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TORONTO — Earlier this year, PCT reported on Toronto, Canada-based Reliable Exterminators’ introduction of a fuel-efficient “smart car” to its fleet. (Click here to view this article).
Reliable President Brian Menard likes the potential of the Mercedes-Benz Canada-manufactured Smart Car for a number of reasons, including fuel savings, easy maneuverability and marketing purposes. He reports that his Smart Car gets 60 to 70 miles per gallon, compared with the trucks in his fleet (Chevy S-10 pickup trucks) which get 18 to 22 miles per gallon.
“Each truck costs $400 per month to fuel, compared to the Smart Car, which costs $127 per month to fuel,” Menard said. “Probably the only difficulty we’ve encountered is that not all gas stations sell diesel fuel.”
Menard says that he has two more Smart Car’s on order and the he is considering adding a Smart Car truck to his fleet.
Menard also provided PCT with the following updates on the Smart Car
- A Smart Car recently was driven across Canada by Guide de la Auto, a third party, non-biased Montreal-based publication. The magazine made the journey and documented its findings for an aricle. The cross country-trek (from Victoria, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia) totaled 6,587 kilometers (4,251 miles) with a total fuel cost of $268 (Canada). Click here for a detailed account and daily journal of this cross-country trek.
- Reliable also recently was used its Smart Car in the local Santa Claus parade and Menard reports that the company received good publicity for this participation.