Audi now transports finished vehicles between Ingolstadt and Emden CO2-free. As of August, the German automobile manufacturer uses DB Schenker Rail’s Eco Plus product, which guarantees CO2-free transportation. Thanks to Eco Plus, one-fourth of the finished vehicles Audi transports by rail avoid CO2 emissions altogether.
Deutsche Bahn obtains the electricity required for transportation from renewable energy sources in Germany at an additional cost to the customer, in this case Audi.Transports can be shifted to Eco Plus on all national routes. The CO2-free transport option and energy procurement have been certified by the TÜV SÜD certification institute. Ten percent of DB’s revenues from Eco Plus are put toward financing the construction of new renewable energy power plants.
Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Member of the Management Board of DB Mobility Logistics AG, responsible for Transportation and Logistics, announced: “We are delighted that Audi, one of our most important customers, is the first to make the switch to CO2-free rail transportation. Audi is sending a clear message!”
“Choosing Eco Plus is a further important milestone in our environmental strategy,” explained Dr. Ernst-Hermann Krog, Head of Brand Logistics at AUDI AG. “Through this program, we can avoid emissions right from the start.”
DB Schenker Rail operates 625 trains along the Ingolstadt–Emden route on behalf of Audi, transporting approximately 150,000 vehicles CO2-free. By switching transports to Eco Plus, Audi can cut its annual CO2 emissions by around 5,250 metric tons of CO2 compared to regular rail transportation.
DB Schenker’s environmental advantage is based on intelligently linking individual modes of transportation in its vast international network. Eco Plus from DB Schenker Rail is part of DB’s Climate Protection Program 2020, which aims to reduce the DB Group’s specific CO2 emissions worldwide by an additional 20 percent between 2006 and 2020.
Customers can accurately calculate their ecological footprint online for routes throughout the world using the EcoTransIT World tool (www.dbschenker.com/ecotransit). EcoTransIT World provides a reliable method for calculating CO2 and pollutant emissions for modes of transportation such as train, truck, airplane, inland vessel, ocean-going vessel and intermodal transport and is based on scientifically tested methods and data.
