Lightfoot: Decarbonising Fleets

Today, last-mile delivery fleets face increasing pressure from the government, stakeholders, and consumers to tackle decarbonisation head on. Whilst switching to an electric fleet is touted as the silver bullet, there are many challenges to large-scale EV adoption, including lack of infrastructure, supply chain issues, and skills gaps. That’s where Lightfoot can help. As well as helping clients transition to EVs, the company enables fleets to reduce emissions in their existing ICE vehicles, giving them time to prepare for a smoother EV adoption whilst still making a positive impact. Typically, a Lightfoot-enabled fleet of 100 diesel vans will see CO2 and fuel reductions of 10%-15% - that’s a saving of 100 tonnes of CO2 and £50k in fuel every year. “Our device isn’t just a quick fix. It also offers a long-term solution with fantastic EV capabilities, ensuring optimum EV performance when fleets make the switch,” says Paul Hollick, Managing Director.

On the supply chain side, Lightfoot extends the life of existing vehicles, creating more sustainable and economical fleets through reduced wear and tear, less downtime, and fewer accidents. Further, they maximise the productivity of existing drivers through real-time coaching, as well as boosting retention rates by increasing driver satisfaction through engagement, recognition, and rewards. When new drivers are recruited, Lightfoot is key, as the live in-cab coaching means they are trained as they drive, ensuring improved, uniform driver performance right from the outset.

The Lightfoot device is connected to a vehicle’s onboard computer, with advanced technology that can detect gear selection, revs, engine load, payload, gradient, and whether the vehicle is towing. This means drivers are connected to their vehicles like never before. Another factor that differentiates Lightfoot and allows it to transform driving styles is its unique psychological approach. It trains drivers to improve their performance by making them aware of how they’re driving in real-time and compelling them to prevent poor driving by altering their behaviour accordingly.

The results are sustained through gamification. Drivers can measure their driving performance through the Lightfoot app, where they aim to achieve Elite Driver status, which requires a score of more than 85 percent. Improved levels of performance through Lightfoot result in 80% of drivers achieving this, meaning they’re able to win prizes and participate in league tables—this incentivisation keeps drivers actively engaged, so performance stays high. In a nutshell, Lightfoot offers a bottom-up approach that empowers drivers to improve their driving style in real-time and become self-managing.

Lightfoot offers a complete service that handles every aspect for customers, from tailored implementation to reporting and more. The company also has a customer-first approach that runs throughout the business and ensures that customer needs are always a top priority for every department. For example, Tesco—a British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer—needed a solution that would allow them to proactively manage their decarbonisation efforts when home delivery demand soared during the pandemic. They already had an advanced driver efficiency and safety tech-enabled programme in place but wanted to do more. They introduced Lightfoot to their fleet and are now saving an incredible 7346 tonnes of CO2 per year, and this number is set to rise as more and more Tesco drivers engage with Lightfoot.

Through its comprehensive solution and customer service, Lightfoot is helping the industry by ensuring that fleets are driven as optimally as possible, as better driving ensures that drivers are safer, emissions are reduced, there’s less downtime, greater productivity, and lower costs. The company has recently relocated to brand new offices in Exeter’s Winslade Park to accommodate its growing team. “We have ambitious plans to continue to grow in the UK and expand into Europe. The first rollout of Lightfoot in a European fleet is currently underway in Germany, marking the start of our international journey.” concludes MD Paul Hollick.