ECODRIVEN Campaign Catalogue for European Ecodriving & Traffic Safety Campaigns

Transcription

1 1 ECODRIVEN Campaign Catalogue for European Ecodriving & Traffic Safety Campaigns

2 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents... 2 Executive Summary Introduction ECODRIVEN: A Pan-European Ecodriving Project The Golden Rules of Ecodriving Supporting Evidence for Ecodriving Political Imperative Practical Benefits Ecodriving Campaigns: The Pros & Cons of Different Approaches Ecodriving Initiatives Lessons Learned for European Ecodriving & Traffic Safety Campaigns Conclusions... 49

3 3 Colophon: This campaign catalogue is a deliverable of the ECODRIVEN project, which was funded by Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) Disclaimer: The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

4 4 Executive Summary This report was written in 2008 ECODRIVEN, a project to promote ecodriving that was supported by the European Commission Energy Efficiency programme Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE). ECODRIVEN involved 9 countries and ran from January 2006 to December This report is intended as a useful resource for anyone involved with or considering setting up European campaigns aiming to alter purchasing or driving behaviour for either energy-efficiency (ecodriving) or traffic safety reasons. The report begins with a summary of the ECODRIVEN project and then summarises the key techniques that constitute ecodriving. It then moves on to consider the technical explanations behind the techniques. These include a summary of research from TNO in the Netherlands which concluded that it is most efficient to change up through the gears at between rpm and data from the UK Department for Transport showing speed-consumption curves for different categories of passenger cars. Explanations are given as to why it is most efficient to remain in gear when decelerating and why maintaining momentum is such as key part of ecodriving. This chapter also explains the importance of maintaining correct tyre pressures; why idling should be avoided; why air conditioning can add such a lot to fuel consumption; and the reasons why roof-racks and carrying unnecessary weight increase fuel consumption. Chapter 5 summarises the political reasons for promoting ecodriving and includes discussion the 2006 Energy Services Directive 1. Chapter 6 examines the benefits of ecodriving. The most obvious benefit is lower fuel consumption and the associated reduction in CO 2 emissions, but other key benefits are lower accident rates and reduced wear and tear on vehicles. This next chapter also presents research from various countries to prove that ecodriving does indeed reduce fuel consumption. Chapter 7 draws on ECODRIVEN partners experience of running ecodriving campaigns in their home countries, by analysing the different types of campaign approaches that can be taken and the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches. These include on-the-road training, ecodriving simulators, production and distribution of campaign materials, paid advertising and PR to encourage media coverage. The report demonstrates that each of these approaches has its place and tries to give guidance to the reader as to when the various approaches might be most suitable. The next chapter lists and gives an overview of many of the most successful and interesting projects undertaken under the auspices of the ECODRIVEN project. This chapter is the heart of the report and is designed give ideas and inspiration to readers considering beginning their own projects. The project accounts also include some lessons and pitfalls that readers may wish to avoid. In order to be of most 1 Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services and Repealing Council Directive 93/76/EC

5 5 use to the reader with a limited budget looking for campaign ideas, these projects have been grouped together and presented in terms of the level of financial investment that they require. The report then moves on to consider the lessons learned from the project and finally to its conclusions. These include that the ECODRIVEN project made a real difference to promoting ecodriving in its partner countries; and that ecodriving is a concept that perfectly addresses global concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, rising fuel prices and energy security and that as such ecodriving is set to become even more widely known and accepted.

6 6 1 Introduction This catalogue is intended as a useful resource for anyone involved with or considering setting up European campaigns aiming to alter purchasing or driving behaviour for either energy-efficiency (ecodriving) or traffic safety reasons. One of the central tenets of the ECODRIVEN project has been international cooperation to share ecodriving knowledge and experience: good initiatives have been emulated, good ideas have been shared, and hopefully a few pitfalls and mistakes have been avoided. This catalogue now seeks to take the cooperation a stage further by inviting other partners and other countries to benefit from our experiences and to use and replicate any ideas that seem appropriate. Ecodriving brings environmental, financial and safety benefits at zero or low cost. It is therefore no surprise that ecodriving is an increasingly popular concept that is well-received by a wide range of stakeholders: policy makers like ecodriving as it contributes to environmental and safety targets; companies like the cost savings as well as the PR opportunities; private individuals like the cost savings and the more relaxed and safer style of driving; and vehicle manufacturers appreciate the recognition that it s not just about technologies and that their vehicles can achieve the official fuel consumption results if driven well. Even fuel suppliers are pro-ecodriving - despite the fact that they stand to sell less of their product as a result of it because they recognise the wider political benefits of their involvement with initiatives that mitigate environmental damage and help their customers cope with high fuel prices. Moreover ecodriving supports them to meet the targets of the EU Energy Services Directive (ESD) in supporting their clients to achieve energy-efficiency improvements. The catalogue makes the case for ecodriving from technical, political and practical perspectives. It considers the evidence to support the claims and it then gives many inspiring examples of successful European ecodriving initiatives. In order to make the catalogue most useful to anyone considering initiating a campaign, these projects have been arranged according to the level of investment they require.

7 7 2 ECODRIVEN: A Pan-European Ecodriving Project ECODRIVEN (European Campaign On improving DRIVing behaviour, ENergy-efficiency an traffic safety) concerns a synchronised European-wide ecodriving campaign aiming at drivers of passenger cars, delivery vans, lorries and buses. ECODRIVEN was conducted in the framework of Intelligent Energy Europe 2 The ECODRIVEN campaign ran from January 2006 until December The campaign was based on a bottom-up approach through European-wide local and regional collaborations. ECODRIVEN covered 9 EU countries: The united Kingdom, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece. ECODRIVEN has collaborated with Ford of Europe, BP, FIA, ACEA, the German Road Safety Council DVR, EFA, Leaseplan and GE Capital Solutions. Within ECODRIVEN licensed drivers in all vehicle categories have been regularly presented with ecodriving activities within their familiar social environment. This has engaged them to reflect on and optimise their driving behaviour in a safe and energy-efficient way. Under the umbrella of ECODRIVEN country-specific campaign activities have taken place which took into consideration cultural differences and differences in the state of play regarding ecodriving. You will find some of these good practices in this Campaign Catalogue. Especially the composition of the consortium ranging from low to high experienced countries regarding ecodriving turned out to be informative and engaging. Participating countries which had no or only little experience in ecodriving emerged with very fine good practices beyond initial expectations. ECODRIVEN has really moved something and in the 9 participating EU countries: Over 20 million licensed drivers have been conveyed the ecodriving message and its benefits for both them as an individual and for society. ECODRIVEN has resulted in a 1 Mton CO 2 emission avoidance between 2006 and Furthermore ECODRIVEN has established a vast network of ecodriving contacts wich can be deployed in future ecodriving and traffic safety campaigns. ECODRIVEN has produced several ready-to-hand and tailor-made deliverables. One of them is this Campaign Catalogue. Further information about ECODRIVEN can be found on the website This solely concerns the impact of ECODRIVEN. The result has been corrected for possible overlap with other national ecodriving activities.

8 8 3 The Golden Rules of Ecodriving Vehicle engines have changed dramatically in recent decades and air quality emissions regulations in particular have been greatly tightened. Modern cars have also become more fuel efficient (and therefore produce less CO2) but in practice few drivers operate their vehicles in such as way as to achieve the official fuel consumption figures. By adopting ecodriving techniques most drivers should be able to achieve, or at least get close to, these official fuel consumption figures. The golden rules of ecodriving are: 1. When accelerating, change up to a higher gear between 2000 and 2500 rpm. Changing up the gears at these relatively low revs reduces fuel consumption because an engine s internal friction increases with engine speed. 2. Maintain a steady speed using the highest gear possible and driving with low engine RPM 3. Anticipate the road and traffic flow as far ahead as possible to avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking 4. When decelerating, driving downhill or stopping, remain in gear but to step off the accelerator as early as possible, for example when approaching a red light or a roundabout. 5. Avoid high speeds since above 80 or 90 km/h fuel consumption increases greatly. 6. Check tyre pressures regularly as underinflated tyres add to fuel consumption. 7. Use air conditioning sparingly as long as this does not necessitate opening a window at high speed. 8. Switch the engine off if you re going to be stationary for more than a minute or so. 9. Remove roof racks, bike racks etc when not in use 10. Avoid carrying unnecessary weight. The efforts of car manufacturers and their interest in getting involved in ecodriving campaigns illustrate that that ecodriving is actually technology based. The involvement of car manufacturers and the European associations of car manufacturers ACEA and touring clubs FIA also wipes the floor with prejudices like ecodriving might be bad for the engine and ecodriving might be slow and no fun. The opposite proves to be true. For futher technical background information please read the ecodriving manual produced in the EU project TREATISE or the instruction manual of any car manufactured from approximately 1990, or see website

9 9 4 Supporting Evidence for Ecodriving The technical explanations and evidence to support the ecodriving advice comes from various sources. Use of Gears when accelerating The Dutch research centre TNO released a key report 4 in 2006 assessing various strategies to reduce emissions. Regarding use of gears and acceleration strategies, the report compared three different combinations of engine speed at gear change, and throttle position: 1. High engine speed (3000 diesel; 3500 petrol) and moderate (50%) throttle position 2. Low engine speed (2000 diesel; 2500 petrol) and moderate (50%) throttle position 3. Low engine speed (2000 diesel; 2500 petrol) and deep (90%) throttle position For both petrol and diesel cars option 2 (low engine speed, moderate throttle position) was the most efficient. However driving at too low revs leads to high NOx emissions from diesel engines and for this reason the advice with respect to gears was modified slightly to that there is no longer a distinction between recommended engine speeds for petrol and diesel engines: The advice for both is to change up between 2000 and 2500 rpm. Speed There are various studies of the effect of vehicle speed on fuel consumption including research by the UK Department for Transport from which speed-co 2 curves were developed for different categories of cars according to their Euro standard, engine size and fuel type. (CO 2 is proportional to fuel consumption so the trends shown by these curves can also be read as the relationship between speed and fuel consumption. ) 4 The Effects of a Range of Measures to Reduce the Tailpipe Emissions &/or the Fuel Consumption of Modern Passenger Cars on Petrol and Diesel, TNO, Netherlands, 2006

10 10 The graphs for Euro IV vehicles are shown below. These show that the most efficient speed for Euro IV petrol cars to be around km/h and for Euro IV diesels to be km/h. Variation of CO 2 Emissions with Velocity for Euro IV Petrol Vehicles 320 Euro IV Petrol <1,400cc Euro IV Petrol 1,400cc - 2,010cc Euro IV Petrol >2,010cc CO 2 Emission Factor (g/km) Velocity (Km/h) Variation of CO 2 Emissions with Velocity for Euro IV Diesel Vehicles Euro IV Diesel <2,010cc Euro IV Diesel >2,010cc CO 2 Emission Factor (g/km) Velocity (Km/h) The 2006 TNO report quote previously also considered the effect of speed by comparing cars fuel consumption at 100 km/h and 80 km/h. For Euro IV vehicles in free flowing traffic remaining in top gear,

11 11 petrol cars CO 2 emissions (and therefore fuel consumption) were 21% lower at 80 km/h than at 100km/h and diesel cars were 25.5% lower. Maintaining Momentum Newton s Second Law of Motion states that Force = Mass x Acceleration, which is the key to understanding why greater anticipation can have such a marked effect on reducing fuel consumption, particularly in urban driving. This equation tells us that a body will remain at rest, or if moving will remain at constant speed, unless net unbalanced forces act upon it. In an idealised situation, therefore, no energy of fuel would be required to keep a vehicle moving at constant speed, only to accelerate it or to drive uphill. In practice of course a vehicle must also overcome air resistance and friction so fuel is required to keep moving at constant speed, but nevertheless this principle explains why avoiding unnecessary acceleration and braking greatly reduces fuel consumption. Decelerating When decelerating or driving down hill with a gear engaged but no throttle applied, a modern engine is intelligent enough to know that the engine is being driven by the car s momentum and that it can switch off fuel supply to the engine. Under these conditions an engine uses virtually no fuel, whereas if the car had been coasting in neutral as it decelerated more fuel would have had to have been burned to keep the engine running. Tyre Pressures Tyre underinflated by 25% increase rolling resistance by approximately 10% and fuel consumption by approximately 2% 5 5 Rapportage Steekproef Bandenspanning, R.J.M. Dumoulin,, 1997; and also Hou de spanning erin! Onderzoek naar de bandenspanning en profieldiepte, DTV Consultants, 1998

12 12 Idling There is very little fuel consumption (or CO 2 ) penalty when restarting a modern engine if the accelerator pedal is not pressed. In fact the 2006 TNO report concluded that even turning an engine off for just seconds would lead to net benefits since the CO2 emissions avoided (& fuel saved) would be greater than the restart penalty. For reasons of communication and comprehension it was decided to stick to the previously communicated 1 minute recommendation/tip concerning idling. Air Conditioning Research by ADEME 6 in France found that for typical mixed use over a 12 month period (i.e. all 4 seasons) a car with air conditioning (a/c) would on average use around 5% more fuel than the same car without a/c. The research also tested 20 common cars over the New European Drive Cycle and found that cars with their a/c working at maximum output for the entire cycle consumed approximately 25% more fuel than the same cars with their a/c turned off. However, at high speeds - typically over 90 or 100 km/h - opening a window is likely to cause a greater increase in fuel consumption due to increased air resistance. The advice therefore is to use a/c sparingly as long as this doesn t require opening a window at high speed. 6 Automobile Air-Conditioning Its Energyand Environmnetal Impact ADEME,

13 13 Roof Racks Manufacturers go to great lengths to make their vehicles aerodynamic so it is no surprise that large items such as roof racks, roof boxes and bike carriers play havoc with the manufacturers careful designs and greatly increase fuel consumption at medium to high speeds 7 A Dutch study in found that at 100km/h a ski box added 21-23% to fuel consumption and a laden bike rack added 26-29%. Extra weight Referring again to the fundamental laws of physics we know the force required to accelerate or to lift an object is proportional to its mass. This explains why carrying unnecessary weight in a vehicle will add to its fuel consumption. The effect of extra weight would tend to be much greater around town, where a high proportion of the fuel is used to accelerate the vehicles than on the highway, where the majority of fuel is burn to overcome air resistance, which is unaffected by mass. 7 At low speeds air resistance (drag) is low, so items such as roof racks incur little penalty 8 Extra brandstofverbruik door gebruik van accessoires in personenauto s, TNO Industrie en Techniek, 2005

14 14 5 Political Imperative Road transport accounts for approximately 20% of EU CO 2 emissions 9, which means ecodriving has an important role to play in helping the EU achieve its target of a 20% reduction in CO 2 by There are also energy security and geopolitical reasons why the EU, which is a net importer of oil, wishes to reduce its oil dependency. Reducing fuel consumption and the demand for oil would leave the EU less dependent on oil imports and would help member states balance of payments accounts by reducing spending on imported oil. An agreement was reached between car manufacturers and the EC in December 2008 and is likely to be implemented in 2009 that will oblige car manufacturers to lower average new car CO 2 emissions to 130g/km by or face financial penalties. But ecodriving also has an important part to play, not least because ecodriving could immediately reduce emissions from all vehicles and drivers not just from new vehicles. The EC legislation referred to above also requires cars to achieve an additional 10g/km average reduction in fuel consumption through complimentary measures, which could include devices to encourage ecodriving such as gear-shift indicators, tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and low energy tyres. The unprecedented global oil price of nearly $150 per barrel in late summer 2008 saw some politicians promoting ecodriving as a means for consumers to cope with rising prices, particularly as higher fuel prices tend to have a disproportionally large effect on poorer people. In the UK, for example, politicians from all three main political parties were keen to be involved with ECODRIVEN campaign activities during this time, whereas previously political support had been lacking 10. The European car manufacturers and motoring clubs made clear their support for ecodriving in a joint letter of support sent by their respective trade bodies ACEA and FIA to the EC in December The letter highlighted the importance of helping motorists increase the energy efficiency of their cars by offering fuel-efficient driving courses and discussed how technological innovations, infrastructure improvement...and behaviour change all hard their part to play Transport ministers or shadow ministers from Labour, Conservative & Liberal Democratic parties participated in EST Smarter Driving Competition, July 2008

15 15 Energy Services Directive The EC Directive on Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services (known as the Energy Services Directive or ESD), obliges transport fuel suppliers (and other energy suppliers) to make plans for the provision and promotion of energy services, or to ensure the availability of energy audits and energy efficiency improvement measures, or to contribute to a fund. Member States had a deadline of 17 th May 2008 to give the EU a clear indication of how they would implement the directive 11. Promoting ecodriving initiatives is one way in which oil companies can fulfil their obligations under the ESD, so we may yet see that this legislation provides quite a push towards ecodriving. 11 Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services and Repealing Council Directive 93/76/EC. (Article 18 specifies the timescales by which Member States must transpose the legislation to national law)

16 16 6 Practical Benefits CO2 & Fuel Consumption Savings The main argument in favour of ecodriving is simple yet powerful: the techniques significantly reduce CO 2 emissions and fuel consumption and for the individual they cost nothing to adopt. In fact for the driver ecodriving is a negative cost measure since it brings financial savings. Promotion activities and (governmental) programmes of course cost money but the value for money, the cost-effectiveness is always very favourable. We should remember this when comparing ecodriving against other CO 2 abatement policies and technologies, most of which cost money to implement. For a given fuel, a reduction in fuel consumption will give an identical reduction in CO 2 emissions so the financial and environmental benefits will always go hand-in-hand. The extent of the savings depends on many things - not least how a driver drove in the first place but as shown in the previous chapter the savings immediately post-training are often in the region of 15-20% with long-term savings after training of approximately 10%. Numerous studies have been repeated across Europe to assess the extent of savings from ecodriving. The first 5 studies below all follow a similar format, pioneered by Ford of Europe and the German Traffic Safety Board (DVR), in which drivers complete a given circuit twice: once before and once after a short duration ecodriving lesson. The two circuits are compared and the percentage reduction in fuel consumption is calculated. 1. Germany At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007 Ford and DVR trained 765 drivers and saw an average 20.7% reduction in fuel consumption. In addition to the data above, Ford also has data showing an average of 10% long term savings. These data on the long-term savings are not publicly available but has been verified and validated by DVR. 2. UK In summer 2008 the Energy Saving Trust and Ford trained 494 car drivers and saw average fuel consumption reduction of 22.5% on a mixture of public and private roads. For the drivers whose training took place on public roads, the average reduction was 16.8%. Average speed was also slightly faster after ecodriving tuition. The chart below shows drivers miles per gallon (fuel consumption) before and after tuition and demonstrates that virtually all drivers were able to reduce their fuel consumption after tuition.

17 17 3. Finland From March- September 2008, Motiva with its ecodriving network trained 101 drivers as part of its Easy, Rider! campaign and saw an average reduction in fuel consumption of 14%. 4. Austria. In 2007, a long running study in Austria involved more than 1700 bus drivers and saw an average reduction in fuel consumption of 10.5% after ecodriving lessons. Average speeds were also slightly faster. 5. Greece A recent study in Greece covered passenger cars, trucks and trolley buses. For car drivers the average reduction in fuel consumption after tuition was 15.9%; for truck drivers 14.7%; and for trolley bus drivers approximately 25%. 6. Netherlands The Netherlands have experience with ecodriving driver training courses since Many companies and organisations have trained their employees since. The results show that: on an indivial level fuel savings can increase up to 50% and on a fleet level the fuel savings vary from 5-10%, depending on the kind and number of supportive actions taken by the management. On the long run fuel savings at fleet level erode to half of the short run savings. Some indivuals however even improve their fuel savings on the long run due to getting more skilled in using the feedback information of in-car gauges 7. Switzerland, Research by the Swissenergy programme funded by the Swiss Federal Office for Energy in 2000 indicates long term savings from ecodriving of approximately 10% 12. Safety Benefits The other major benefit of ecodriving is the reduction in accident rates that usually accompanies the fuel and CO 2 savings. Indeed the safety and the environment messages are often jointly marketed, for example in the UK s Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) campaign for trucks and vans and in the long running Dutch campaign Het Nieuwe Rijden. 12 Evaluation of Eco-Drive Courses, Swissenergy, Federal Office of Energy, Berne, 2000.

18 18 The safety benefits derive particularly from the emphasis on greater anticipation of the road ahead and from the advice to avoid excessive speed. In more general terms ecodriving encourages a calmer and less stressful driving experience, which also contributes to lower accident rates. An example of how ecodriving can reduce accident rates is provided in a case study of the Hamburg water utility. Hamburger Wasserwerke monitored the frequency of insurance claims before and after the introduction of an ecodriving programme that trained 91 drivers and reported a 22% decrease in insurance claims 13. Another example is Canon, Switzerland, who reported a 35% reduction in accident rates after ecodriving training. A 5-years study in the Netherlands found that transport companies that had introduced ecodriving measures had 14% lower accident rates than companies that had not 14. Other Financial Savings Ecodriving can also lead to additional financial savings due to the reduced servicing, maintenance and repair costs that result from reduced wear and tear on various components such as brakes, tyres, clutch and the engine itself. For vehicles with variable service intervals the savings are greater still since ecodriving techniques are likely to mean vehicles require servicing less frequently. Potential for Immediate Impact Ecodriving techniques could in theory at least be adopted by all drivers virtually overnight, although in practice encouraging such behavioural change is a slow process. This gives ecodriving an advantage over policies to encourage the sale of cleaner vehicles, since the latter would only affect new vehicles. New cleaner vehicles would also of course have to be driven in an ecodriving style to deliver their full benefits. The average age of cars in the EU is just over seven years 15, so it is clear that even the most successful policy that affects only new vehicles would take many years to exert its full effect. The Drawbacks? There are no significant drawbacks to ecodriving, except perhaps for the boy-racer that misses the thrill of fast speed and acceleration. One of the misconceptions about ecodriving is that it increases journey times, but studies have repeatedly shown that this is generally not the case. In fact several studies, including the Austrian, Greek and UK examples presented above, all show faster average speeds after ecodriving tuition. Another misconception is that ecodriving might be bad for the engine or that the engine gets lazy. This might have been the case with vehicles manufactured before the 1982 but is certainly not the case since. That is why car manufacturers and their European association ACEA now embrace ecodriving. 13 EC TREATISE Project, Ecodriving Manual 14 Effectmeting Van Het Nieuwe Rijden, NEA Transportonderzoek en opleiding,

19 19 7 Ecodriving Campaigns: The Pros & Cons of Different Approaches There are many different ways to promote ecodriving, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The right approach - or combination of approaches - to use will depend on many factors including political support, the existing level of awareness of ecodriving, the budget available, existing ecodriving activities, the type of organisation leading the campaign and the nature of any other partners interested in joining the campaign. To take a few examples: If the concept of ecodriving is relatively new or unknown then it may be most appropriate to engage in activities to spread general awareness of the concept rather than begin one-toone driver training. If a fuel company is willing to partner in a campaign then the very high volume of drivers passing through their premises might mean that free materials or forecourt advertising is the best option. For a Government department wishing to promote ecodriving the natural focus might be public information style national advertising. If a tyre company is involved then a natural focus will be on tyre pressure and if a driving school can be persuaded to participate then the natural focus will be on-road training. Some of the key approaches are categorised and discussed below. On-Road Driver Training The most effective way to teach a driver the skills of ecodriving is to get him or her behind the wheel for an on-road driving lesson. This is partly because drivers are often sceptical about ecodriving campaigns as they think they already practice the techniques being promoted, but is primarily because driving is a practical skill and as such it can be improved more through tuition and guided practice rather than simply information. In many countries the traditional model for fleet drivers is half or full day courses. These are very effective but they are too expensive in terms of time as well as money for the mass market, especially because people tend not to pay for something they feel they are doing well. So the numbers taking such courses tend to be fairly small. Even in the most enlightened of fleets it is generally only the worst performing drivers that are sent on full day ecodriving courses.

20 20 Another alternative that has proven very effective in many countries is for short-duration ecodriving courses, the so-called snack training a concept pioneered by Ford of Europe and the German Road Safety Council. Research has repeatedly shown that even lessons as short as an hour or less can be extremely effective in teaching the drivers the most efficient driving style tips. For example, in the EST- Ford study of nearly 500 drivers summarised in Chapter X of this report, lessons of this duration led to average fuel savings of 22.5%. Such short-duration lessons are generally far more cost-effective since one instructor can teach perhaps 7 or 8 drivers in a day. A Government funded programme to provide short-duration ecodriving lessons was launched in the UK in November 2008 based on the proven effectiveness of ecodriving lessons lasting less than an hour. The programme is organised in conjunction with employers and has targets that require each instructor to train an average of seven drivers per day. The partnership with employers is not because the programme seeks to train fleet drivers but is just a convenient way to reach a large number of drivers at one location. However, even short-duration lessons will still be relatively expensive per person reached, so if the aim is to reach a really high volume of drivers then other or complimentary approaches might be more appropriate. Ecodriving Simulators Ecodriving simulators bring many of the advantages of on-road training but at a much lower cost and in a fun and accessible format that can be set up and run virtually anywhere, from shopping centres to conferences to classrooms. A good simulator will have pedals, a steering wheel and a gear stick and a large screen with realistic graphics. The simulators themselves analyse driving style and give the driver feedback and advice about how to drive more efficiently. An additional advantage is the use of standardised tracks for reasons of comparison. They also act as a point of interest, perhaps attracting passers-by to a stand or a stall, which can then be engaged in conversation or recruited for other ecodriving activities. Ecodriving simulators vary greatly in complexity and cost. At one end of the scale (low cost simulators) a CD ROM can be purchased for around 30 euros and installed on a standard modern PC in conjunction with a gaming steering wheel and pedal set costing around 50 euros. These systems are cost-effective and can be an excellent way to engage with an audience and to convey the key ecodriving messages. An excellent low cost simulator of this type can be ordered from either the ECODRIVEN 16 or TREATISE websites 17. At the other end of the spectrum (high-end simulators) a really advanced system will not only have a large screen or screens and good sound system but will have a seat and control environment resembling an actual vehicle s and might even be mounted on a hydraulic system that moves in response to the driver s actions

21 21 Promotional Materials Within the ECODRIVEN project a huge variety of ecodriving promotional material has been produced including posters, fliers, key rings, air-fresheners, econometers to help calculate fuel consumption, tyre pressure gauges, pens and USB memory sticks and DVDs. Some of the materials, such as the tyre pressure gauges and the econometers have a specific purpose related to ecodriving, but in all cases the materials share a common purpose of raising awareness of ecodriving, keeping the subject live in people s minds, and very often directing users to a website for more in-depth information. Most of these materials can be bought at low unit costs and are an effective means of promoting the general concepts and raising or maintaining awareness of ecodriving. Effective distribution channels are important, so a good solution might be to team up with an industry partner such as a fuel company, a tyre company or a major retailer that is prepared to distribute the materials in-store. One of the advantages of promotional materials is that they are scalable to suit virtually any budget or objective, from a few hundred units for a specific localised campaign up to hundreds of thousands of units for a national campaign. Advertising & Mass Media Campaigns Advertising can be a very effective means of promoting ecodriving as it can be of virtually any other product. An excellent example of an ecodriving advertising campaign is the long running Dutch Het Nieuwe Rijden campaign, which uses humour based on a send-up of the 80s TV Show the Dukes of Hazzard to promote a series of ecodriving messages. The campaign has produced a series of TV adverts, which have been running for many years and were still running in 2008.

22 22 Radio advertising presents an interesting opportunity for an ecodriving campaign as slots can be booked to coincide with the morning and/or evening rush-hour period when many listeners will be driving. Bus advertising presents another possibility for advertising targeted at drivers. In the UK, for example, Transport for London ran a campaign in 2007 and 2008 that included a series of ecodriving messages on the backs of buses, which were specifically designed to be seen by drivers following the buses. The cost of advertising means it is generally only appropriate for campaigns with a fairly large budget. Good radio and TV adverts in particular are expensive to produce even before any media time is purchased, which means they are not a form that can easily be scaled down for a smaller budget. Nevertheless, if the budget allows for quality radio and TV adverts, they are in general cost-effective, as demonstrated by the Dutch national ecodriving programme Het Nieuwe Rijden. PR A good public relations campaign can bring some of the advantages of advertising at a fraction of the cost by encouraging journalists to write about or report on ecodriving activities. PR and advertising are however mostly complementary. Remember that ecodriving addresses two subjects that are right at the top of the news agenda - climate change and fuel costs so a well-judged campaign may well be pushing at an open door. As with any PR campaign a good news hook will usually be required for a story to be picked up but this might, for example, be the winner of an ecodriving competition, the results of a survey, or simply the launch of a campaign.

23 23 8 Ecodriving Initiatives This chapter gives examples of activities and initiatives undertaken as part of the wider ECODRIVEN project. It is hoped that these examples will give the reader ideas and inspiration. The activities are arranged according to the level of investment that they required. Low Investment Ecodriving Activities Examples of low investment ecodriving activities that can be undertaken on a low budget include the following. Second Phase Driving Course in Driving School Curriculum Country: Finland Target group: Novice drivers Size of target group: per year Dates/duration: Since 1998 & ongoing Budget: Included in the driving school curriculum, no extra cost for the driving school trainee Partner organisations: Driving schools; Examination offices; Vehicle Administration Office Contact: Sakari Hopia, Euro Driver O: sakari.hopia@eurodriver.fi Vesa Peltola, Motiva: vesa.peltola@motiva.fi Website: Driving schools, Examination offices and Vehicle Administration Office Every course participant pays for his/her own course. The project began in the year when approximately 1000 driving instructors were trained to deliver ecodriving lessons as part of the first- and the second phases of driver training. The first phase enables the driver to get a temporary license and then two years later the second phase enables him or her to get a permanent licence. Since then approximately to new drivers per hear have learned ecodriving as part of their first phase courses and approximately the same number as part of second phase courses. These numbers mean that virtually all new drivers in Finland are taught ecodriving from professionally qualified instructors.

24 24 The driver training being in two parts works well because it allows instructors to explain ecodriving in more depth the second time around. Over the ten years that this project has been running, over half a million new drivers have been taught to drive more efficiently. After the second phase training drivers can typically reduce their fuel consumption by 10-15%.

25 25 Tyre Pressure Campaign Country: Belgium. Target group: Politicians; Consumers / individuals; Company car drivers; Van drivers Size of target group: 600 (direct); (via media) Dates/duration: September 2007; and June 2008 Budget: 5000 EUR Partner organisations: Michelin Benelux; BBL (Flemish Federation of Environmental NGOs). Contact: Website: Mr. Wouter Florizoone: wouter.florizoone@bblv.be (BBL) (Michelin) For two days in September 2007 and three days in June 2008, Bond Beter Leefmilieu and Michelin organised a tyre pressure campaign at a service station on one of the Belgium s busiest roads, the motorway between Antwerp and Brussels. People who had stopped at the service station were offered a free tyre pressure check and where necessary tyres were inflated to the correct pressure. The event was also repeated in June 2008 for all the company cars at the Toyota Parts Centre Europe in Diest. In total 600 cars were checked and the feedback from customers was very positive. The actions also received considerable media attention on TV and radio. The results were interesting: In September % of cars tested had dangerously underinflated tyres (defined as 0,5 bar or more below recommended pressure) but in June 2008 the figure was only 35%. Michelin and BBL both consider the campaign to have been a great success and therefore plan to repeat it in 2009 but targeted at trucks.

26 26 Fleet Driver Training Country: Poland Target group: Fleet managers; Company car drivers; Van drivers. Size of target group: Total of 380 fleet managers Dates/duration: Budget: Three one-day meetings Not applicable Partner organisations: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Infrastructure (sponsor); Toyota Poland (sponsor); LeasePlan Poland (sponsor); Polish Automobile & Motorcycle Federation; Smart Driving (a professional training company.) Contact: Website: Urszula Ajersz, Maria Osińska, KAPE begun the Polish ECODRIVEN campaign with LeasePlan Poland as a partner and sponsor. This cooperation with a well-known car fleet management company afforded credibility to the project and helped to give fleet managers confidence in the subject. KAPE found contact with fleet management associations to be a useful way of promoting the relatively unknown concept of ecodriving. For example, at the Fleet Management Institute for Central-Eastern Europe in 2006, KAPE presented ECODRIVEN to 60 fleet managers from some of the biggest organisations in Poland. KAPE also had the opportunity to present ECODRIVEN at one of the largest Polish conferences for fleet managers, with 300 participants. One of the first Polish companies to be trained by ECODRIVEN was a concrete company called Lyreco Poland, which has a fleet of 600 vehicles. The first training on eco-driving techniques started for the heads of RDCs (Regional Distribution Centers). The next step was to train RDC employees (80 persons trained). The QSE Manager also presented the rules of ecodriving to LYRECO s management. LYRECO decided to train all new employees including sales managers to ecodrive. From March 2008 to November 2008 LYRECO trained 100 employees. Next the sales managers were trained. LYRECO plans to reduce fuel consumption by 3-5% each year.(ca EURO reduction of costs). The QSE Manager at Lyreco was extremely supportive of the initiative which proved a great help. To date, 100 of Lyreco s car and van drivers have received on-road training and the company intends to continue and extend the training. Lyreco have also offered to cooperate in producing a case study of their experiences that KAPE can then present at fleet manager conferences.

27 27 There are many fleet management conferences in Poland and these are a very useful forum at which to spread the ecodriving message. It is important to present the subject as having both financial and environmental benefits.

28 28 Driving Instructor Training Country: Poland Target group: Driving instructors Size of target group: 45 instructors trained Dates/duration: Budget: Three one-day training sessions Not applicable Partner organisations: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Infrastructure (sponsor); Toyota Poland (sponsor); LeasePlan Poland (sponsor); Polish Automobile & Motorcycle Federation; Smart Driving (a professional training company.) Contact: Website: Urszula Ajersz, Maria Osińska, ECODRIVEN is the first nationwide project to promote ecodriving in Poland. The subject is relatively new and there are few eco-driving instructors. KAPE wanted to infect instructors with the idea of ecodriving and to create a network of well-trained specialists in ecodriving techniques. Three one-day driving instructor train-the-trainer sessions were organised in different Polish towns. In total 45 instructors were trained. The programme of training included both theoretical and practical tuition. After the theory training participants received a set of promotional materials to distribute among their driving school students. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the techniques it was important to plan good routes for the ecodriving practical lessons and to avoid the worst of the rush hours. Whilst waiting for their turn to drive participants watched an ecodriving DVD. This created a good atmosphere and an opportunity for instructors to discuss ecodriving and exchange ideas and experience. In the end all instructors received certificates prepared by KAPE. There was a good response from instructors, the majority of whom expressed a desire to begin ecodriving courses at their driving schools. An important factor in the success of these trainings was the involvement of the Polish Automobile & Motorcycle Federation and of the Training Center of National Defense League which helped KAPE with logistical and organisational issues in Cracow. There was no media attention due to the small scale of the activity.

29 29 Ecodriving for Learner Drivers & the Ecodriving Charter for Driving Schools Country: Belgium Target group: Politicians; Consumers / individuals; Learner drivers; Driving schools; Driving examiners Size of target group: young people (year 1) Dates/duration: January August 2008 Budget: EUR Partner organisations: Belgian Ministry of Transport; Federation of examination centres (GOCA); Association of driving schools (Federdrive); Flemish foundation of traffic knowledge (FFT-VSV); Walloon federation for environmental NGO s (IEW); Flemish Federation for Environmental NGO s (BBL) Contact: Website: Mr. Wouter Florizoone: wouter.florizoone@bblv.be This campaign involved ecodriving training for existing driving instructors and examiners. The campaign was a great success, training 400 instructors and 200 examiners. These instructors will in turn have taught ecodriving to learner drivers during year 1. There was considerable media attention on TV, radio and in several newspapers. The presence of the Belgian federal minister of mobility, Yves Leterme at the launch press conference helped secure this media interest. The campaign also brought ecodriving to wider political attention. In May and June 2008 the Belgian federal government organised various roundtable discussions with stakeholders from the administration, industry and non-profit organisations to discuss transport and environmental issues. One of the conclusions from these discussions was a broad consensus in favour of including ecodriving as a compulsory topic in new driver training and examinations.

30 30 National Ecodriving Competition Country: United Kingdom Target group: All drivers Size of target group: 25 million drivers in UK; 500 competition places Dates/duration: July and August 2008 Budget: EUR (Plus a greater amount from Ford of Britain) Partner organisations: Energy Saving Trust; Ford of Britain; Ford of Europe; German Road Safety Council (DVR). Contact: Website: Bob Saynor, Energy Saving Trust. bob.saynor@est.org.uk The Energy Saving Trust (EST) learned from other ECODRIVEN partners, notably Ford of Europe, that short-duration one-to-one lessons can be a very cost-effective way to promote ecodriving. This idea had an immediate appeal because the only existing fuel economy driver training in the UK was based on the idea of half or full day lessons, which are too expensive in time as well as money for the mass market. The Energy Saving Trust therefore approached Ford of Britain in 2007 to suggest the two organisations ran a joint campaign with two aims: Promoting ecodriving to consumers in the UK Testing the effectiveness of short-duration ecodriving lessons The result was the Ford - Energy Saving Trust Smart Driving Challenge, a jointly branded national competition to find the UK s most efficient driver, which took place in July and August The Challenge was held over thirteen days at the British Motor Show in London and at five regional locations. Drivers competed for a total of 20,000 of Energy Saving Recommended products provided by Ford. To ensure that the Challenge benefited from existing European experience, two senior driving instructors and the EST project manager travelled to Cologne a month before the competition began for a workshop organised jointly by Ford of Europe and the German Road Safety Council (DVR). This was an extremely useful day that helped the UK instructors fine-tune their ecodriving skills. These two instructors then returned to the UK and ran additional train-the-trainer sessions to cascade the knowledge to all 10 instructors that had been selected to work on the Challenge.

31 31 At the regional events each competitor spent an hour with an instructor and drove a set circuit on public roads three times: once in their normal driving style; once under instruction; and then a final competition lap without instruction but incorporating the new techniques. The Motor Show circuit was held on private roads and was shorter so participants only required 30 minutes for their three laps. The competition was based solely on the fuel consumption of the third lap, but from a research perspective the most interesting result is the comparison of drivers fuel consumption before and after tuition. Six Members of Parliament took part in the Challenge, including ministers or shadow ministers from all three major political parties. 494 drivers participated in the Challenge and achieved an average 22.5% reduction in fuel consumption after tuition. Furthermore, drivers average speed was slightly higher after tuition, dispelling a common myth that smarter driving means slower driving. Number of Drivers Av. Decrease Fuel Consumption Av Change in Speed /MPH Regional Events % 0.0 Motor Show % +1.5 Overall % +1.2 The chart below shows drivers fuel consumption in miles per gallon (MPG) before and after tuition and demonstrates that virtually all drivers were able to reduce their fuel consumption after tuition.