Brussels, 5 June 2012 - Mobistar is the first company in Belgium to propose to its employees a separate list made up entirely of electric and hybrid company cars, in addition to a conventional list. This represents yet another stage in the ambitious mobility policy that Mobistar has been implementing for several years now, with the objective of cutting its carbon emissions in half between today and 2020. In the shorter term, Mobistar´s ambition is for hybrid and electric cars to represent 5% of its fleet of company cars between now and the end of next year.
World Environment Day falls on June 5th this year, an ideal occasion for Mobistar to give a boost to electric and hybrid company cars and play a pioneering role in this area. Since last May 1st, Mobistar has been the first company in Belgium to propose to its employees a list containing exclusively vehicles of this type. Mobistar employees can of course always opt for a company car with a conventional combustion engine, but if they do choose an electric car, they will enjoy a number of attractive incentives: a very low in-kind benefit (because this is calculated on the basis of the vehicle´s CO2 emissions), a guaranteed parking space (naturally with the possibility of recharging the vehicle at Mobistar), as well as the use of a conventional car for 30 days a year (to go off on holiday, for example).
Mobistar´s objective is for hybrid and electric vehicles to represent 5% of its fleet of cars between now and the end of next year. Quite an ambitious objective when one considers that changing the mind-set of Belgian employees and companies will undoubtedly take a certain time. But the multiplication of hybrid and electric models launched in recent months by the manufacturers, as well as the new tax treatment adopted by the government in order to encourage greener company cars, should help to accelerate the shift towards more electric in corporate vehicle fleets.
Mobistar is also taking initiatives to overcome the psychological barriers vis-à-vis electric and hybrid cars. Not only are all of Mobistar´s pool cars today electric vehicles, thus making it possible for all employees who so desire to test them out (when going to a meeting at a customer´s, for example), but in addition all newcomers who are entitled to a company car henceforth receive a hybrid vehicle during their trial period. Information and driving sessions are also regularly organised within the company, in order to enable employees to become familiar with this new generation of cars.
Mobistar´s ambition is to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% between now and 2020. To attain this objective, a good many of its efforts are focused on the mobility of its employees, because this represents more than 70% of the company´s total carbon footprint. In addition to the emphasis being placed on hybrid and electric cars, Mobistar is constantly reducing the average CO2 emission of all its company cars taken together. Between 2006 and 2011, this average went from 158 to 134 grams. The target for the new cars ordered in 2012 is an average of 120 grams. Between now and 2013, this figure should even drop to a maximum of 115 grams.
Another initiative: Mobistar is organising ecological driving courses for its employees in order to help them reduce their fuel consumption. And of course, the determination to reduce the company´s carbon footprint also entails a reduction in car use altogether. It is for this reason that Mobistar is doing everything it can to encourage teleworking, the use of public transportation and car-pooling. The change in mind-set is well under way...