Norwood, N.J.-based chauffeured transportation company EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services last month detailed an environmental sustainability program that includes a partnership with a third-party sustainability solution provider, the use of nitrogen in the tires of the entire fleet to save fuel and providing environmental footprint reports to clients.
EmpireCLS partnered with Green Ride Global, which provides environmental sustainability solutions to the transportation industry. "We contracted with them to hold us accountable," according to David Seelinger, chairman and CEO of EmpireCLS.
"The first thing we did was start to determine the present baseline emissions," said Green Ride Global COO Ian Lipton. The company looked at both direct and indirect emissions, such as fuel consumed by the fleet and electricity used at offices, and set a goal to reduce EmpireCLS' carbon footprint by 20 percent over the next five years.
"It's a very aggressive target," said Lipton. "Immediately, the company will replace all the air in all the tires in every single vehicle in the fleet with nitrogen. Nitrogen molecules are bigger than oxygen molecules, so they don't migrate out of tires as fast. That alone will save between 5 and 15 percent in fuel consumption."
Nitrogen filling stations also "have been installed in every facility," Seelinger said.
Green Ride Global also will provide annual reports to corporate clients. "It will tell clients their environmental footprint by virtue of using EmpireCLS," Lipton said. "Most clients will be able to see, as they use EmpireCLS over the years, their footprint come down."
Currently, alternative fuel vehicles comprise 5 percent of EmpireCLS' fleet, Seelinger said. While the company has flex-fuel vehicles, it now is purchasing hybrids. However, chauffeured hybrid options are limited
(BTNonline, April 28)."It's a little limited as to the type of vehicle we can get that has adequate trunk space, etc.," according to Seelinger.