FleetCompany: Apply for the GreenFleet® Award now

Munich. With hybrid vehicles and, increasingly, fully electric vehicles, companies operating innovative and environmentally-friendly vehicle fleets are at the cutting edge of developments. At the Fleet Management 2010 Strategy Forum on 12 and 13 October, fleet experts will meet to discuss the best strategies. The highlight of the event, organized by TÜV SÜD subsidiary FleetCompany GmbH and TÜV SÜD Auto Service GmbH, is the GreenFleet® Award ceremony for eco-friendly fleet management. The Managing Director of FleetCompany, Roland Vogt, is encouraging fleet owners to participate in the award: "We look forward to hearing new ideas from fleet owners on curbing CO2 emissions."

The key theme at the 2010 strategy forum is electromobility. An increasing number of companies plan to convert their fleets to eco-friendly electric vehicles. And this not only applies to the operators of municipal vehicles for refuse collection or street cleaning. "Why not travel from the airport to the city centre in an electric taxi?" asks Vogt. E-mobility is the theme of the future for all types of fleet operators, from taxi companies to car hire companies and freight carriers operating in urban environments. What kind of electric vehicles are available on the market? Is e-mobility supported by subsidies? What offers are made by large power companies? Are there any pilot regions in which fleet owners can participate and, if so, where are they? The experts will also address the challenges involved in electromobility, including range, charging infrastructure and the safety of lithium-ion batteries, in practice reports and a podium discussion. "The widespread use of electric drive systems in vehicle fleets offers a good opportunity to raise the public profile of electromobility and accelerate its introduction", emphasizes Vogt.

From tomorrow's mobility to today's fleet management: further themes discussed at the 2010 Strategy Forum include owner liability, the electronic licence checking system, accident prevention regulations and multi-supply arrangements which offer enormous cost savings by using several leasing companies. "Our 'FleetBestOrder' service enables us to cut financing costs for vehicles by up to 25 per cent", explains Vogt. Against the backdrop of skyrocketing leasing costs in particular, this is an important fine-tuning parameter which permits fleet operators to keep costs under control.

Improving image and cutting costs

Apart from this, eco-friendly vehicles, economical driving and changing over to smaller car models also provide important leverage for cutting fleet costs. For the third time, FleetCompany is awarding a prize in recognition of especially environmentally-friendly vehicle fleets – the GreenFleet® Award. "Companies are more and more aware that 'green' is both good for their image and good for their purse," notes Vogt. "We hope that the GreenFleet® Award will offer some incentive to step up efforts in this field." As last year, the winner of the GreenFleet® Award will be chosen by an independent jury of experts. The jury members come from the Hanover-based German Environmental Management Association (Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für Umweltbewusstes Management, B.A.U.M. e.V.), the School of Industrial Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Munich, TÜV SÜD Akademie and FleetCompany, the initiator of the award.

Applying and advertising

The award criteria are: How much CO2 did the fleet save within one year? What potential for savings does the project offer? Can the project be transferred to other companies? How innovative is the submitted suggestion? The GreenFleet® Award recognizes excellence in several categories: successful reduction in fuel consumption, implementation of innovative technology concepts and redesigning company-car schemes towards more cost-efficient and eco-friendly car models. Application for the award is not subject to any limitations: "All companies can apply for the GreenFleet® Award, regardless of whether they are clients of FleetCompany or not", explains Vogt, who is also a member of the jury. As an additional advantage, the award is very suitable for motivating staff to engage in environmentally-friendly activities. "Apart from all other benefits, the GreenFleet® Award also clearly goes down well with clients", notes Vogt.

Revving up electric drive systems

Also good for the environment and for a company's reputation – electric drive systems. Fleetcompany's parent TÜV SÜD is committed to promoting the rapid advance of electromobility, and supports car manufacturers, battery developers, energy groups and not least political bodies in reaching the German government's target of one million electric cars on German roads by 2020. The technical service group is a leader in many fields related to electromobility: in crash tests for the safety of lithium-ion batteries, as a traditional partner of the automotive industry in the homologation of electric vehicles, in the expansion of charging infrastructures, in the development of criteria for roadworthiness testing of electric vehicles and in training repair technicians in safe handling of the high-voltage technology. TÜV SÜD's e-mobility experts and their expertise are represented at the 4th Strategy Forum. The forum addresses company board members, managing directors and executives of fleet operators. Applications for the GreenFleet® Award can be submitted to, and information about the TÜV SÜD Fleet Management 2010 Strategy Forum obtained at: 

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