Sandicliffe Motor Group is the UK’s first major car retailer to actively promote the sale of eco-friendly cars as well as reducing carbon emissions from its own day to day operations. The network, comprising 10 dealerships of Ford, Mazda, Chevrolet, Suzuki and Kia, is one of the largest motor groups in the Midlands. Their initiative will see labelling all new cars on sale with an efficiency rating to help customers understand the environmental impact of each vehicle. It also offers free environmental engine tests across its Rapid Fit centres to provide drivers with advice on how to make their own cars run more efficiently and has introduced an emission control service available at every dealership, which improves a car’s emissions levels by cleaning the fuel system. The sceptics among us will always be on the lookout for companies pulling the green wool over our eyes in an attempt to woo eco-custom, although when you read the rest of Sandicliffes commitments the sceptic may think again.
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As part of their campaign, Sandicliffe is also carbon offsetting with the National Forest to plant a tree for every car sold to help neutralise the CO² generated. Their last year sales totalled over 9,000 vehicles. This is sensible offsetting, giving back to the same environment as it damages. It has also produced a free user guide, available from all dealerships and from its website, to offer drivers eco-friendly motoring advice.
Sandicliffe has also focused on improving its own operations as part of the campaign and is working with the Carbon Trust to identify new eco-friendly procedures. They already include sending away used oil from car servicing to be cleansed and re-used as heating oil, recycling plastic bumpers replaced during repair, disposing part exchange vehicles not fit for resale using environmentally sound methods and ensuring all company cars have low emissions. If you’re still a cynic after all of that, you have to at least admit they are making valiant green efforts.
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