Founded in 1968, this family business specialises in driver training and offers a wide range of services for obtaining driving licences for cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses. With branches in Echternach, Diekirch and Junglinster, the company is well established in the north-eastern region of Luxembourg. The company is committed to protecting the environment and strives to make its fleet as climate-neutral as possible.
Idea
Analysis of the CO2 balance
The company’s management has set itself the goal of preparing the company for the future in a sustainable manner. An initial analysis of the company’s carbon footprint quickly revealed that the majority of emissions were caused by the vehicle fleet.
Design
Finding the right electrification solution for your driving school
Several questions arose during the planning process. The main concern was the limited range of electric cars. Another uncertainty was the charging infrastructure. Since the vehicles cannot be driven to the company headquarters in the morning and evening, there is no central charging infrastructure at the company. Another challenge is that, for a manual transmission driving licence, the entire training must be done in a manual transmission car, while electric cars are classified as automatic vehicles. Currently, the ratio between manual and automatic vehicles is 30/70.
Implementation
The practical application of electric vehicles
In order to create the conditions for the electrification of the fleet, all processes in the company were digitised in a first phase. Subsequently, a test phase with the first electric car was initiated. With regard to the range, it quickly became clear that daily use was not a problem. Therefore, three electric vehicles have been added to the fleet to date. The public infrastructure is used to charge the vehicles. Some drivers have also agreed to charge the vehicles at charging stations near their homes in the evenings.
For the driving lessons required for a manual driving licence, the Diederich driving school hopes that the legislation will soon be adapted to allow the use of electric vehicles to some extent. In terms of financing, the company received a state subsidy for each electric car purchased.
Result
Confirmed positive feedback
The company, its employees and its customers are very positive about the use of electric vehicles. From a financial point of view, electric mobility also seems to be profitable. In addition, management feels more independent and well prepared for the future.
