Fiat: eco:Drive Fleet debuts

Image via Wikipedia

eco:Drive Fleet makes its debut on February 26, 2010, as the latest version of eco:Drive dedicated to fleets that manages car fleets more effectively to benefit both the ecosystem and business, with great ease-of-use. This unique software makes it possible to analyse vehicle mileage and fuel consumption retrospectively, as well as suggesting sustainable driving behaviour for the future.

In detail: eco:Drive Fleet optimises the fuel consumption and the safety of company car fleets by measuring the mileage data for all vehicles (kilometres, time, fuel consumption...); it shows the data related to vehicles and drivers either individually or collectively; it automatically updates the database with management costs and the kilometre count for maintenance intervals; it evaluates driving behaviour and its impact on fuel consumption, and, above all, it offers all drivers advice on becoming an 'eco-driver'.

This new digital instrument is becoming an important gauge of quality for the Fleet Manager, who can manage the entire fleet efficiently, setting drivers goals based on the need to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Suffice it to say, eco:Drive Fleet allows savings of up to 15 per cent on fuel costs, as well as playing an important role when it comes to wear and tear: in fact, a true 'eco-drive' ensures that all the car components are used with optimum efficiency.

Free and easy to use, eco:Drive fleet is available for all Fiat vehicles (500, 500C, Grande Punto, Punto EVO, Bravo, Croma, Qubo, Nuovo Doblò) and for Fiat Professional commercial vehicles (Grande Punto Van, Punto EVO Van, Fiorino and Doblò Cargo), equipped with the Blue&Me™ platform.

Apart from Fiat, other important companies have already demonstrated their belief in this innovative project: from Bosch and Eni (both companies contributed to developing some specific sections of the software) to Coca-Cola HBC Greece which has decided to improve its own fleet with vehicles equipped with eco:Drive.

eco:Drive Fleet therefore offers the world of the fleet all the advantages of eco:Drive, the software application (which can be downloaded free of charge from www.fiat.com/ecodrive) that runs on the Blue&Me™ interface - the most widespread on-board telematics platform in Europe, with over a million units installed - a result of the partnership between Fiat Group and Microsoft™. In detail, eco:Drive receives parameters related to fuel consumption from the engine control unit through Blue&Me™. The data recorded can be transferred onto PCs via a USB key, and processed by the appropriate software, in order to analyse motorists’ behaviour and to help them to optimise fuel consumption and emissions. Based as it is on a user-friendly, efficient and sustainable idea, eco:Drive has been an immediate hit, as borne out by the 100,000 copies of the system which have been downloaded to date since its launch (Paris Motor Show 2009). What’s more, every day, more than 32,000 drivers use it and at least 4 million journeys have been logged and analysed on the dedicated website. Taking into account the commitment of the drivers who have joined the eco:Drive Community, it is possible to estimate an overall CO₂ saving of approximately 2500 tonnes.

Last year eco:Drive also won numerous international awards, including ‘Best Digital Technology’ (Guardian Innovation Award 2009), ‘Best Use of Innovative Technology’ (Clio Awards 2009), ‘European Product Innovation Award’ (Frost&Sullivan 2009), ‘Green Champion’ (International Green Apple Awards 2009) and ‘Cyber Lyons – Grand Prix’, at the Cannes Festival.

eco:Drive is evidence of Fiat's consistent attention to environmental matters, with tangible results. In fact, according to analyses carried out by the independent institution Jato Dynamics, in the last two years, Fiat has been the most environmentally-friendly brand of the top-selling 25 car brands in Europe, with an average CO₂ emission level of 129 g/m compared to the market average of 146 g/km. This record is due to Fiat's great commitment to 'eco-technological' innovation, a factor which characterises all its product choices. Fiat is in fact a world leader in alternative fuels, and offers a complete range of Natural Power vehicles which run on methane, the most environmentally friendly fuel available on the market. In addition, the Euro 5 ranges of all the most recent models, such as Punto Evo and Nuovo Doblò, offer content typical of higher segments with little environmental impact and low running costs: these include the Start&Stop system, the latest generation of Multijet II diesel engines, and the revolutionary Multiair system, which slashes fuel consumption and emissions by up to 25 per cent, simultaneously enabling a power increase of up to 10 per cent.