrid vehicle.
The car may not be the most elegant-looking car in town but certainly one that will feel good to the renter's bottom line with its low gas mileage. Barnes estimates that the Honda Civic gets 48 miles per gallon, somewhat lower than the 60 miles per gallon boasted by Toyota Prius - the hottest-selling commodity among conservation and/or image-minded celebrities.
Sonia Marcus, resource conservation coordinator at OU, was one of the first people on campus to try the car last weekend. She said her office rented the car Saturday on behalf of the Sustainable Living Organization - a student organization at OU - to attend the Athens Farmers Market at the University Mall.
Interviewed by e-mail, Marcus appeared upbeat about the new venture by the university, saying that the purchase of the hybrid as part of the university motor-pool fleet "is yet another indication of the ongoing effort that so many departments are making at Ohio University to 'green' their practices and infrastructure. It is a sign of the importance that our campus community places on decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels and contributing to a healthier environment."
Marcus recommended the use of the hybrid vehicle saying that by renting it, students, staff and faculty will be sending to the administration the message that energy conservation matters, and that "they are interested in participating in initiatives to make our university more ecologically sustainable."
The Honda Hybrid cost the university $ 21,700 after discounts, Barnes said. With that price, which Barnes said is $8,000 more than the average cost for other full-size cars in the fleet, the university hopes the car will yield better results than five GEM electric cars that it had tried in 2001. Barnes said that the five cars were very expensive to maintain, and the university had to sell them off in just two years.
For this reason, her office has decided to proceed with caution as it tries the hybrid. "We are not taking a big risk," Barnes said. "The vehicle is warranteed for three years."
Barnes said that by buying the car, the university is answering the needs of customers who have been asking for alternative-fuel vehicles. "We have had people request it (hybrid car) before we even had it," she said.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/HCH-II.jpgErnest Waititu - Athens News - Nov. 16, 2006
The era of hybrid cars as exclusive possessions of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Cameron Diaz and other Hollywood idols is finally over.
With the purchase of a 2007 Honda Civic hybrid car by Ohio University Transport and Parking Services, students, staff and faculty now have a chance to drive in a hybrid car and bask in the ensuing glamour and political correctness that has dominated Hollywood streets for months.
The vehicle is the first hybrid car in the university motor-pool fleet. It will be rented at the same rate as the other full-size vehicle rentals: $16 per day and 35 cents per mile, said Sherry Barnes, director of OU's Transportation and Parking Services.
Barnes told The Athens NEWS this week that the university has been spending a lot of money on fuel costs, and it wanted to do something that was going to reduce dependency on fuel.
In addition, the car shows that the university cares about the environment, Barnes said. While admitting that one car will probably not make much change to the environment, Barnes said, "the university is concerned about the environment and wants to be able to contribute to a greener environment" in whatever small way it can.
With the new purchase, OU becomes one of the first state institutions in Ohio to adopt hybrid cars, Barnes said. And this is just a start, she added, expressing confidence that her agency will soon add another hybrid vehicle.
The car may not be the most elegant-looking car in town but certainly one that will feel good to the renter's bottom line with its low gas mileage. Barnes estimates that the Honda Civic gets 48 miles per gallon, somewhat lower than the 60 miles per gallon boasted by Toyota Prius - the hottest-selling commodity among conservation and/or image-minded celebrities.
Sonia Marcus, resource conservation coordinator at OU, was one of the first people on campus to try the car last weekend. She said her office rented the car Saturday on behalf of the Sustainable Living Organization - a student organization at OU - to attend the Athens Farmers Market at the University Mall.
Interviewed by e-mail, Marcus appeared upbeat about the new venture by the university, saying that the purchase of the hybrid as part of the university motor-pool fleet "is yet another indication of the ongoing effort that so many departments are making at Ohio University to 'green' their practices and infrastructure. It is a sign of the importance that our campus community places on decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels and contributing to a healthier environment."
Marcus recommended the use of the hybrid vehicle saying that by renting it, students, staff and faculty will be sending to the administration the message that energy conservation matters, and that "they are interested in participating in initiatives to make our university more ecologically sustainable."
The Honda Hybrid cost the university $ 21,700 after discounts, Barnes said. With that price, which Barnes said is $8,000 more than the average cost for other full-size cars in the fleet, the university hopes the car will yield better results than five GEM electric cars that it had tried in 2001. Barnes said that the five cars were very expensive to maintain, and the university had to sell them off in just two years.
For this reason, her office has decided to proceed with caution as it tries the hybrid. "We are not taking a big risk," Barnes said. "The vehicle is warranteed for three years."
Barnes said that by buying the car, the university is answering the needs of customers who have been asking for alternative-fuel vehicles. "We have had people request it (hybrid car) before we even had it," she said.