Eco-friendly vehicles join the FWAG fleet

Very low Co2 emission levels combined with good fuel economy have led the UK's leading independent provider of environmental and conservation advice to farmers - the Stoneleigh based Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) - to choose the Vauxhall Astra ecoFLEX 1.7 CDTi as its preferred fleet car.

The farmer-led independent charity, which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, has taken delivery of three Astra ecoFLEX estate cars for use by its professional Farm Conservation Advisers, of which it employs 80 around the UK. They will use the Astras to visit farmers to offer advice on how to integrate their farming activities with the conservation of wildlife on their land. 

FWAG Personnel Manager Jane Hampson says that as a conservation organisation it was important that the charity was seen to be actively reducing the environmental impact of their own activities. "With our advisers making over 6,000 farm visits a year we felt that we should take steps to reduce our carbon footprint and at the same time cut costs for the charity and for our employees.  The Astras will help us to do this in several ways. They have a very low Co2 emission level of just 119 grammes per kilometre, which means less air pollution. This also places them in the lowest band for Benefit In Kind taxation on our employees and therefore reduces their personal tax liability.  The Astra's fuel economy is also very frugal, reducing FWAG's annual fuel bill and delivering an environmental benefit through the lower amount of diesel fuel consumed overall across the fleet."