- 17.04.2019
- 3 min
- 3
WeNow: an on-board box to promote environmentally friendly driving
Cars are a source of CO2 emissions and contribute to global warming. Did you know that transport is the only sector in Europe in which CO2 emissions have not declined over the last 25 years?
As part of our social and environmental responsibility strategy, we have decided to reduce the impact of our professional journeys on the climate, for both company vehicles and personal cars used for professional journeys reimbursed on a mileage basis.
To this end, we have decided to form a partnership with the start-up WeNow. This project is sponsored by Thierry Langreney, Second Executive Director of Crédit Agricole Assurances and Chief Executive Officer of Pacifica, and is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. The program is now in the deployment phase. The boxes are being dispensed.
How does it work?
The on-board box analyses the journey in light of the driving context (city, motorway, traffic congestion, etc.) via a downloadable smartphone application. Users then receive a report by email with recommendations on reducing their fuel consumption. This is not a question of geolocation, of course: the box determines the context according to the driving-related information it receives. Drivers are also given a driving efficiency score out of 10 (with the average being 7.5), and if they have a competitive streak, they can challenge themselves by keeping an eye on the rankings of other employees in their company.
What types of advice does it give?
Starting an engine consumes the same amount of fuel as four seconds of driving. If you arrive at traffic light that has just turned red, it is more economical to turn off your engine or use the Stop&Start function than leave it running.
When you join a motorway, it is better to accelerate very quickly, traffic permitting, in order to reach your cruising speed than to speed up gradually.
Does it really make a difference?
Users can save up to 10% on fuel. Furthermore, employees who use the scheme pay nothing because their company pays for the subscription.
And what about CO2?
WeNow measures the amount of CO2 emitted during the journeys and offsets these emissions by financing international “voluntary offsetting” programmes, chosen in advance by Crédit Agricole Assurances. WeNow will also fund the planting of one tree in a French forest for each tonne of emissions.
Reducing transport-related CO2 emissions boils down to four factors: choosing the right car, limiting its use, adopting environmentally friendly driving techniques and offsetting your emissions.
WeNow brings two of these factors into play.
