Wrap It Up! Audi A1 Wrap Competition

After much debate and many test drives, we opted for the Audi A1 as our company car of choice, it looks great, drives really well, has brilliant build quality and is available with a 7 speed DSG gearbox which is smoooooth! It's also really fun to drive!

The A1 will be arriving shortly and since we are using it as a promo car too, we decided to launch a nation wide design competition revolving around the creation of an awesome looking wrap for the car to make it stand out from the crowd!

The comp was only launched a week ago and so far we have had loads of people requesting the "Wrap Pack" to get started on their ideas for the A1. The competition has grown from a small campaign to boosting across the country and getting involved with Gumball 3000 to launch the car at their 13th annual rally this year in central London which then escalated to joining forces with Audi UK on a joint press release when it all concludes, so we are really happy with the way it's worked out so far!

We are now looking forward to seeing all of the wrap submissions and getting the winner some nation wide coverage by unveiling the car at this years Gumball and handing them a £250 cheque!

Stay posted for the results, you can find all the updates on the competition on our facebook page www.facebook.com/ecoforecourt and if you fancy entering please email wrapcomp@gmail.com and we'll send you the Wrap Pack too! You have until 25th April to submit your designs so don't hang around!

Experimental Business

It's been a while since we have seen a great viral video, let alone one that revolves around interesting business practices, so when we saw KLM's 'Personal Space' video it had to be shared on the blog. If nothing else it's hilarious to watch people react to invasions of space that 'belongs' to them. But this is also a brilliant example of a company thinking outside the box and taking their customer service one step further. By allowing flyers to book the seat next to them on the plane, KLM's customers can maximise their personal space and look forward to a more comfortable flight. Check it out...

In The Press

Since the launch of our first press release, exposure has been pretty good and EcoForecourt has been featured in various places around the web and in print. We have had some great coverage from the likes of SpringWise and TheNextWeb and had some regional papers picked up on us, so we'd just like to say thanks!

MOO You Gonna Call!?

We believe it's important to echo your brands feel, image and purpose through every aspect of the company and in whatever you do.

Take our sofa for example, it may appear completely crazy, but that's the idea! It's already acted as a great talking point, it's been shared on websites and even a press photographer who recently came to the EF HQ took a photo with members of the team on it! It reflects our brands colours and our funky, light hearted approach to business, people love sitting on it too!

Business cards then, however small they may seem, are certainly no exception to this rule!

Due to the nature of EcoForecourt we needed to find someone with a funky approach to things but more importantly a company with an eco edge - in this case - paper with great green credentials.

After searching around we hooked up with than the guys at Moo.com. We got fixed up with some "Green Stock" which is 100% recycled and recyclable, manufactured using wind power and free from harmful chemicals. Pretty fitting really : )

Here are a couple of samples from the front of some of our teams cards...

The Sign Has Arrived!

We have been in the new Eco Forecourt office now for a number of months and while we have been getting on with work really well, there are still a few things missing from the place to make it feel complete. Namely, Grass on the floor, a couple of really cool chairs and a great big Eco Forecourt logo on the wall! Well, the logo has just arrived! And we would like to share it with you because we are as excited as kids on Christmas day here! Check it out...

Whats cool about these signs is that they peel off the wall no problem and stick to pretty much any flat surface, so if we are going to a show or want to use it for promotion else where, we just whip it off the wall and stick up anywhere we go! Pretty cool right?

Updates to follow on the grass and chairs in the near future, thats going to be a big job!

We're On Springwise!

Before setting up and launching EcoForecourt, we used to read Springwise.com for inspiration and general updates on all the cool stuff happening out there in the world of start up businesses, entrepreneurs and innovative ideas, and now we are super happy to see our very own idea, (Eco Forecourt) appear on the very same site. Please feel free to take a look at their coverage of the site. Thanks to everyone at Springwise for noticing what we're doing, we look forward to updating you on our progress as we go!

Christmas Santa Fun Run

On Saturday 4th December a few of us from EcoForecourt are taking part in a Santa Fun Run to help our good friends at the KeepSmilin.co.uk. charity. The run takes place in a park in Manchester and how fun it is going to be we aren't sure as the snow here is heavy to say the least! But then I guess 70+ people running through the snow dressed as Santa can only be fun right!? So far we have only raised a little bit of money but every little helps! We will put up some pictures of us donning our Santa outfits after the run and let you all know how we got on : ) wish us luck!

BIG Decision - Seriously Eco

Today we made a pretty big decision at EcoForecourt. Until today we capped the C02 of our cars at a pretty respectful 155g/km C02, by large this is not bad going for most vehicles. However, we are ECO Forecourt and so we want to do exactly as our name suggests and bring you low carbon, green cars ONLY.

As a result this afternoon we have committed to capping our cars C02 at a highly respectful 130g/km C02.

What's the big deal you say? Well to give you an idea of why this is such a dramatic change for us, yesterday we had around 1000 cars on the site, today due to the re-capping our stock count has taken a significant hit and we are back down to around 150 cars! Almost like day 1.

It was a really hard decision for us but in the long run we believe this to be the best choice for our visitors. You don't expect to walk into an organic store and find your experience tainted by picking up battery produce, so why should you expect to visit our Eco car website and have your search results contaminated by the thought that some of our stock might not quite be as eco as you think.

We want to commit to eco in as big-a-way as possible and by making this drastic change we can be 100% confident in our message to our customers and guarantee that every car on EcoForecourt.com is 100% Eco with regards to the government criteria.

So, here are the benefits:

As all the cars on EcoForecourt are 130g/km C02 or under, we GUARANTEE that you will not pay a penny more than £90 for your road tax, with the majority of the cars listed with us being either £30, £20 or FREE. Pretty cool we think!

The cars on the site will fit into emissions bands A,B,C & D - those that are in band A have FREE road tax, free parking benefits where applicable and FREE congestion charge in London and other congestion areas too (do make sure that is assigned to your numberplate by the DVLA)

Running costs are typically substantially less with our cars from all sorts of areas indicated below:

• Fuel
• Insurance
• Road Tax
• Maintenance
• Free Parking (where applicable)
• CC Exempt (where applicable)
• Zero Emissions on many models.

Of course not only will eco cars be saving your wallet but they are also helping the environment too. Lowering our carbon footprint is the end goal and by looking for cars on Eco Forecourt now you can be 100% confident you are going green regardless of what you end up finding on our website.

Thank you so much for visiting us and we are really looking forward to the future of motoring with you.

James Walker

Founder

EcoForecourt.com

We are integrating! Eco Forecourt Links With Green-Car-Guide

Our first month out of beta and we are really happy to announce that we are forming a partnership with our friends over at www.Green-Car-Guide.com. By placing our Eco Forecourt search box on their homepage, green car fans from around the country, and indeed the world will be able to search directly through our stock at Eco Forecourt while still reading the recommendations and reviews of the Green Car Guide. Until recently there hasn't been a hub where green cars are collected in one easy place and we are delighted to be able to team up with such an enthusiastic team and help people identify what exactly is an eco car and point them in the right direction to getting in one! The Green Car Guide has been established since 2006 and has been writing about the latest industry news and reviews ever since and have become the go-to place for any and all info concerning the future of motoring and advice on which eco car could be for you. They also offer a fantastic Free Green Car Guide download indicating the very best glow carbon, eco cars in each category. The integration of the two sites should be complete by next week upon which we will let you know how it's going!

Updates & Improvements

It's been a very busy few weeks recently, the site has come out of beta stage and is ready for using! The first eco cars we have on the site so far have come from B.S.Marson & sons Fiat dealership in Keele, Staffordshire. Fiat dealerships are great to get on board because Fiats cars are already ahead of the game in terms of low carbon vehicles. The Fiat 500 is a fantastic little run around and we have loads of these on the site already! The biggie however is our FREE LISTING offer - to help get the site populated with cars for the first few weeks we are offering everyone FREE listings on the site for as many cars as they like - got something to sell? Get it on here! We have also made some upgrades to the Eco Search slider to help you identify what it is exactly you are searching for when considering how eco friendly a car you are looking for. After putting the site out on Facebook we also got some great feedback from people making suggestions on how to improve the site. Overall the vibe was great from everyone who used it and most of the suggestions have been applied to the site, such as putting pictures next to the cars in "Choosing The Right Car For You..." check it out here http://www.ecoforecourt.com/buying-a-car/ Ongoing we are now looking to get the site cram packed with lots of eco cars for everyone to browse around, it's a harder process than we thought, getting garages to listen and appreciate this massively expanding trend but we are already making progress. I look forward to giving you our next update! Go well.

BP Gulf Spill-O-Meter

Nobody really knows just how much oil is being pumped out into the ocean right now from the gulf oil crisis but this little widget is a good indicator as it is calculated by estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, from out side experts, from British Petroleum -- of how fast crude is flowing out of two remaining leaks (a third was plugged Wednesday).

Oil has been flowing out of ruptures in the Deepwater Horizon well on the ocean floor since around 10 a.m. on April 22, two days after the BP-leased rig exploded, leaving 11 workers missing and presumed dead.

According to NOAA an estimated 210,000 gallons (5,000 barrels) a day is coming from the remaining ruptures. At that rate, this leak would surpass the 11 million gallons spilled by the Exxon Valdez in 1989 in mid-June if left unchecked.

Vehicle 'DNA' Signals A Stop To Roadside Breakdowns

Bank Holiday car misery could be a thing of the past with a new vehicle black-box

The Bank Holiday mayhem could be worse than ever this weekend as Brits stay in the country to avoid flight disruptions.

But by the end of the decade the traditional traffic jam and breakdown misery which sends us nuts in May will be a thing of the past – thanks to new technology dubbed ‘Vehicle DNA’. That’s the name being given to this latest innovation which could soon change the way we run and treat our cars.

Trimble MRM, an expert in telematics, has developed the in-vehicle black-box – officially called the TVG660 – and already provides it to some of the UK’s largest fleets.

Andrew Yeoman, Managing Director of Trimble MRM Europe, sees no reason why drivers of private vehicles can’t benefit from ‘Vehicle DNA’ too.

“The technology provides real-time information on vehicle condition as well as fuel efficiency and Co2 emissions,” he says. “This would mean the worry over breakdowns will be a thing of the past.

“We’ve already seen how useful ‘Vehicle DNA’ is to our fleet clients but families could also benefit hugely from having it in their cars.”

The pioneering device sends alerts with information on engine, health, faults and even battery life, improving both fuel economy and of course, the dreaded repair and breakdown costs.

“Taking the family to the coast for a long weekend is always hampered by the stressful car journeys at either end. But Trimble MRM’s latest technology could save time, money and any breakdown possibilities, relieving a great deal of stress and getting the Bank Holiday off to the perfect start,” says Yeoman.

The technology sounds a very welcome accessory for motorists all over the world, it's just a shame it's so far away until we can get our hands on it! Until then, set off early and be prepared for Bank Holiday queues - i've got to travel to Cardiff this Saturday and it's going to be crazy i know it!

Go well.

Lack of fresh air costs UK motorists £440 million a year

Coinciding with our post on '10 Ways To Get More Miles Per Gallon' Drivers in the UK are losing out on more than £440million pounds by driving with under-inflated tyres.

The research*, revealed by Michelin discovered that not only are motorists letting poor tyre pressure affect their bank balance, but more than 370 million litres of fuel are being wasted each year.

Luckily for the UK, Michelin is racing to the rescue of drivers who are in the dark when it comes to tyre pressures.

The Michelin Fill Up With Air team is taking to the road to offer free tyre checks to help improve safety and reduce vehicle CO2 emissions, while also helping motorists save cash.

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “Based on the findings of Michelin's 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save more than £440 million and more than 370 million litres of fuel a year. As a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced by almost 1 million tonnes.

“Michelin’s 2010, Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour.

“It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do.

“Tyres that are under inflated can cause poor handling on the road and potentially lead to serious accidents and put lives at risk.

“Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that some motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously. This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air team will be visiting more locations than ever before, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.”

Michelin is campaigning to make drivers aware that the wrong tyre pressures can mean tyres wear out more quickly as well as increasing the car’s fuel consumption. With fuel prices at an all-time high it is now more important than ever that people set their tyres to the correct pressure.

Peter Snelling added: “It is not only the nation’s purse which is suffering but the environment too. If motorists consume less fuel by having the correct tyre pressure then they produce less Co2 emissions which is much better for the environment.”

The Fill Up with Air Roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland from May to October.

*Figures are based on a parc of 30.3 m cars driving 12,000 miles pa at 35 mpg, with fuel costing £1.20 per litre.

10 Ways To Get More Miles Per Gallon

People are often asking me how to get better fuel economy from their car, however, while there are quite a few people asking this question, there are not nearly enough overall! Most people, believe it or not, just take their cars fuel economy for what it is, be it good or bad there is nearly always room for improvement, be it major things like driving with a lighter foot and cruising in higher gears, to the finer details like maximising your cars aerodynamic properties by keeping it waxed and clean - we'll go into that one later!

So, for those of you looking to squeeze every last drop of fuel out of your tank and increase your miles per pound - take a look over these essential fuel saving tips, use them all together, and you will be surprised at the improvement to your mpg and your wallet!

Tyre Pressures

Tyre pressures really can make a big big difference to your cars efficiency. In a nutshell the flatter your tyre the more friction there is on the road and the more energy is required to move your car along, so making sure your tyre pressures are at the right level is essential for not only fuel consumption but safety too. The optimum pressure for your cars tyres can be found in your vehicles manual, sometimes on the inside of your driver side door, and if not then often your cars tyre pressure information can be found on the side of air pumps at petrol stations too. Once you have the pressures right in all four it is a great start to maximising your tanks potential - this little adjustment can improve fuel economy by 5%!!!

I know we are talking about fuel economy here but while we are on the subject of tyres I cannot stress enough to you just how important it is to get your tyres right for safety reasons too. Tyres are the first and last point of contact with the road, and incorrect pressures, be it too high or too low, will have an effect on handling, breaking, ride quality, can result in uneven tyre wear and compromise overall performance. So please put some time into getting it right, you will have a much better all round driving experience.

Using The Right Oil

An oil change is not something all car owners get carry out for them selves these days as this is often part of a routine service packaged with many cars. However, using the right oil in your car is not only advisable in looking after your engine, but good quality oil will allow the moving parts in your engine to operate more efficiently and with less friction which in turn requires less energy to once again power the car. This is proven to improve fuel economy so make sure your car has an oil change from time to time - if you aren't sure if you need one - contact your local dealer and book one in specifying they replace the old stuff with the best new oil for your car.

Air Filter

Having a clean or uprated air filter allows your car to breathe better making for a better fuel to air mixture which allows the petrol or diesel in your engine to ignite easier, this basically means it will require less petrol to make your car move so for cars over 3 years old it can be worth looking into replacing your air filter.

Combine Trips

Try not to do lots of short trips throughout your day or week, stopping and starting and stopping again, especially with a cold engine is a nightmare for efficiency. The idea is to get your car up to temperature and do the majority of your travelling while your car is warmed up - so try not to nip to the corner shop and then come home only to then go out a little later to town and then come back again. This kind of stop starting with a cold engine and short trips will sap the juice so combine your trips and it will add up to improvement over the week.

Cool It

Having the air conditioning on uses fuel even when the car is stationary and having the windows open increases drag on the car when moving at higher speeds. So, the ideal moment to use air conditioning is motorway driving with the windows up, as energy from the engine is at it's optimum, available to power the air con, and try to have your windows down when moving at slower speeds as to avoid unnecessary drag. Both little details but over journeys can save those precious litres!

Nice and Easy

Possibly the worst thing you can do for your fuel consumption is fast erratic driving, especially heavy acceleration from stand still and slow speeds and last minute heavy breaking. Having a heavy foot (pressing the pedal to the floor) will seriously sap your fuel and by scrubbing off speed quickly and heavily this expels your hard earned momentum that costs in fuel and energy to maintain. In short the biggest contributor to wasting fuel is fast driving, so keep it steady and consistent with moderate acceleration all while changing gear at lower revs and you will notice a world of difference.

Weight

Power to weight is key to both performance and economy, try not to keep heavy loads in your car all the time, extra weight requires more energy to move around and therefore uses more fuel. So keep your car light

High Gears

Driving in high gears is a great way to conserve fuel. Changing into a high gear as soon as possible around town will help increase your MPG but especially once you are up to speed on longer journeys and on Motorways, staying in a high gear allows the car to waft along with less effort therefore less energy is used than it does in lower gears.

Idling

If you are waiting somewhere or stuck in traffic for a longer than normal period of time, it is worth turning off your engine because idling not only uses petrol but you aren't even making any progress!

Wax On Wax Off

This is a funny one I came across once. Waxing your cars bodywork can make it more aerodynamic by filling in minute imperfections which in turn helps to reduce it's drag coefficient. Really this is down to a scientific level but every little helps!

Fair Fuel Stabiliser - What Is It Exactly?

So, what is this new fuel pricing regime the government has come up with? Well here it is in a nutshell...

Under a Fair Fuel Stabiliser, when fuel prices go up, fuel duty would fall. And when fuel prices go down, fuel duty would rise.

This is a new way of setting fuel duty that will strengthen environmental signals when oil prices fall, and cushion the blow when fuel costs rise. Government will be sharing the pain when prices rise and sharing the gain when they fall.

If, for example, a Fair Fuel Stabiliser had been introduced at the 2008 Budget:

 Fuel would be 5p per litre cheaper.

 This would save up to £3.50 on each tank of fuel for a Ford Mondeo, or £2.60 for a Vauxhall Astra.

 If, instead of rising, oil prices had fallen below the $84 forecast in the Budget, then fuel duty would have risen. In either case forecast government revenues would have been unchanged.

If a Fair Fuel Stabiliser had been in operation over the last year:

 The average household would have saved more than £90 in fuel costs.

 Instead of being 3.3%, official CPI inflation would now be below 3%.

The Proposal

Under a Fair Fuel Stabiliser, when fuel prices go up, fuel duty would fall. And when fuel prices go down, fuel duty would rise. Government would save in the good times in order to help in the bad times. It’s a classic example of fixing the roof when the sun is shining.

The Fair Fuel Stabiliser would bring three key benefits as outlined in the Conservatives manifesto:

"1. It would increase the stability of family finances. Government would be helping when the cost of living was rising sharply, by setting aside money in good times to help in difficult times.

2. It would enhance economic stability by reducing the sensitivity of the public finances and inflation to unpredictable changes in oil prices.

3. It would provide greater certainty about the price of carbon, consistent with the principles outlined in the Stern Review."

So what do you think fo the proposed Fair Fuel Stabiliser?

Conservatives New Plans For Modern Motoring

Below is a list of promises the Conservatives made as part of their "Vote For Change" campaign regarding their proposed action on fixed speed cameras...

"We will stop central funding for new fixed speed cameras and focus on better ways to make our roads safe, including authorising 'drugalyser' testing technology.

"Road users have had a raw deal under Labour, so we will:

• Crack down on rogue clampers.
• Consult on our Fair Fuel Stabiliser.
• Give more powers to local councils to get traffic moving.
• Introduce a lorry road user charge, so foreign lorries pay their fair share of tax.
• Facilitate the switch to green cars by creating a national car recharging network.
• Crack down on road works, introducing lane rental for some of our busiest roads.

"We will free local transport funding from the requirement to introduce congestion charging and create a Transport Carbon Reduction Fund to support green projects such as initiatives to encourage walking, cycling and bus use or measures to help reduce the need for work-related travel - supported by our roll-out of fast broadband..."

If all of the above points were to be introduced today the future of motoring in Britain dosen't look so bad after all, however, the implementation of such things as we all know takes so long to actually do it'll be a wonder if we see a couple of these new schemes in place within the next few years.

Of all of the above pointers, one of the more likely to be carried out sooner than later, surprisingly, is the introduction of a national car recharging network. Due to the EU commission clamping down on emissions from all major manufacturers, by 2013 we are going to see the introduction of millions of electric cars on our roads whether the government likes it or not and so a stable recharging infrastructure is going to need to be in place sooner than later to both support the citizens driving the cars and the manufacturers making them.

New Government To Introduce Car Charging Network

Interesting news! Our new Con-Lib government is said to have identified the importance of introducing a nation-wide network of charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

In a joint statement the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats said:

"The parties agree to implement a full programme of measures to fulfil our joint ambitions for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy, including the establishment of a smart grid and the roll-out of smart meters."

Prior to the general election last week the Conservatives promised to create a national car recharging network, while the Liberal Democrats promised a 'zero-carbon Britain.' It is now a priority of the new government.

Our Holding Page Is Live!

Development of the actual site is progressing really well now, so we thought it's about time to make our holding page live so people can get a little more insight into what we are all about until the big day.

The temporary page features links to all of our social networks, including our facebook and twitter page and even a place to sign up for the exciting launch day announcement, you could be some of the first to join us!

Please feel free to have a poke around and we would love to hear your feedback, thanks!

James Walker

Founder

EcoForecourt.com

Eco Baby! Our Sandwich Man Has A Baby Girl

Matt, our sandwich man, has been delivering our lunch to us every day for the past 9 months, and every day when we walk out to collect our hot jacket potatoes or tuna sandwiches, we have a bite-size update on the baby progress.

Is it a boy is it a girl? What colour should he paint the walls in the new bedroom and will the little one need a little pink dress or mini dude dungarees!? As time progressed they discovered it was a girl and so the updates changed from speculation to progress and understandably a little stress too!

Well today we are happy to announce that Matt and his girlfriend Liane have given birth to 8lb,6oz baby Ashli. Congratulations you two!

Updates are surely to follow when Matt returns to bringing us our awesome sandwiches...which better not be long!

BMW Secret Megacity Eco Car

BMW have recently released more confirming statements that they are working on an all electric, zero emissions, city car called the Megacity. The Megacity is said to be just the first in a line of many new technically innovative and efficiency orientated vehicles that BMW are planning on launching in the future.

With an estimated launch date within the next 3 years the Megacity is positioned to take on the likes of Audi's plug in electric A1 e-tron, which is with no surprise, also scheduled to launch within the same time frame of BMW's Megacity. Among other competitors from the likes of Ford and Infinity to name but a few.

Teaming with carbon-fibre specialist SGL, BMW is making use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastics for the vehicles body panels, clearly indicating a focus on light weight components which will greatly aid in the performance and agility of an electric car and especially the battery range which in early electric cars are often criticised.

At the Detroit motor show this year, BMW displayed an all electric 1 Series to demonstrate its innovation on electric drivetrains. Although it’s not certain if the final Megacity car will share any components with the 1 Series, the Bavarian manufacturer is displaying an early foothold in the soon to boom electric car market.

As part of their Project-i development program, there has been rumors that BMW might be adding another brand to their range in order to sell these new types of vehicles under. But there is no evidence of this just yet.

Dr. Norbert Reithofer, BMW's Chairman of the Board of Management said: "This vehicle will be the first of a range of near-zero emission vehicles. Customers will have the choice between a fully electric drive and a high-efficiency combustion engine. Large-scale production could start in the first half of the next decade. With the Megacity Vehicle, we are also pursuing a radical approach toward establishing a truly sustainable value chain from development to production and sales."

With many key manufacturers planning and announcing production of eco and electric cars within the next few years, it is no surprise that BMW are planning on throwing a lot of resources and investment into this compulsory future technology and by the looks of the concept picture we can expect some pretty cool cars ahead.