Smart Telematics Systems To Help Push Towards a Greener Future

by Guest Posting on 2013-01-23 12:45:29

The UK Government have been pushing, for some time now, the use of electric vehicles by incentivising buyers with offers such as a £5,000 grant for plug in vehicles or the £11million earmarked to provide charging points dotted around the nation. This is part of the bigger picture as the government try for a greener future by targeting businesses to push them to reduce their carbon footprint.

"Businesses are under increased pressure to green their fleets, but current plug-in hybrid electric commercial vehicles are not advanced enough to help the industry right now," said Navman Wireless European Vice President Steve Blackburn.

While the scheme is great for those able to use electric vehicles in their business, at the moment most electric vehicles only have a range of around 100 miles and some feel that until there are more charging points hybrid vehicles just aren’t a practical solution.

Due to range anxiety and the upfront cost of electric vehicles many fleet operators feel these schemes just aren’t practical.

Electric commercial vehicles currently cost approximately double what you would pay for their alternative and despite the government schemes, right now businesses don’t see them as a viable alternative.

In order to change the way the UK thinks about carbon emissions practical, widely available and more affordable alternatives need to be looked into before we can look towards making the UK green. Businesses play a vital role in shaping the future of eco driving by supporting schemes like this and sharing good practice, this is why the government needs to focus a lot of attention on the use of technology and training to enable eco-friendly driving as a solution for businesses to manage fuel costs and lower CO2 emissions.

This is where vehicle telematics comes in as an alternative to electric vehicles, one which is affordable, widely available and can significantly reduce fuel usage and CO2 emissions.

Intelligent driver performance monitoring technology used in vehicle tracking systems like Navman Wireless’s makes it easy to monitor driver behaviour and promote more eco-friendly driving.  Telematics systems display relay real time data straight to your desk allowing you to make crucial decisions about driving behaviour and create tailored training programs designed around an individual’s needs.

Navman Wireless’ Smart Telematics provide customised detailed reports which show vital statistics that enable businesses to reduce their CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Businesses investing in this type of technology will not only see drivers driving in a more eco-friendly way, but they will also see a reduction in fuel costs.

The way in which a person drives can greatly affect the amount of fuel a driver uses and the amount of carbon emissions transmitted from a vehicle. That’s why The Environment Council believe that if a person learns how to drive more efficiently at work, it is likely that they will also adopt these good driving habits when driving in their own time. This reinforces the idea that telematics can play a huge role in helping to green the nation and is a solution that the government should look to adopt.

As an incentive for businesses to invest in telematics and eco-friendly driving, the government should reward businesses that can prove they have reduced their carbon footprint regardless of how this has been achieved. By putting into place incentive schemes focussing on results rather than the means results are achieved the government will be able to demonstrate that they understand the current restrictions surrounding ultra-low carbon vehicles in the commercial space and will be seen to be providing a realistic scheme, which all businesses could get involved in to help lower carbon emissions.

For more information visit Navman Wireless