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HOW BOSTON MAINTAINS ITS ELECTRICS.

24th October 1918
Page 15
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Page 15, 24th October 1918 — HOW BOSTON MAINTAINS ITS ELECTRICS.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

A Simple System Permitting the User to Determine the Annual Cost of His Transport Service in Advance.

FEW WEEKS •AGO we described the battery maintenance service in vogue in the city of Boston, U.S.A., in connection with mechanical transport by. the' aid of electrics. This scheme was modelled upon that in. operation in the town of Hartford, Connecticut, which pioneered these efforts towards popularizing the electric lorry for interurban traffic. The Hartford scheme is more comprehensive than that in Boston inasmuch as it not only re.• lieves the user of all worries and anxieties incidental to maintenance, but offers the prospective convert to motor haulage the additional advantage of presenting the exact cost of the annual transport bill in connection with the projected duty in advance. In the Hartford scheme, not only is the battery service assured according to the .mileage actually covered, but a mechanical maintenance arrangement is also concluded with the user. This applies to any G.V.C. electric lorry, ranging from a 7-cwt. light van ' to a 5-tonner, so long as it is not more than 10 years old.

• The scheme, introduced in 1912 by the Electric Light Co., of Hartford, was rendered comprehensive for the purpose of popularizing the electric. It was realized that if this form of transport could only be presented in the most attractive form it would do much to remove the prejudices prevailing against the elearic. So, to this end, it was proposed to undertake to keep the vehicle in the best running condition at all times at the lowest cost to the owner, and to stimulate the driver's interest in the skilful operation and maintenance of his lorry. To enable the company to carry out its scheme to its logical conclusion, it founded a subsidiary concern, -.the Commercial Electric Garage Co., which is responsible for the fulfilment of all mechanical repairs and the maintenance of the vehicle ready for instant demand at any hour of the day or night. A contract is made between the Hartford Electric Light Co. and the user for 12 months, the scheme being conducted upon a yearly basis. According to the terms of this arrangement the company undertakes to maintain and renew the steel frame. with all the attached parts, such as spring hangers, battery cradle hangers, and so forth. Finally the company undertakes to submit the vehicle to one complete overhaul at least during the year. It will be • seen that under this project the customer's liabilities are reduced'to ordinary greasing and lubricating of the vehicle—when garaged with the company he is relieved of this indispensable task—washing, painting of the body and any repairs thereto, including the doors to the battery cradle, tyres and skid chains, and metal rims for the tyres or any damage which may be inflicted upon the wood felloe through changing the make of tyres as already mentioned. Furthermore, unless the vehicle carries an insurance policy payable to the company, the customer must sustain the expense of any repairs arising from accident or misadventure. If the insurance be conducted through the company the latter carries out such repairs, recouping itself from the insurance company according to the terms of the policy. Even the liability of tyres is capable of reduction to the minimum, inasmuch as, should the occasion arise, the company is in the tfosition to secure any indemnification which may be considered legitimate in accordance with the tyre guarantee extended, because the company is prepared to fit the tyres and to maintain them in accordance with the manufacturers' guarantee. Determination of what repairs shall be carried out rests with the Electric Light Co., which keeps the vehicle under constant supervision. The maintenance charge is fixed, and varies according to the carrying capacity of the vehicle. A yearly figure is taken—the term of the contract—but is payable in 12 equal monthly instalments. The charges are as follow :—

The foregoing appropriation, if the vehicle be carefully and skilfully tended, is liberal, as experience has demonstrated. But should the actual liability incurred for repairs be less than that charged according•to the above schedule, the favourable balance is not, accepted as profit by the company. This differewe is divisible between the company, the user, and the driver, the participation of the last-named, however, being subject to the approbation of the customer. The last-named receives 60 per cent, of the unspent allocation, while the company and the &law each take 20 per cent. As a result of its accumulated experience the company not only strongly recommends that the driver should-receive the foregoing practical reward in the form of the 20 per cent. bonus, the availability of such a balance being entirely due to his careful driving and skilled attention, but urges that the user should recompense him to a similar amount from his 60 per cent.

On the other hand, should the actual expenditure for repairs exceed the annual appropriation therefor, the customer is not called upon to make good the whole of the excess. It is shared equally by the user and the Electric Light Co. It is this give-and-take character of the scheme which has made such a strong appeal to the transport community, the users realizing that it is to the direct benefit of the company to keep the maintenance charges to the lowest possible figure.

With regard to the garage charges, these are likewise based upon a sliding, scale, ranging from 24s. in 'the case of the 7-cwt. light van to 23 8s. for the 5tanner per month. -If the vehicle be garaged by the owner either upon his own premises or at some other convenient place' an extra charge of 22 per month, irrespective of the size of the lorry, is made.

For the purpose of garaging the company has built a special building equipped with all apparatus necessary for charging the batteries, which is carried out at night. The situation of4he garage is central and the convenience offered appeals to the users, more than one half of the company's customers taking advantage, of this facility. When garaged with the company the vehicle receives all the necessary oiling and greasing at the inclusive figure, but cleaning is extra, being 2s. for each washing. At this garage, also, repairs which do not come within the. scope of the maintenance contract, or alterations desired by the owners are carried out, the charge for labour being fixed at so much per hour, according to the prevailing standard rate of wages, with materials extras When the scheme was first mtrodueed the battery service was conducted upon one of two sliding scales, the one permitting the vehicle to be garaged with the company, the other upon the user's own or other premises. Of course, in the last-named event, the user was relieved of the fixed garage charge, but this was counterbalanced by an increased fixed monthly service charge, so that to the user it became more expensive to garage away from than with the company, -inasmuch as in the former case the transport bill was inflated by the figure represented by the extra garage charge privately incurred. When garaged away from the company arrangements had to be made to withdraw the battery from the truck at night, its conveyance to the charging station, and its return to the vehicle in the morning.

The current charge was also arranged upon a sliding scale ranging from lid. per mile for the first 600

, miles, lid. per mile for the succeeding 250 miles, Id. per 'Mile from 750 to -1000 miles at id. per mile for all miles in excess of 1000 miles per month for the 7cwt. light van. In the case of the 5-tonner the rate varied from 34d. per 'mile for the ..first 500 miles, 3d. per mile 500-750 miles, and 2d. per mile in excess thereof per month.

The sliding scale was somewhat intricate, and involved considerable book-keeping. Complexity in accounting was accentuated from the fact that two scales were in operatiqn. Accordingly it was decided to abolish the sliding scale in favour of a flat mileage rate which came into effect on let February last. The fixed service. charge was likewise modified being increased to meet the changed conditions. 'The introduction of the flat rate has bestowed one advantage: it places the user who has only a limited monthly service upon the same level as his colleague who covers three times the mileage during the month. There are many vehicles, notably light vans, which do not exceed an average daily mileage of 15, or 450 miles per month, the exigencies of their phase of duty precluding this aggregate being .exceeded. Such vehicles were somewhat handicapped, inasmuch as under the sliding scale they were called upon to pay

for current at the maximum price, on account of failing to reach the limit where the first reduction, giving advantages to high mileage, was experienced; viz., 500 miles. The new scale of charges is as follows :—

Fixed battery service, Rate per

Type of vehicle. charge per month, mile.

7-cwt. light van ... £5 10,,,,'' ...£6 il. 1-ton lorry ... 27 id.

2„ e ... 19 lid.

3i,) „ ... 211 2d.

5„ „ ... 213 2id.

Seeing that the average monthly mileage, according to the experience gathered by the company, ranges from 800 to 1400, the advantage of the flat rate will be observed. Under the old system from about 35 to 60 _per cent, of the running--up to 500 miles=was completed on the maximum-eharge, which in the case of the 5-tonner was 3id. per mile. If the vehicle made .1400 miles during the month of the total 650 miles were charged on the lowest rate of 2d. per mile as compared with Ad. per mile all round now in vogue. As a matter, of fact, in this instance, the user benefits because whereas under the former sliding scale it cost £15 16s. 8d. to cover 1400 miles, it now costs 210 8s. 4d. for current. Even the increase in the fixed monthly service charge from £9 12s. to £13 per month brings the total outlay on account of battery and current B36

consumption to a more favourable figure for the customer, namely 223 8s. -4(1., as compared with 225 8s. 8d. together with the advantages of simplified book-keeping. The mileage is taken according to the reading of an approved odometer. Of course, in the case or a user garaging away from the company, the foregoing charges have to be increased by the additional fixed charge of 22 per month already men

tioned. The simplicity of the iystern enables the cost of -operating an electric to be figured with exactness. For instance, a customer cootemplates the purchase of a 3i-tonner which he estimates will have to cover 900 miles during the month. The total running costs will come out as follow :— s. d.

Maintenance charge, per month ... 3 15 0 Fixed battery charge, per month ... 11 0 0 Fixed garage charge, per month ... 2 8 0 900 miles at 2d. per mile for current 7 10 0 Total running costs for month... 224 13 0 which is equal to 6.57d. per mile. Of course, as the mileage covered is increased the cost per mile decreases, a 3i-tonner covering 1400 miles during the month„, showing a cost of 3.94 per mile, inasmuch as all the charges, except that for current, remain fixed irrespective of the mileage recorded during the period. But the foregoing figures may not be so complete as the prospective customer desires. He would like an all-in, to? completely inclusive, figure for the year, say on a monthly mileage of 900.The company is prepared to satisfy these requirements, which come out as shown in the following table :— The foregoing figures are complete, and include every possible item with the exception of those for washing and painting. As already explained, the cost per mile is possible of certain reduction proportionate to the total of mileage covered, the figure of 900 miles per month being well below the average. It may also be mentioned that the foregoing figures refer to the town, of Hartford. Where the British equivalents are known it would be an easy and straightforward matter to adjust them to meet British conditions. if the user were to attemptto install his own complete and independent equipment together with all facilities to maintain an electric transport service he would be saddled with an overwhelming initial expenditure, the overhead charges concerning which would be heavier than those given above.

As conclusive evidence of the popularity of the system described, it may be mentioned that the Hartford Electric Light Co. has sold 96 eIectrics under its scheme, all of which are operating in accordance with the sefvice offered. Seeing that the town has a population of only 100,000, the result must be' admitted as being highly satisfactory. The success of the,. Scheme permitted the rates to be lowered in 1915, tut, owing to the adverse conditions created by the war, they have had to be increased during the current year. The success of the Hartford system has aroused the interest of town and city electric lighting authorities, not only throughout the United States and Canada,/but of this country also.

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Locations: BOSTON, Hartford

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