I just wanted to personally thank Lee Williams and Katie Hartley for riding along with me during Eddie Creech’s party! Not to mention they wrote an excellent article on us: Powered on fry grease, ready to roll.
I’ve had a good reaction from friends and business associates alike who have told me that the article hints that our company is a pioneer for transportation in the NW. I like how Lee mentions the other green transport companies out there. It’s good to have a comparison of competitors, and hybrids still have the same issue with the fluctuating costs of gasoline, and oh yeah, the fact that they are fossil-fuel derived. Sure, the mpgs are greater , but our fry grease is cleaner burning, biodegradable and renewable.
A very significant aspect of our ‘edge’ is continuing to push renewable / sustainable at every opportunity to reach new people as well as the converted. We’re fortunate in that biodiesel is easily accessible and B100 even is readily available here at several stations in the Greater Portland area. Also, the costs are cheaper than that of diesel currently (last time I checked).
We are actively seeking to expand our fleet by the end of this month, so look out for another EcoShuttle on the road. We are looking into larger vehicle models, such as 25-passenger mini-bus, but we are ways away from a Prius upgrade. Before that, we are in the market for the ’09 Diesel-Hybrid Sprinter. Who knows? The next step may be hydrogen fuel cells. I recognize that the current prototypes are million dollar babies but our business model is the perfect vehicle (sorry!!) to promote the technology.
What needs to happen, or who needs to be convinced that lifting the moratorium is the right thing to do? And does Eco-Shuttle aspire to enter the local taxi market as well? If so, it might be an uphill battle…