The Government-backed Energy Saving Trust is working with Ampthill-based IFC Fleet Services Group to offer consultancy services to fleets keen to understand how they can cost-effectively switch to greener, less-polluting forms of transport.

EST has introduced a series of green fleet initiatives in the past, including the Green Fleet Review and the Plugged-in Fleet Initiative, which have been intended to demonstrate to fleet managers how going green can be cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly at the same time.

It is now offering green fleet consultancy services, funded by the Department for Transport, which are intended to demonstrate how fleets can cut costs and their carbon footprints.

Typical clients under previous initiatives have potentially saved up to £145,000 and 235 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year during the period 2013-2015.

The EST consultancy is designed to help fleets:

• Improve fleet mileage management
• Optimise the use of fuel efficient, clean vehicles using whole-life cost analysis,
• Reduce grey fleet usage
•  Affect driver behaviour change
•  Adopt best practices in fuel management
•  Explore the business case for ultra low emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, within fleets.

As a Government-funded initiative, the consultancy service is available to SME and public sector fleets in England with vehicles under 3.5 tonnes.

Following initial fleet analysis, an indepth report with detailed recommendations is presented to the fleet operator, with the offer of support to help implement the recommendations, along with future follow-ups.

The relationship with IFC Group continues a partnership that goes back a number of years and has included in the past, the evaluation of eco-driving training as a means of reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions.  

The latest collaboration involves indepth and strategic fleet analysis and report writing by IFC, in conjunction with the EST, to help fleets identify the best green paths for them to follow.

Typical projects have centred on the electrification of fleets, at a time when the latest sales figures show increasing interest in EVs and plug-in hybrids, albeit from a very low base.

One of the most recent projects that IFC worked on was an evaluation of a 1,500-plus UK vehicle fleet which wanted to reduce its carbon emissions by 40% in the next five years.

 The project report looked at existing vehicles on the fleet and calculated on a whole life cost basis the savings that could be made by switching a proportion of them to EVs.

Amongst the conclusions was that, given the relatively low business mileage profile of much of the fleet, there were some potentially significant penetration opportunities for EVs into both the company car and van fleets.

IFC Group sales director Paul Chater said: “We are delighted to be carrying on our collaboration with the EST to offer green fleet consultancy services to fleets that want to look at reducing costs and cutting carbon emissions.

“This seems to us to be a very worthwhile mission at a time when the latest sales figures suggest growing interest and awareness of the benefits of running a number of EVs and plug-in hybrids on the fleet.”

IFC Fleet Services Group, which has around 15,000 drivers under management, provides outsourced fleet and associated services to the fleet industry.

The Group has grown to its current size through the acquisition of logistical support company, BBS Fleet, and the launch of mileage capture specialist, Vertivia.

It recently completed the strategic acquisition of Cambridge-based fleet management services provider, Spectrum Car Scheme Management, which increased its managed fleet size by around 20%.