Star Refrigeration makes moves to clean up the environmental profile of its vehicle fleet

Star is working with the UK’s largest fleet management company Lex Autolease to provide employees with sustainable vehicles for both personal and professional journeys.

Star Refrigeration is coordinating with Lex Autolease to make eco-friendly vehicles available for all of its 400 employees. Having become Lex Autolease’s first customer in Scotland to offer non-fleet colleagues support in helping them switch to eco-friendly vehicles, Star plans to implement a sustainable salary sacrifice scheme in order to equip its workforce with access to electric vehicles (EVs) like the Hyundai Kona and the Tesla Model 3. Meanwhile, Star have also developed a new car policy with Lex Autolease to transfer its company car fleet to a Whole Life Cost policy which will incur significant savings due to the optimised fuel consumption and lower running costs.

Star made the first steps towards modernising its fleet for a greener tomorrow last year, when it ordered eight Tesla Model 3 units from Lex Autolease. Seven of those have already arrived and are in the care of company staff, while 26 more of its 88-strong fleet are powered by alternative means.

However, the scope of the sustainable salary sacrifice scheme is much more ambitious as it offers all 400 of the firm’s staff members the chance to upgrade their car to an eco-friendly alternative. In addition, there is also an option for employees to request a second vehicle for their partners of family, potentially raising the overall quantity of EVs involved in the scheme to over 600.

Dave Pearson, Group Sustainable Development Director at Star, said, “Reducing our customers’ cooling-related emissions has always been vital for us as a business. Now thanks to Lex Autolease, we also have a plan in place to ensure our vehicles are on the right road to net-zero.

“The Lex Autolease team has played an integral role in laying the policy foundations that in time will see 100% of our fleet become fully electric. We recognise the need to make fewer journeys but those we must make will be as clean as possible.

“The EV Salary Sacrifice scheme helps us broaden this progress to other members of our teams’ families. We’re hoping for a fossil fuel-free society as quickly as possible, and by insisting on 100% EV where viable, we’ll do what we can to increase the subsequent second-hand market. Plus, any cost savings mean that we can look to make investments in other sustainable initiatives across the business.”

Star Refrigeration also switched its fleet to a Whole Life Cost policy – a move that factors in reduced bills thanks to the decreased fuel consumption and lower service and maintenance costs associated with EVs.- on the advice of Lex Autolease.

Lex Autolease worked with Auditel, a leading procurement and supply chain management consultancy, who were brought in by Star Refrigeration to review cost efficiencies across the business, to develop a commercial proposal that resulted in a four year sole supply fleet contract, alongside the sustainable salary sacrifice scheme. The scheme will help bring Star’s vehicles carbon footprint in line with the company’s environmentally-minded business ethos.

Amanda Carson, Customer Relationship Manager at Lex Autolease, said: “Having worked with Star Refrigeration for more than 15 years, we’ve developed a solid working relationship and truly understand the business’s sustainable ambitions.

“Many of its engineers need to travel in built-up areas, so starting the switch to low-emission vehicles will not only help the business meet its green goals but contribute towards improving the air quality in urban areas.”

To focus its wider sustainability efforts, Star Refrigeration also signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in March, which defines and promotes best practice in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science.

Star is currently outlining its emissions reduction targets and is working with Lex Autolease to ensure its fleet can play a major role in its decarbonisation as the company aims to have every one of its employees behind the wheel of an eco-friendly vehicle by 2030.