Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
Assemblywoman DIANNE C. GOVE
District 9 (Atlantic, Burlington and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State to purchase certain vehicle tires and motor oils to minimize fuel usage.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring the State to purchase certain vehicle tires and motor oils to minimize fuel usage, and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Within two years after the date of enactment of this act, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury, and any State agency having authority to contract for the purchase of goods or services, as appropriate, shall, whenever possible and when safety and security would not be jeopardized, replace tires on State vehicles with low roll resistant tires, in order to minimize fuel usage and increase fuel economy of State vehicles.
b. Commencing two years after the date of enactment of this act, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury, and any State agency having authority to contract for the purchase of goods or services, as appropriate, shall, to the maximum extent practicable without jeopardizing the safety or security of people or property, purchase low roll resistant tires and low viscosity motor oil and lubricants, in order to minimize fuel usage and increase fuel economy of State vehicles.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the State to purchase, or replace as appropriate, low roll resistant tires and low viscosity motor oil and lubricants, in order to minimize fuel usage and increase fuel economy of State vehicles.
Low roll resistant tires use less energy to stay in motion. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in the United States Department of Energy, estimates that 5-10% of light-duty fuel consumption is used to overcome rolling resistance for passenger cars. Low roll resistant tires that reduce rolling resistance by about 10% increase fuel consumption by about 1-2%, and can lead to saving a number of gallons of gasoline each year.
Lower viscosity oils have a decreased resistance to movement, thus reducing frictional and energy losses that lead to increased fuel consumption. Low viscosity lubricants may be made from synthetic or mineral oil blends with low viscosity and extreme pressure additives. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), low viscosity synthetic engine oil and lubricants can improve fuel economy by about 3%. The EPA estimates that for each truck switching to low viscosity synthetic engine oil and lubricants, nearly 500 gallons of fuel would be saved and five metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be eliminated per year.
Low roll resistant tires and low viscosity motor oil and lubricants can significantly increase fuel efficiency while maintaining vehicular safety, leading to reduced carbon dioxide emissions and decreased fuel consumption.