Drive-E: For a cleaner, more powerful drive.
We have been saving people in car accidents for more than 80 years. Today we have yet another challenge.
Our Drive-E policy means Volvo aims to eventually produce cars entirely free of harmful exhaust emissions. We have came a long way already with alternative fuels and our highly efficient diesels, starting from 94 g/km of CO2 emissions.
Around the corner is our next step towards zero emissions: the world-first Volvo V60 plug-in Hybrid and the Volvo C30 Electric.
Key environmental issues to incorporate into your fleet policy
Here we list some of the key questions and issues that we hear from our fleet customers on environmental policy, together with some suggestions on items which your company could consider to respond to the challenges.
1. Supplier selection – environmental credentials
- Ensure your vehicle supplier has an environmental management system (ISO 14001 and or EMAS registration) – which is a guarantee that the supplier has implemented a structured, long-term and comprehensive set of activities to reduce environmental impacts and increase awareness among its employees
- You should look out for Environmental policies and reports that are used to present the company’s ambitions and results
- Volvo Cars Approach to Sustainability
2. A CO2 Efficient Fleet
- Consider giving preference or weighting given to fuel-efficient vehicles in RFPs
- Consider the age of your fleet to ensure the latest and most effective emission technology available.
- Driver schemes – the potential within your company to implement Human resources policies and/or incentives for selecting or driving fuel-efficient vehicles
- Link to the Volvo Drive-E range
3. Know the Rules
- Awareness of the key market-by-market CO2 legislation and how it affects both company and drivers
- Awareness of the future development of congestion charging and low-emission zones
- Contact us
4. Driver Behaviour and Training
- Driver training and awareness programmes can often make a substantial reduction in fuel costs, often with an additional benefit in improving driver behaviour, reducing accidents and improving employee satisfaction
- Often these programmes are available with an online element in addition to on-the-road training
- These programmes could form part of your employee environmental vehicles incentive programme – see above
- Link to the Volvo cars driving academy
5. Measurement
- Of course the benefits of implementing an environmental vehicle programme only become tangible once they are measured
- As a minimum standard, we would recommend a company to initiate a fuel monitoring system linked to a fuel card system
- Environmental improvements can only be made if performance is measured and monitored. Typical measurements should be fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, toxic emissions and tyre use
- Corporate Targets for improvement should be set annually and monitored regularly with reports back to drivers and other interested parties.
- Volvo Sustainability Scorecard
6. Fuel policy
- There is a wide range of fuels now available with variations from one country to another
- The short-term competitors to diesel and petrol are compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petrol-electric hybrids with fuel cells on the horizon
- We recommend
- Ongoing assessment of alternative fuel options, including vehicle use and refuelling infrastructure
- Consideration of the benefits of running a mixed fuel fleet: company image, cost of fuel, residual values
- Contact us
7. Servicing and repair
- Service, repair and maintenance cause environmental impact through the use of natural resources, waste and harmful workshop emissions
- It is essential that vehicles are maintained to the highest standards, thereby ensuring optimum fuel efficiency and emissions.
- Link to Local Volvo fleet service programmes
8. Alternative travel plans
- Car dependency is still growing and European governments are attempting to counter this with fiscal measures encouraging us to use our cars less
- Alternative travel plans are easier where you have concentrations of staff and where real alternatives exist
- Read about the Volvo Road Train Pilot Programme
