www.clean-drive.eu

Report Improved Clean Drive Working Model (D6.4)

by Vincent Carragher

14-06-2013

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Contents  1.0 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 3  

2.0 Clean Drive and Progress ................................................................................................. 3  

2.1 Clean Drive Barriers and Solutions .............................................................................. 4  

3.0 Workshop Derived Drivers .............................................................................................. 5  

3.1 Barriers Output of the Workshop ................................................................................. 6  

4.0 Revised Model ................................................................................................................. 6  

Appendix I: The original Clean Drive Action Model ........................................................ 9  

Appendix II: The revised Clean Drive Action Model ...................................................... 10  

Appendix III: Attendee list at workshop .......................................................................... 11  

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1.0 Introduction The aim of work package 6 was to review and improve the Clean Drive Action Model (Appendix I) implemented during the project. It was intended that this would lead to improved activities and working models for the future campaigns. This document is Deliverable 6.4 and arises from Deliverable 6.3 (Evaluation Report) and should be read in conjunction with the latter. This document summarises much of the findings from D6.3 and so for a wider discussion the reader should refer to it. Deliverable 6.4 summarises the suggestions of the Clean Drive consortium partners, the Irish National Support Network and the Irish car dealers who attended the workshop described in Deliverable 6.3. Resultantly the Clean Drive consortium aim to involve more actors in better solutions aimed at clean cars and a sustainable transport future. TEA held a SUMO training workshop at the Partner meeting in Italy in the spring of 2011. In this workshop the knowledge and understanding of all partners in SUMO evaluation was increased. SUMO evaluation of project progress continued over the length of the project and subsequently it was decided to add a workshop to complement SUMO data gathering and facilitate idea generation and progress. In a second workshop in March 2013 TEA facilitated a World Cafe style workshop (Appendix II). Successes and barriers of the Clean Drive project are gathered here and taken together with the SUMO reporting of each partner, the SUMO reporting of each WP leader and the workshop findings provide firm suggestions and changes to complement the Clean Drive Action Model going forward. 2.0 Clean Drive and Progress At many levels Clean Drive worked well producing many successes and these are detailed in Deliverable 6.3. A summary of the benefits which can be built on in future projects is included below:

1. The Clean Drive partners were successful recruiting 102 car dealers of which 98 were happy with Clean Drive. In France, as in other partner countries, car dealers were very interested in the message which Clean Drive would convey for them, and about them, to their customers.

2. Once recruited car dealers enjoyed the benefits of the training and marketing support.

3. SWEA had strong success whereby one of their car dealers decided to employ a transport consultant within the company to reduce emissions.

4. Over 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide has been abated due to an increase in the sales of clean cars.

5. The sale of clean cars increased impressively in Sweden and over 1.200 clean cars were sold as a result of Clean Drive Actions in all partner countries.

6. The increase of sales of cars with emissions under 120g carbon dioxide per km was impressive. This was greatest for the Irish car dealers as between 2009 and 2012 an increase in 45 percentage points (from 12% to 57%) in low emission cars took place. Sweden recorded the second highest increase at 27 percentage points.

7. Strong dissemination with the project website has received 21190 visits in total and 11,000 of these visits have been from other areas of Europe. This aproximates to 5 independent clicks on the website every day for each country.

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8. The e-learning web-tool showed impressive levels of registration (195 of 210 trained ).

9. Though just 30 common campaigns were defined a total of 81 common campaigns and 305 individual (target =300) were carried out reaching an audience of 900,000 which is an average of 9 common and 34 individual campaigns per partner country.

10. In CRES strong contacts with the media were leveraged such that CRES managed to obtain a number of specialist automotive-media outlets as National Support Network members who supported strong dissemination though out the project.

The Clean Drive working model is efficient and should be disseminated to car dealers around Europe as it has been a success. Involving car dealers presented challenges but the partners found creative ways to get enough car dealers on board and the results show that involved car dealers were satisfied with Clean Drive. It was difficult to bench mark initial car sales and statistics and to get comparable data from our car dealers, but the consortium found ways to benchmark progress - a combination of individual, local, regional and national statistics suffice. Goals and targets for low carbon progress were set together with the car dealers and this has resulted in 105 Action plans. These goals committed car dealers to increase their sale of cleaner vehicles, decrease their CO2-emissions in sold cars and be a part of the solution for a greener Europe. It has not been possible to implement one common training program in all partner countries, but we found creative ways to get campaigns implemented in all partner countries. Training was developed, offered and delivered to all car dealers and this will lower the carbon intensity of future car sales. Campaigns were such a success that more campaign activities have been initiated than required. The importance of campaign activities to sell cleaner vehicles was demonstrated. Experiences of numerous effective campaigns was also demonstrated and these can be used to reach even better effects in terms of planning coming campaign activities and increased sale of cleaner vehicles in the future. Definite increases were shown in sales of cleaner vehicles in terms of 1) cars with emissions less than 120g CO2/km, 2) hybrid vehicles, and 3) vehicles that can be driven by green energy. Clean Drive showed a decrease in CO2-emissions of sold cars overall and an increase of cars sold with emissions under 120 g CO2/km within partner countries/regions. 2.1 Clean Drive Barriers and Solutions A list of characteristics of the car dealers which have caused challenges are included below and these presented challenges to the progress of Clean Drive:

1. they have other economic concerns to focus on,

2. they don’t see their place to promote more efficient cars,

3. environmental issues are not part of their business strategy,

4. they are too busy,

5. manufacturers dictate what happens with marketing,

6. manufacturers organise training courses,

7. manufacturers set the business strategy for the car dealers, and

8. not willing to divulge sensitive data on car sales to the competition.

Some of the challenges as defined in Deliverable 6.3 are summarised here. 1. Car dealers are very busy selling cars in what today is a recession which leaves them

with very little spare time. The car dealers are also contractually obliged to the car manufacturers. This represented a significant challenge to the partners in recruting,

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enagaging, training, supporting and working with the car dealers. Some of the solutions which the consortium partners found are listed below:

• Clean Drive partners invited more than 500 car dealers in order to reach the target of 100 recruited car dealers.

• Whereas just 5 common meetings were required the Clean Drive partners increased this by 50% such that 7,5 meetings in average were carried out by each partner with their car dealers.

• Three times as many common campaigns were organised as required.

• Where partners could not get car sales data from car dealers they sought creative solutions and found alternative data sources.

• In order to motivate participation of car dealers some partners offered free premises-energy-audits to car dealers.

• Partners devoted more resources to training and various meetings with the car dealers as customised individual trainings worked best.

2. A lack of travel budgets for target groups and NSN members hampered their mobility and ability to attend Clean Drive events. The Clean Drive project officer approved a budget shift into travel so budgets could be acquired but time frames did not permit NSN-members or car dealers to benefit from this.

3. Impressive levels of registration (195 of 210 trained) were shown on the e-learning web-tool but this did not translate in fully completed electronic modules. Car dealers generally felt that the face to face training and its materials were more than adequate. See more details in the D6.3 Evaluation report.

4. Some of the Clean Drive indicators, within the annex, were difficult to measure such as the increase in car sales related to the Clean Drive actions and levels of happiness with various tasks. Its very important to measure using discrete and easily defined metrics.

3.0 Workshop Derived Drivers A workshop was held in order to complement the SUMO evaluation of Clean Drive and aid the process of devising an improved model. As previously detailed, ideas were discussed in the workshop which the participants/experts thought had or potentially would drive the purchase of clean or electric cars and thus relevant drivers were identified. These are listed below:

1. Top down incentives or drivers like a reintroduction of the scrappage deal, no or low tax on clean car purchase or maintenance or fuel requirements, removal of toll charges. Free garage audits. Legislation. Alternatives to car purchase, reducing the cost of ownership with leasing schemes whereby fuel, car cost and maintenance are not with the customer.

2. Focusing and supporting other target groups such as mobility services, car sharing services, nurses, social workers, civil servants, pharmacists, procurement officers in the Local Authority, car leasing companies. Focus on changing the image of the electric car and raising awareness on the performance will move perceptions away from go-cart type vehicles. Demonstration type projects are required. Awareness of the connection of biofuel and electric cars with Renewable Energy should be made explicit such that real awareness of the benefits exists.

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3. Taking a holistic approach by focusing on a number of linked target groups such as supporting the creation of links between train services and car share opportunities.

4. Clear definitions, targets, and benchmarks to drive change.

5. Recognition, prizes and competition should be used to drive change.

6. Development of phone apps to measure every journey to build information on actual in-use habits, should bring information and awareness on charging and reduce range anxiety.

3.1 Barriers Output of the Workshop As mentioned barriers to Clean Drive and other local-scale low-carbon transport-projects were identified and listed as per below:

1. Top down instruments such as legislation can hinder the clean or electric car take off, lack of infrastructure to support the clean or electric cars, removal of the scrappage schemes, lack of financial incentives. Poor cooperation of government bodies with local and regional stakeholders.

2. Technological issues which cause range anxiety, no twin compatibility for AC and DC charging, lack of availability of apps for phones which could support the electric or clean cars

3. Clean Drive project did not focus on the public and they are in control as the buyers, poor levels of information and awareness of savings exists. More detail would be useful on clean car use, payback, maintenance and available calculators,.

4. A large barrier is down to the fact that car dealers are very busy and feel restricted in what they can do by the manufacturers.

5. Training fatigue can be a barrier due to significant training organised by the manufacturers.

6. Reductions in the purchase and use of cars amongst the younger demographics.

7. The cost of electric vehicles was felt to be a barrier.

8. The lack of projects demonstrating these technologies.

Car dealers are sales people currently surviving in a recession and this places many pressures on them and this is a challenge. The consortium partners found them to be extremely busy and this made communication difficult. The manufacturer’s supply training and marketing campaigns to their car dealers and it was thus difficult to convince car dealers of the benefits of joining and engaging in Clean Drive. Despite this the actions of the Clean Drive partners, the problems encountered and the creative solutions found show that significant progress is possible.

4.0 Revised Model The experiences reported in this document and in Deliverable 6.3 point to an action model which works. Indications are that Clean Drive should be disseminated through out Europe but also that there are many complementary target groups upon whom this model would also work. A minor change to the model is suggested in Figure 1 allowing more demonstration of the clean car technologies to the public. Complementary target groups could be procurement staff in the Local Authorities and staff who need to travel with their work as they would help show the technology working. Using a holistic approach a number of target groups could be recruited and linked by the action. This will increase the benefits by the car dealers to take part. An example of the latter would be train service providers

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being linked with car share companies. Initial measurement can identify car sales and benchmark but can also focus on the target groups attitudes to and awareness of the technology prior to demonstration.

Figure 1: Schematic of Improved Action Model Other alternative target groups might be the financial sector (banks and credit unions) where staff are trained in and made aware of the benefits of the new technology. Financial staff could provide alternative financing schemes such as leasing whereby one charge only is apportioned to the customer. With this single lease charge the car purchase, its maintenance, insurance costs and fuel costs are covered. Step 2 allows goals to be set post recruitment such that meaningful but reasonable progress can be planned. In Step 3 demonstration campaigns are focused on the public and on the target groups concerned. Specific demonstration and training can occur here whereby the target groups become the demonstrators during their work life. So for example when the nurse visits her patients they and their communities witness the technology working efficiently. This should help dispel fears such as range anxiety in relation to electric cars of the technology occurs in the day to day life of the target group. In general improvements in the model would include involving more car dealers around Europe and increasing the pool of potential targets beyond car dealers. By doing so the CO2 reductions shown within Clean Drive would be replicated in more countries and with more dealers. The Clean Drive progress shows economic and environmental considerations can work hand in hand. A common European database would be useful so that local or car dealer level sales could be evaluated and used to set targets and monitor progress. If you cannot measure you cannot manage so goal and target setting are very important. Another factor is that third party certified training (as implemented in Clean Drive) is an important complement to existing training carried out by manufacturers. This gives a third party perspective which increases the salesmen's knowledge and awareness which will help them to promote cleaner vehicles in a wider perspective. A selling point for this last point would

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be that Clean Drive has increased the sales of more efficient cars. It’s also evident that campaigns are extremely important as they increase the knowledge and awareness of customers in relation to clean car availability and improve public confidence. Test driving and demonstration are useful to show customers that new technologies work. Clean Drive has developed broad experience of many good campaigns and these can be used and built on for other car dealers and in other countries. To reach the most important target groups and get them to purchase cleaner vehicles - it is important to select appropriate campaigns for these target groups and to expand the target groups beyond car dealers. Campaigns can be difficult to monitor but planning activities together with a wide palate of potential target groups is important.

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Appendices

Appendix I: The original Clean Drive Action Model

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Appendix II: The revised Clean Drive Action Model The improved Clean Drive Action Model has been given a stronger focus in the following parts: 1. Step 1: Instead of just conducting analysis for the current situation, a benchmarking process is more stimulating and driving the actors to be even better. A benchmarking- process also give higher priority to reliable data. 2. Step 2: The second part with creation of Action Plans has also given a bigger focus on the recruitment of dealerships and actors to participate in the process. It is important to recruit the actors and get them onboard immediately. The training is still important in this part. 3. Step 3: The third part regarding Campaigns is important. This part will be even more important if the campaigns can be combined with stronger demonstrations of new technologies, infrastructure measures etc. 4. Step 4: Monitoring and evaluation are important to be able to follow the progress. This part is the same as in the original Action Model.

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Appendix III: Attendee list at workshop