Training on energy-efficient driving

Summary

Vitoria-Gasteiz wanted to offer citizens a training programme to teach them new driving practices that can produce considerable fuel savings without slowing down the average speed.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Vitoria-Gasteiz is aware that energy-efficient driving techniques can save urban drivers up to 15 percent of fuel consumption. This translates into CO₂-savings of roughly 270 tonnes a year. Training courses of this kind are scarce in Spain.

The main objectives of the measure were to:

• Foster a more energy-efficient driving style among citizens;
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
• Reduce the number of accidents.

Energy-efficient driving contributes to avoid CO₂ emissions and therefore helps to reach the objectives defined in the Local Energy Plan and the Local Strategy for the Prevention of Climate Change.

Progress

During the MODERN Project, 1.000 citizens learnt to drive their vehicles in an energy efficient way, enabling them to save up to 8% of the fuel compared to inefficient driving, which roughly means 210 kg of CO2 reduction per student and year.

The work consisted mainly in preparing the courses, both from the educational and the logistic point of view, and the relevant documentation, in preparing the cars with special equipment to record the driving performances, in taking care of the registrations, carrying out the courses and evaluationg their results.

Since the beginning of the project, the measure's responsibles visited the place where they were going to deliver the courses to check the classroom, especially the technical teaching supports. They also designed the test routes where the participants had to drive during the first round (“normal” driving) and during the second one (ecodriving).

Another important part was the selection of the instructors and their training about the use of time during each session, the documents needed to record the driving tests results , etc.. Documentationwas prepared and delivered on the first day of the course.

After the sessions, the results of the efficient driving were collected to obtain the total results of the different courses editions (total of  participants, average speed,  CO2 reduction...).

All the cars were rented taking care they had  the same characteristics. Moreover,  they  were equipped with special onboard computer devoted to record all the driving performances of the trainees. All these data were collected and elaborated and presented to the students after the driving tests to show the benefits of the learnt techniques.

An important topic was the publicity to the courses among the citizens; all the cars were branded with  the CIVITAS Program, the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council and the RACVN (measure's main responsible) logos. Several communication actions were carried out to promote the participation in the initiative. The information about the courses were provided also through the website, which was constantly updated at each course edition.

All the courses were continuously monitored by RACVN, being in the classroom at differents hours and in different days to be sure  that there were no complications and to solve any eventual problem.

Outcomes

These were the main outcomes of the measure:

• Editions of the courses were held over all the four years of the project. Globally 1125 seats were offered but only 601 drivers participated (53,4%), that means two third of the expected participation.
• 8.3% saving in fuel consumption. The reduction of fuel consumption was lower than expected. The lower attendance and the change of monitors at the end of the courses could be a reason for this results.
• 210 kg of CO2 reduction per student and year. The decrease was lower than expected, in the same way of fuel consumption, but the reason could be an optimistic objective of reduction.
• 2.5% reduction in the average speed before/after the course. Eco-driving techniques imply a moderation of speed driving. This is important to reduce accidents and to calm the traffic in the city and other impacts as noise.
• Aprox. 80% of students got satisfaction from the courses.