HomeMy Public PortalAbout160_046_CRCBelleMeadeShortCaseStudyFinal Case 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.