HomeMy Public PortalAboutBelleMeadeShort_case_study_FINALCase Study – Police Department of Belle Meade, TN
Vehicle: VW Passat Type: Turbo Charged Diesel Fuel: Diesel
Background
Belle Meade has approximately 4000 permanent residents and
is approximately the same geography as Tybee Island in terms of square mileage and layout. Tim Eads, the Police Chief of Belle Meade, has described through emails and conversations with
David Turner the complete 2-year changeover to the VW Passat TDI Clean Diesel Sedan. The changeover has been problem-free with a huge reduction in fuel expenditure even though the diesel
fuel is typically $0.60 more than 87 grade gasoline. Police officers appreciate the size, power and comfort of the vehicle, while taxpayers enjoy the financial benefits of fuel efficiency
reliability of the vehicle.
Specific comparison data provided by Belle Meade PD, Tennessee
Top speed in their district 45MPH (same as Tybee)
Vehicles in Use: 16 VW Passat TDI Clean
Diesel (2 more being added this year)
Average Fuel Economy: 34mpg (compared to 31/43 City/Hwy on Cars.com)
Maintenance: Included for 3 years, except for oil changes (done by Police Dept.)
Rationale/
Advantages
Low maintenance engine; oil and air filter are directly accessible; no spark plugs or leads as diesel combustion is based on compression.
“Low-end torque” allows quick acceleration
from 0 to 45-50 MPH (necessary in pursuit or intent to stop situations) and electronic stability control (required for high-speed or cornering high-speed control situations)
Largest
trunk space of any vehicle being considered; lockable and capable of handling equipment slides for modern communication equipment and most rear and front legroom combined and the most
rear legroom in its class, allowing for more space for prisoner transport
VW has had superb reputation for high quality high performance vehicles since 1937. The Jetta, Jetta Sportwagon
and Passat Sedan are built by American workers in Tennessee (a target audience for tourists coming to Tybee); the majority of parts are sourced in the USA, engine and transmission manufactured
in Germany.
Outfitting can be performed Belle Meade’s preferred vendor for $10,500 excluding Police Radio (which would be removed from one of Tybee's old Cruisers) and includes two
way radar, light bar etc., and all other requirements to meet Georgia Police Cruiser code. The Department of Public Works can maintain the outfitting of these vehicles and will not require
special maintenance training as it would with a hybrid vehicle.
Exceeds CAFE requirements and has proven very low emissions.
While it does not provide, on paper, the best fuel economy,
the Passat is an ATTRACTIVE COMPROMISE based on all the criteria that our Police Chief has stated is required and delivers fuel economy that is 2 + times better than the Dodge Charger
or Ford Crown Victoria.
Challenges
Diesel costs $0.60-0.80/gallon more than 87 grade gasoline, however the efficiency of diesel engines gives double or more fuel economy to the same
size and class of vehicle.
Diesel is still perceived as “dirty”, however modern ultra-low sulphur diesel fuels actually pollute less than their petroleum-based counterparts.