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TÜV SÜD: FleetCompany presents award for "green" fleet management

Munich. Corporate changeovers to smaller, more eco-friendly vehicles and a fuel-saving competition were the projects that won this year's GreenFleet® Award, presented by TÜV SÜD subsidiary FleetCompany GmbH. The winners were: RWE AG, Sony Deutschland GmbH and BTI Befestigungstechnik GmbH. The award was presented by TÜV SÜD President and CEO Dr Axel Stepken on Tuesday 6 October 2009. Dr Stepken stressed that fleet operators were showing a trend towards smaller and more economical vehicles. The ceremony took place at the TÜV SÜD corporation headquarters as part of the two-day Strategy Forum Fleet Management 2009.

Left to right: Roland Vogt, Managing Director of FleetCompany; Theo Berkle, Head of Procurement, Administration and Environment, Sony Deutschland GmbH; Ines Krock, Coordinator Fleet, Sony Deutschland GmbH; Joachim Löchte, Head of the Environmental Policy/CR Division of RWE AG; Ellen Rücker, Fleet Manager, BTI GmbH; Manfred Bohner, Controlling, BTI GmbH; Dr Axel Stepken, President and CEO of TÜV SÜD AG.

Three winners, 120 specialist guests and an enthusiastic response from the press was the final tally for the second year of the GreenFleet® Award. In comparison to the previous year, a new trend was noted: driving up to customers’ doors in a luxury limousine is no longer seen as a must. Quite the opposite, in fact; today, companies create the best impression when they demonstrate responsibility and cost-awareness in their choice of vehicle fleet, as a way of generating confidence in future projects. This was a further factor highlighted by Dr Stepken at the award ceremony: "Companies are coming to realize that "green" is more than an image-booster and can also save them money", stated the TÜV SÜD CEO, continuing, "We support companies in implementing these goals. At TÜV SÜD, bringing nature and technology into harmony has been the driving force of our entrepreneurial activities for over 140 years. Today, this primarily involves using resources sparingly."

450 tonnes of CO₂ saved

The three GreenFleet® Award winners for this year are following this precept, among them RWE AG. The company operates a fleet of 10,000 vehicles in Germany and is successively replacing them with eco-friendlier models. "Our actions will reduce the CO₂ emissions of our fleet by 20 per cent. To do this, we have selected models which gained at least four stars in the ADAC EcoTest for all our new vehicle purchases", stressed Joachim Löchte, head of the Environmental Policy/CR division at RWE.

Another winner was Sony Deutschland GmbH. Last year, Sony Stuttgart had already scooped the award for a seminar on fuel saving; this year's award-winning project involved a changeover to more environmentally friendly vehicles. "Our vehicle fleet currently consists of around 200 cars. We plan to exchange them for more economical BMW models within the next three years. After the changeover is completed, our fleet will have slashed its CO₂ emissions by around 270 tonnes compared to 2008 – a saving of over 20 per cent", explained JÜrgen Schmitz, Divisional Director Finance and Accounting.

BTI Befestigungstechnik GmbH, based in the Baden-WÜrttemberg city of Ingelfingen, conducted a fuel-saving project. Managing Director JÜrgen Dietz describes the project: "The goal of our project initiative, BTI Orange ECO Driver, was to provide targeted information which would boost our employees' awareness of economical driving and their motivation to change their own driving style." The results of the project exceeded their expectations by far, enthused Dietz: savings of almost ten per cent in fleet operation translated into around 450 tonnes of CO₂ emissions or 180,000 litres of diesel every year. "We are delighted to receive the award, which stands for our commitment to pursue this route consistently in the future and to underpin our successful reduction of fuel consumption by conducting follow-up activities", affirmed Dietz.

Impartial Jury

This year, for the first time a jury of impartial experts decided the winner of the GreenFleet® Award. The jury was drawn from the German Environmental Management Association, the Faculty of Industrial Engineering at Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany’s automobile association ADAC, TÜV SÜD Academy and from the award promoter itself, FleetCompany.

The criteria for the jury’s decision were: What carbon savings can be made during the course of a year? What kind of potential does the project show? Can it be applied to other companies? How innovative is the proposal submitted for the award? The GreenFleet® Award is presented in an array of categories ranging from successful reduction of fuel consumption or realization of innovative technological concepts to redesigning a company’s vehicle fleet directives to choose lower-price, more eco-friendly vehicle models. There are no restrictions to applications; "any company can apply for the GreenFleet® Award without needing to be a FleetCompany customer", explains Roland Vogt, FleetCompany's Managing Director and member of the jury.

GreenFleet® is a targeted savings programme for vehicle fleet operators, designed both to save fuel costs and reduce carbon and other emissions. "Eco-driving not only enables fuel costs to be slashed by over ten per cent.

As an additional benefit, more sensitive driving results in significant savings on wear and tear. Tyres, brakes and clutch have a longer lifespan and damage to the vehicle is reduced", explains Vogt. To achieve this, drivers are trained in this economical driving method by professional instructors. Special financial incentives can help to maintain economical driving habits over the long term, by awarding bonuses for fuel savings. Another option is to invest part of the savings in environmental projects - this enhances a company’s image.

Munich-based FleetCompany GmbH is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Only a few weeks ago, TÜV SÜD increased its holdings in FleetCompany from 40 per cent to 100 per cent.

The TÜV SÜD Strategy Forum Fleet Management is being held this year for the third time by TÜV SÜD Auto Service and FleetCompany. The areas of focus in 2009 are multi-supply, partnerships with multiple leasing companies and general aspects of leasing in times of crisis. The Forum is aimed at Managing Board members, top management and senior executives of fleet operators.