A KEIGHLEY company which manufactures and installs stairlifts has introduced new technology across its fleet of vehicles to reduce fuel and cut emmisions as well help driver safety.

Acorn Mobility, based in Steeton, has installed Lightfoot's award-winning in-cab technology and rewards platform in its 136 commercial vehicles.

Introduced to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, fuel use and claims incidence, Lightfoot’s driver behaviour technology has already resulted in a miles per gallon saving of 12.3 per cent and a 100 per centreduction in over speeding among its drivers.

Built at factories in Yorkshire and Scotland, Acorn Mobility’s stairlifts are exported to more than 80 countries worldwide, with one being fitted every eight minutes.

Travelling across the UK and Europe, Acorn Mobility recognised the need to reduce both fuel and emissions within its fleet.

Upgrading to hybrid or electric vehicles was seen as too expensive, and so the business wanted another, more immediate solution that would dramatically cut its carbon footprint and fuel bills, whilst enhancing the safety of its drivers.

Having met the team from Lightfoot, Acorn saw that even the cleanest vehicles would only ever be as efficient as their drivers, and so they set about trialling Lightfoot to see its impact.

The results were instantaneous and were enough to convince the business to adopt Lightfoot across its entire fleet of vans and light commercial vehicles.

Pete Hodgson, UK & European Fleet/Transport Manager for Acorn Mobility Service Ltd, said: “Choosing Lightfoot was an absolute no-brainer; there is real beauty in its simplicity. By engaging drivers in a fun and rewarding way, we have seen huge benefits, both to the business and our drivers.”

He added: “Like us, Lightfoot operates at the cutting edge of their industry and share many of the same customer-first values that we do. Working with them has been, and continues to be, a real pleasure.”

Lightfoot’s Founder and CEO, Mark Roberts, said: “Acorn Mobility’s drivers have really embraced Lightfoot, adopting our inter-league function, which enables drivers from different regions to compete and see who’s the most efficient.

"In the trial phase we saw 81% of drivers hitting our Elite Driver standard and I’m delighted to see the continuing, positive impact that this has had for the business.”

Lightfoot’s innovative in-cab driver feedback and accompanying driver rewards platform helps drivers achieve greater efficiency from their vehicles, while reducing harmful emissions by up to 20 per cent, at fault accidents by up to 40 per cent and wear and tear costs by 45 per cent.

The pocket-sized dashboard display device uses live engine data to provide drivers with real-time feedback, helping to improve efficiency and safety.

Lightfoot also provides drivers with an accompanying app, giving them insight into their performance and score, alongside access to competitions and rewards as an incentive to maintain a smoother driving style.