Is there a contradiction in the country’s largest fuel supplier moving to hybrid vehicles for its own fleet?

The answer is maybe – it depends on the fuel company, its view of the future, and what it stands for.
Z Energy aspires to be anything but your standard fuel company.  Locally owned and operated, the company has opted to purchase Toyota Camry hybrids for its commercial sales reps as part of the company’s commitment to selling and using less fuel.  

After reviewing the benefits of safety and functionality, fuel efficiency, emissions and annual lease cost in consultation with its leasing partner, Leaseplan, Z will switch out 25 cars between now and December 2013, with the first of 13 hybrids introduced last month.
As part of being a different kind of fuel company, Z has a sustainability manager.  Danusia Wypych said the kind of cars Z’s own people drive are a stake in the ground as to the kind of company Z is.
“We’re committed to building a more efficient transport sector for New Zealand and, while it might seem counterintuitive, helping our customers use less fuel,” she said.
Cost savings are a big consideration for companies when renewing their fleet, and Z Energy looked at long-term whole-of-life costs before making the change to hybrid vehicles.
“Leasing hybrids is going to save us $70,000 in running costs per annum when fully implemented. This sends a signal to the public and to our customers that we’re not here to play the same old game.
“We’re here to contribute to a cleaner future and more sustainable New Zealand.”

Toyota New Zealand general manager of sales and operations Steve Prangnell said the hybrid offers fleet buyers a cost-effective car with lower whole-of-life costs than competitor diesel models. Fuel consumption is only 5.2L/100km, and CO2 emissions 121 g/km.
Z Energy was also keen to reduce its carbon footprint and emissions from its fleet vehicles. After reviewing the expected reductions, the company saw the benefits in changing its vehicle fleet.
“Looking at emissions, our corporate fleet contributes more than 220 tonnes to our carbon footprint, and the move to hybrids is expected to reduce that by 70 tonnes when we have a full hybrid fleet – that chops one third off our corporate fleet footprint,” said Ms Wypych.
Features such as safety, boot space, power and cabin space were also important factors for Z Energy’s sales team. The 2012 Camry hybrid offers all the features the company requires in a vehicle.

Safety is also paramount and the 2012 Camry has achieved 36.37 points out of 37 for a strong Ancap 5-star result, including an impressive crash test result.
“It has proved itself to be the safest mainstream car in the segment which gives confidence to companies investing in a fleet. Features such as the reversing camera are also appealing,” said Steve Prangnell.
Z Energy staff won’t be disappointed with the Camry hybrid’s performance either, with a new 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission to deliver better performance while significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The hybrid has an adapted version of the new 2.5-litre engine with Toyota’s proven Hybrid Synergy Drive technology.

The Camry also boasts  plenty of boot space for luggage and the latest audio technology including Bluetooth handsfree, AUX and USB input.
A big learning curve for Z Energy was that as part of the procurement decision it didn’t really consider until late in the piece how its people felt about their vehicle, and what else they use their cars for outside work hours.
“We needed to take our people with us on the decision to move to a hybrid fleet as it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea,” said Ms Wypych.
“Some issues raised by a few reps included concern for the lack of boot space, towing capacity and general look, but their minds have been put at ease as the new 2012 Camry hybrid addresses those issues.
“We are pleased to be able to provide our team with vehicles that make a statement both visually, economically and practically. It’s great for our staff to feel comfortable with the vehicle they are driving, especially when driving clients and customers and for personal use.”