Through the use of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analyses FleetSmart understand the financial cost of running a fleet. FleetSmart also recognise that there is also an environmental cost and so FleetSmart has developed EcoFleet, which benchmarks a fleet's environmental impact. EcoFleet is a free service that is available to all our fleet management customers.

Being green can help your bottom line in terms of fuel cost reductions and better vehicle residual values. Using the EcoFleet data FleetSmart can combine environmental and financial costs to determine a fleet that is cost effective, fit for purpose and ecologically friendly. Now FleetSmart adds an eco rating to all vehicles being considered in the TCO analyses.

Through EcoFleet our FleetSmart clients can factor environmental considerations into any vehicle purchasing decisions.

How EcoFleet Ratings are derived

EcoFleet ratings focus on three key areas: Air Pollution, CO2 Emissions and Fuel Consumption.

Air Pollution data includes total amounts of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. NIWA has estimated that air pollution causes a similar number of deaths in NZ as the national road toll (404 in 2005). An informed Fleet Manager should be aware of the effect that their vehicles have on our environment.

As CO2 emissions are directly linked to the type and amount of fuel that your vehicle uses, anyone wanting to reduce their CO2 emissions can do so by selecting a vehicle with better fuel economy which in turn reduces the fuel spend with a resulting positive affect on the company's bottom line.

FleetSmart understands that it is important to make an informed decision at the purchasing stage. EcoFleet facilitates this by including forecasted fuel consumption as well as an overall EcoFleet rating in their TCO model.

The EcoFleet Report

The EcoFleet report itemises the fleet by vehicle make and model and shows how well the fleet is performing year on year (some vehicles may be excluded due to a lack of environmental data being available). FleetSmart can also provide a breakdown of CO2 emitted in the previous year, calculated from actual fuel purchased. A fleet's total CO2 emissions are given, should a customer wish to offset their emissions.

FleetSmart understands that each client has different needs and hence we do not compare our customers' EcoFleet reports with one another, nor do we recommend that certain vehicles be removed from a fleet. FleetSmart understands that a company vehicle can be an important part of an employee's package, may perform a specialist function and can be an important staff retention tool. EcoFleet reporting is intended as an advisory tool to promote awareness of a fleet's ecological impact on the environment. Improvements can be made each year with proactive and practical fleet management.

Unfortunately, EcoFleet reporting does not yet cover trucks, due to the unavailability of manufacturers' information, and variable and dissimilar usage requirement.

FleetSmart believes that the best choice of vehicle is one that is kind on the pocket and the environment, as well as being fit for its intended purpose.

For further information visit www.cardlink.co.nz/fleetsmart/ecofleet