Alternative fuels campaign gets thumbs up from drivers

A campaign in South Yorkshire to get drivers to think about the benefits of switching to ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) has helped challenge misconceptions.

The Fuelling Change campaign, developed by Sheffield-based marketing agency Diva Creative for Care4Air, helped people compare the benefits of battery electric, plug-in hybrid, range-extended electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles through an easy-to-use website.

Events at shopping centres in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham also gave members of the public the chance to see available models for themselves, discuss options with car dealerships on site and book test drives.

A post-campaign survey found that 90% of those who had seen Fuelling Change were now aware of ULEVs — a significant increase from the baseline awareness level of 54 per cent.

More than a thousand people are believed to have been engaged in person, with the campaign having exceeded expectations in terms of event footfall, video views, website traffic and media coverage.

The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that ULEVs are becoming an increasingly popular choice, with the third quarter of 2018 seeing a 12 per cent increase in the number of new registrations from the same period in 2017.

The vast majority (89 per cent) of ULEVs registered between July and September 2018 were eligible for plug-in grants that can provide discounts to consumers of as much as £3,500 — a major incentive when coupled with potential savings on fuel costs and vehicle tax savings.

‘There are so many misconceptions around alternatively fuelled vehicles and their benefits, so it was a good challenge to create a campaign that helps explain things clearly,’ said Diva Creative account director, Natalie Ralph.

‘Combining simple information with beautifully illustrated designs and animations has helped Fuelling Change be positively received by both our client and the public.

‘And having the public engage directly with car dealerships at our events helped create an integrated campaign that has seen a shift in attitudes towards considering alternatively fuelled vehicles as a viable option in South Yorkshire.’