Fiat has had its green
credentials boosted once again following the
announcement of another UK industry accolade for its
eco:Drive fuel-saving technology. The award-winning
eco:Drive system – this time in eco:Drive
Fleet form – scooped the Green Development –
Manufacturers category in the BusinessCar
Techies 2010, announced yesterday by BusinessCar
magazine.The
judging panel’s attention was particularly drawn to
eco:Drive Fleet’s potential fuel savings of up to
15 per cent, its CO2 emissions reductions, and the fact
that mileage data can be measured for all fleet vehicles
and displayed by vehicle or driver, either individually
or collectively.
Launched in March this
year, eco:Drive Fleet works through the Blue&Me
information system, developed by Fiat and Microsoft, and
found in all new Fiat vehicles. Plugging a USB stick
into the Blue&Me port lets eco:Drive Fleet
record information about the fleet vehicle user’s
driving style, offering suggestions on how to improve
efficiency further by reappraising methods.
“Fiat’s eco:Drive
Fleet system really impressed the judges, with the
system’s ability to make a real difference to fuel use,
and therefore a business’s running costs, key to its
victory,” says Paul Barker, BusinessCar Editor.
“The clever use of technology – with drivers or
companies able to download the data direct from the car
– is exactly the sort of application that the
BusinessCar Techies seeks to reward.”
“Once again the
eco:Drive system has shown itself to be a leader
when it comes to technological innovations that actually
make a difference,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing
director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK and Ireland. “Its
ability to combine real savings in fuel and emissions,
coupled with a firm nod towards improved driving styles,
makes it irresistible to judging experts everywhere."
