Can a chauffeur company ever be green?

Ecochauffeur is one of several companies aiming to capitalise on the demand for more environmentally friendly alternatives to gas-guzzlers

Mark Frary


If you think about chauffeur services, you tend to summon up an image of huge gas guzzling limos rather than something environmentally friendly. Yet that may be about to change thanks to Ecochauffeur, an offshoot of established chauffeur company iChauffeur.
Ecochauffeur was launched in early 2006 to fill what the company perceived was a gap in the market. The company’s director Will Senior says: “We felt there was a gaping opportunity for us commercially which could also lead the way for hybrid and other alternatively-fuelled vehicles to become more commonplace in the chauffeur industry. It was partly an experiment to see if our customers would take to hybrid technologies and also because we felt it was the right thing to do for our children and grandchildren.”
Ecochauffeur uses Lexus GS 450h SE-L Hybrids - with huge battery packs in the boot which makes too much luggage something of a problem – rather than industry standard Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs to transport its clients. Senior says that the car averages around 25 miles per gallon, which makes it approximately 25% more cost effective on fuel and 40% more cost effective on maintenance than the industry standard S-Class Mercedes.
Despite its green credentials, the Lexus Hybrid is not a boring car to drive, says Senior. “Lexus have made this car as a performance hybrid; it will out-accelerate a Ferrari Testarossa over a quarter of a mile and can do 0-60 in 5.2 seconds and 131 miles per hour.”
As well as the car itself, the company has invested in both carbon offsetting through Climate Care and training its chauffeurs in environmentally friendly driving techniques. “What we have learnt is that more important than the vehicle is the driver. A smooth, environmentally conscious chauffeur is more important than the car. It's not so much what you drive it's how you drive that is crucial. If driven nicely even notorious carbon dioxide emitting Bentley Continentals can produce reasonable fuel economy. Our cars all are designed to carry three or four passengers in comfort. Even a Toyota Prius will suffer when heavily laden, and with drivers with heavy right feet. Our traditional cars on paper might be as frugal as a Prius but thanks to our training and vehicle tracking the differences in fuel emissions are less than you might think.”
Ecochauffeur is not the only company with an environmentally friendly fleet. London’s Pink Express started using the Toyota Prius hybrid in its passenger car fleet in 2006. Fly Wheels also has the Prius among its vehicles.
Last year, east London based Chauffeur First added up to 25 Lexuses (or, as Alan Partridge might say, Lexi) to its fleet. At the time, the company’s Alex Bell said: “Executives have traditionally been driven around in black cabs and gas-guzzling cars.”
Back at Ecochauffeur, Will Senior admits that the green chauffeur idea has not yet captured the imagination of all of the company’s clients – which include Deutsche Bank, BAA and champagne house Moet & Hennessy – despite being 20% cheaper to hire.
“We have had very few individuals and companies really embrace the benefits of a hybrid chauffeur car service,” says Senior. “So at the moment the reality is that the S-class Mercedes, BMW 7 series, Range Rover, Bentley Continental Flying Spur and Rolls-Royce Phantom make up the majority of our fleet. Having said that, the Lexus has proved very popular with some high-profile celebrities and in particular Deborah Meaden from the Dragon's Den who has become a very valuable customer.”
Senior also believes that his fledgling green chauffeur business might start to suffer because of the economy. “Now that the economy is in a slump, I think monetary matters will again take precedence over green issues,” he admits with a sigh.