Fuelling eco-responsibility

“The fuel budget represents up to one-third of the budget for a vehicle fleet. Total commits to helping its clients to cut their consumption in order to produce less CO2 and to make fuel savings,” explains Laurent Toutain, Head of Marketing and Partnerships for Europe at Total. A target that, since 2005, the company has sought to meet by putting in place a global measure for services and products aimed at supporting companies in their desire to optimise their consumption. The Total group thus began to invest in research to launch a range of “new generation” fuels, Total Excellium. Fuels that are unique in that they contain a cocktail of additives including “friction modifiers”. By reducing mechanical losses due to engine friction, they improve engineefficiency and thus reduce fuel consumption. The upshot: savings in fuel, cuts in CO2 of up to 4%. As well as two other significant advantages originating from other additives: the reduction of engine noise and better protection via improved cleansing action.
Better behaviour
Driven by the success of this initial stage, Total has sought to reinforce its consult-ancy role for companies by developing a panoply of tools linked to ecological driver behaviour. The group notably offers training accessible online at no charge on an e-learning web site. In France, it hasalso negotiated special rates for training courses run by Beltoise Évolution. “Driver behaviour is an important factor in savings. Transporters have long worked on this issue. Raising awareness amongst light-vehicle fleet managers is more recent. Our strategy relies on supporting our clients. We wish to help them in their desire to consume “better” by reconciling economical and ecological considerations,” indicates Laurent Toutain.
A definite plus, when we know that specialists agree that ecological behaviour allows reducing fuel expenses by 10 to 15%, and that adopting a more flexible, less aggressive driving style is generally accompanied by a drop in accident numbers and vehicle maintenance costs. The petrol group also offers communication kits: a guide for the ecological driver, model emails and letters for fleet managers, as well as turnkey tools for organising consumption challenges. “We are not behind this for opportunistic reasons,” insists the head of Marketing and Partnerships. “Initiated four years ago, this is a long-term project.”
Gauging the outcome
And all clients can check how much they have saved. “We give companies access to an extranet for management follow up, allowing them to view data relating to their vehicle fleets. This interface offers them, for example, an alert system that identifies drivers whose cards show an abnormal level of fuel consumption,” explains Laurent Toutain. “These measurement tools thus allow the impact of training or eco-conduct awareness raising to be assessed, and to follow up results.”
Innovative fuel, pragmatic management tools, support for improving behaviour: Total is sparing no effort to reduce fuel bills and restrict the impact of vehicles on the environment. An approach it is following throughout Europe. The group was moreover awarded the Environmental Innovation Award 2009 by the Institute of Transport Management in the United Kingdom for its new petrol card “TOTALCARD green”.