Volkswagen has scooped the 2010 Energy Saving Trust Fleet Hero Award for Innovation in Car and Van Manufacture. The accolade was presented at a ceremony in London last week, and recognises the contribution made by Volkswagen to green fleet management.
Now in their fifth year, the Fleet Hero Awards highlight best practice in fleet management and acknowledge organisations that are addressing climate change by reducing carbon emissions from business travel. Best practice is recognised in individual fleets or organisations as well as manufacturers who use technology innovatively to reduce their impact on the environment.
Volkswagen was chosen partly because of its “broadminded view towards the future of mobility” with its drive towards green motoring headed up by the BlueMotion Technologies brand. The car maker is also investing in a number of new and existing technologies ranging from efficient internal combustion engined vehicles, to fully electric powered cars and vans. In addition to electric cars, Volkswagen is working on enhancing technologies, which will become a key part of future mobility, for example, hydrogen fuel cells.
Chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust Philip Sellwood congratulated the car maker: “The Fleet Hero Awards highlights those who have not only taken steps to help the environment but also to save money and resources. This is a great example for others to follow.”
Transport minister Norman Baker MP added: “It gives me a great pleasure to support the Energy Saving Trust’s Fleet Hero Awards and in recognising the achievements that organisations are making to reduce emissions and costs from their fleets.
“While much of the debate on tackling climate change focuses on long term solutions, fleets can make an active and meaningful contribution today. Organisations both large and small can make a real difference through procuring greener, cleaner vehicles, or improving fuel consumption through driver training or simply by reducing business travel. The excellent efforts and innovation shown by the award winners and nominees give me great encouragement that the fleet industry can and will meet these challenges.”
