Businesses have a growing interest in eco-citizen approaches. This involvement helps to limit their impact on the environment and encourages each employee to be a part of the sustainable development. Following the example of carsharing, eco-driving is a way to reduce significantly the costs of employee mobility.

What is eco-driving ? 

Eco-driving, also known as eco-citizen driving, is an approach that encourages drivers to drive responsibly and environmentally. This system adopted by public authorities and fleet managers tends to reduce the environmental footprint that the fleet has on the planet and also helps to reduce fuel costs.

Through this approach, companies contribute:

- To strengthen safety: by favouring eco-driving, the company contributes to making traffic better. Drivers are encouraged to respect safety distances and to better apply the Highway Code.

- To reduce environmental impacts

- To better manage their fleet

An alternative to save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions

According to the ACADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), its studies have shown that fuel consumption is quite high during aggressive driving. Compared to normal driving, this type of driving can increase energy expenditure by up to 40%. By opting for eco-driving, employees can save up to 20% on fuel consumption.

On average, each year, business travel (home-to-work) generates 12 million tons of CO2 in France. Supporting companies in employee travel is a way to act on greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to eco-driving, CO2 emissions linked to these trips can be reduced by up to 15% over a period of approximately 6 months. 

Eco-driving to reduce fleet maintenance and return costs

Fleet managers are focused on TCO - Total Cost of Ownership - to measure the performance of their fleet. It's a way to measure investment. It takes into account the purchase, maintenance and residual value of the vehicle. Maintenance costs are also taken into account as well as vehicle consumption (tyres, fuel, maintenance costs, etc.). By maintaining control over these elements, it is easier to correct habits affecting fleet maintenance costs.

A way that can help reduce the risk of accidents

Employees introduced to eco-citizen driving are prepared to anticipate. In the case of an obstacle, instead of braking suddenly, the driver should slow down. To avoid unexpected surprises along the way, employees are encouraged to check the state of their vehicle. These basic behaviours can significantly reduce incidents on the road. The driver will not be subject to unnecessary stress. The company will save money on repairs. Employees play a significant role in the energy transition. By introducing its staff to eco-driving, the company has a major asset.

Choose for connected fleet management

By choosing a connected fleet management system, the company benefits from both the geolocation function and a system for monitoring consumption linked to the fleet. It is a means of managing the fleet more closely. Thanks to on-board telematics, a connected box is installed in the vehicle and gives access to a large amount of data. This device is not limited to showing routes and determining the location of a vehicle. It also makes it possible to determine and observe the behaviour of its drivers. This system has the ability to educate its drivers about eco-driving.

• Focus on on-board telematics

On-board telematics enables data on vehicle use to be collected, transmitted and processed in real time. In the form of connected boxes installed directly in the vehicle, GPS data is received and sent via a SIM card to a SAS platform, which processes it and then translates it into dashboards. The device tracks mileage, fuel consumption and fleet maintenance data.

• Information on driving behaviour and personalised advice

The figures transmitted show the state of the vehicle, the driver's behaviour at the wheel, (sudden accelerations, sudden braking...) on each journey made. The connected online fleet management platform provides automatic eco-driving advice to drivers and a scoring system linked to the quality of driving of employees.

Connected fleet management is an excellent partner for reducing fleet operating costs while ensuring the safety of company employees.