Fuel savings are only the beginning

If you follow the RECODRIVE approach you will find out that the whole system changes. Procurement will profit from better knowledge about usage patterns and the total cost of ownership of vehicles will eventually be lower. Drivers are not only motivated to drive in an energy efficient way, but also consider themselves to be professionals in operating the vehicle in a way that maintenance costs are reduced. Considerate driving also reduces the risk of tail end crashes. So, savings include cost reductions in all categories:
  • reduced investment costs of vehicles
  • reduced investment costs of refuelling stations (if applicable)
  • reduced expenses for tires, brakes, clutches...
  • reduced indirect accident costs
  • reduced insurance costs

In some cases - depending on your mileage - it might pay off to think about a higher investment in vehicles to achieve lower running costs. The higher the costs for fuel climb, the quicker those investments in light and efficient vehicles pay back.


How to?

Cost cutting is an ugly term - especially in the context of human resources. Consequently, car cutting or better car rightsizing could prove to be socially more acceptable, even desirable, if you think of the external costs of traffic.
So, the main suggestions are:

- apply total cost of ownership analysis in all processes:
Investments in more efficient vehicles or vehicle parts pays back most of the time. This includes also servicing - checking tire pressure, tightening tarpaulins etc..
If you run the vehicles at lower speeds on average, you may focus especially on energy efficient tires and lubricants. If you use open vehicles run at higher speed you may improve aerodynamics by load arrangement. Tarpaulin covered vehicles may be improved by tight tarpaulins, air intake at the front of the trailer avoiding fluttering and other aerodynamic improvements. Semi-trailers with tractors run at higher speed may be improved by addressing the gap between tractor and semi-trailer improving aerodynamics. If you think passenger cars have been optimized thoroughly in this respect, have a look at ECO-versions having underbody covers, vortex generators at the back and covered wheel houses.

- check unusual solutions for staff mobility:
If you think about vehicle top speed and size you will see that most of the time vehicles are driven way below the specification. So minivans with trailer or roof mounted cargo boxes may be the choice if you serve a city area mainly and do not have to transport bulky stuff each day. You may go for microvans, too if you like. In Italy you will see a lot of three wheelers used by service providers. You will find also four wheeled microcars and find out how the total costs of ownership might be reduced using cars which are licensed as mopeds. This makes sense if you serve only your neighbourhood. You even increase social acceptance by using battery electric micro vans having no local emission.

- widen the focus for driver training:
Driver training includes rules which automatically reduce the risk for tail end crashes, but there is more to learn. Manoeuvering/ranging and navigation are two skills which also help reducing fuel consumption.

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What are the financial incentives apart from the fuel saving itself?

We might differentiate between procurement and the operation of the fleet.
In some countries like Austria buyers of passenger cars having a lower CO2-emission are rewarded. For vehicles below 120g CO2/km 300 € are deducted from the NoVA, the standard fuel economy related fee. Some provinces have a reward for hybrid electric taxis, like Styria. In general the klima:aktiv programme is supporting fleets which are saving CO2. This comprises not only driver training but also logistic optimisation. Handing in by the applicant is supported free of charge by consultants.

Contact
For Styria and Carinthia in Austria to get support for your application please write to Claudia Anacker

Save more money than fuel savings are worth?

You might ask why money is mentioned separately in the savings. Because a reduction of crashes, unplanned outages and road calls will contribute to a better overall economy. Recognition too is one of the key elements reducing fluctuation reducing your human resources cost. More about rewarding an recognition you may find here