How to keep an eco-friendly business fleet

From fuel-efficient driving to electric vehicles, we look at some of the ways to help reduce the carbon footprint of your business fleet’s road use.

With thousands expected to attend the GreenFleet Scotland event that takes place in Edinburgh today, it is evident that there is increased interest in operating an eco-friendly fleet.

Now more than ever, companies are expected to show their commitment to sustainability and demonstrate their eco-credentials in every, reasonable aspect of their business. While you may already be involved in adding solar panels to your premises or enforcing a stricter recycling policy with your employees, it could be time to appraise the sustainability of your fleet of vehicles, too.

Invest in electric

Electric cars and hybrid cars have come a long way, and eco-friendly cars needn’t cost you in productivity. From cute, plug-in compacts like the [Volkswagen Up!] to powerful hybrids like the [Volvo V60], there’s now nothing to stop you from supercharging your car fleet. Not only are electric cars easy on the environment, they’ll save you significant amounts of money. A fully electric car can cost as little as 2–4p per mile to run, and you may even be exempt from paying company car tax on electric vehicles. The Government also furnished grant funding for electric car purchase, meaning you can off-set the outlay to the tune of £5,000 per EV.

Track your fuel and emissions

With Arnold Clark Vehicle Management, there are a number of ways to keep tabs on your fuel expenditure. From fuel cards that track efficiency to a carbon calculator to determine your fleet’s CO2 emissions, the first step towards a greener fleet of vehicles is to know exactly how much fuel you use, and how much CO2 your cars emit. Once you know this, gradual steps can be taken towards a reduction.

Drive smart, not hard

Training your employees how to drive in a more fuel-efficient manner can dramatically reduce your annual fuel spend and add up to a significant amount of emissions. Reinforce with your drivers how important it is to accelerate and brake smoothly, cut down on the air conditioning and turn off headlights, windscreen fans and any other in-car feature that use unnecessary extra power.

Utilise some sat nav savvy

While choosing company vehicles with an integrated sat nav might seem like a more expensive option, it can add up to miles of fuel savings in misdirection and traffic jams. Even if your fleet doesn’t have sat navs equipped as standard, the cheapest models only cost around £100, a worthy investment when you consider how much you could save. Higher-end navigation innovations like the Econav will even alert you when you need to change gear to help you optimise your mpg.

Look after your fleet

So many small factors can add up to a huge difference in your fuel efficiency. Regularly removing unnecessary weight from the load, checking your tyre inflation levels and keeping your engine oil topped up can all reduce fuel, and, inevitably, emissions.

For more information on how ACVM can help supercharge your fleet, call our team on 0141 332 2626.