As companies look increasingly for ways to control their fuel bills, one motoring organisation says that driver training is just as important as vehicle choice in the battle against rising fuel prices.
As many firms look to renew their fleets as the economy picks up, IAM Drive & Survive calls for fleet managers and business drivers to invest in eco-driver training to improve their efficiency.
Simon Elstow, IAM Drive & Survive Head of Training said: “Companies no doubt consider green credentials when buying new company cars, but they may not realise how much more efficiently their employees could be driving them.
“Simple techniques such as advanced anticipation, intelligent route planning and speed control can increase your fuel economy by 50 per cent, as well as getting you from A to B a lot quicker.”
“Ecolution, our fuel-saving driver training course, has increased the MPG of one company’s fleet by nearly 30 per cent: a huge saving in terms of fuel bills. Efficient driving also means reduced wear and tear on the car and a better resale value, and less frequent car replacement which is an eco-burden in itself.”
Mr Elstow continued: “While companies are looking into providing greener vehicles for their fleet, we advise them to do the job properly and look at how improving their business drivers’ skills could also save them money and reduce their CO2 emissions.”
Employers and individuals, mindful of their CSR and environmental responsibilities, are increasingly seeing their car as a catalyst for green change, the firm says. A forthcoming IAM report Motoring Facts 2010 has found that companies are opting for more fuel efficient vehicles, with twice as many new diesel company cars as private cars being registered every year.
In fact, market data for new car registrations show that in July, diesel-fuelled cars achieved a record market shares as fleet registrations grew 2.7 per cent. Diesel cars sales grew 11.8 per cent in the month to take a record market share of 50.6 per cent.
Alternative fuel vehicles such as hybrid cars also enjoyed a record month with volumes rising by 52.6 per cent to take a 1.4 per cent market share. The news emerges as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveals that last month, the overall market for new cars fell for the first time in 12 months, with registrations down 13.2 per cent compared with the same month of 2009.
