You’d be forgiven for assuming the motor industry isn’t the most eco-friendly of spaces – after all, domestic transportation is the UK’s biggest source of greenhouse gases, accounting for around 33% of yearly CO2 emissions in 2023, with domestic passenger car emissions the largest offender. That’s why this category in our Sustainability Awards is so crucial.
Yes, in an ideal world, we’d all car share, have electric vehicles or ditch driving altogether, but this isn’t always practical. Motor transport isn’t going anywhere, so we all need to take responsibility for minimising its impact as much as we can.
With this in mind, we’ve scoured the market for the companies that are leading the charge (pun intended) in eco-friendly driving, so you can be sure that each time you step behind the wheel, you’re minimising the impact on our planet. Drumroll please, for the Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards 2024 winners in
our Motors category...
Meet the Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards Motors winners for 2024
1. Eco Car App
WINNER: Octopus Electroverse
Who? Launched in 2020, Octopus Electroverse is Octopus Energy’s innovative electric vehicle charging app. Partnered with over 725,000 EV chargers on its ‘Electroverse’, once you’ve joined (and you don’t have to be in Octopus Energy customer to use the app) you’re able to easily and quickly locate EV charging stations and facilities across the UK.
Why? The electric vehicle market has changed dramatically over the past few years, meaning consumers are requiring – and demanding – more in terms of infrastructure. Octopus Electroverse is working to make charging EVs on the public network simpler, with an interactive global map that shows charge points and their availability, a route planner and in-car support for EV drivers.
All the app features are free, and the brand works hard to reduce costs for users, passing on discounts when energy prices drop (it does happen, occasionally) through its Price Plunge service. You don’t even need to log in to access the global map.
All in all, this is a company that truly seems to be putting planet before profits, utilising its knowledge and expertise to help us all become more eco-conscious – in their words, they’re “driving forward a greener future together”.
Marie Claire UK editor and Sustainability Awards judge Sunil Makan praises its approach: “This digitally innovative B Corp brand has made a concerted effort to help drive the electric revolution forward, making the move away from carbon fuels more convenient and accessible,” he says.
2. Eco City Travel
WINNER: Uber
Who? We’re surely all familiar with the ride-hailing app Uber by now. The US-based multinational leads the charge in on-demand transport.
Why? Electrification is Uber’s number one priority, with the company aiming to be globally all-electric by 2040. It’s transparent around how it plans to achieve this: investing US$800 million in resources to help their drivers go electric through EV discounts, driver incentives, and charging initiatives.
Uber has partnered with car manufacturers and hire companies to try to improve access to more affordable EV options. The company’s UK-based Clean Air Plan raised £145 million for drivers to put towards the cost of an EV, and it is partnering with energy companies to provide drivers with access to fast and affordable charging.
In London alone, Uber has invested £5 million to build chargers across the city, and is inspiring and encouraging both its drivers and customers to go electric with the launch of the Rider Emission Savings project – a new in-app feature that allows riders to track the impact of their estimated carbon emissions and see the total emissions they’ve saved by taking Uber Green or Comfort Electric options.
“Uber is promoting positive behavioural change on a daily basis for millions by building emissions savings into the app, which is empowering and incentivising consumers to make the right choices for the environment,” says Marie Claire UK editor-in-chief Andrea Thompson.
“It’s really refreshing to see the steps Uber is making to reshape their business model and reduce their carbon emissions,” adds Marie Claire UK sustainability editor Ally Head. “I particularly applaud how much its invested to encourage its drivers to use electric cars and their work with local councils to help ensure charge points are accessible across more areas of London.”
3. Electric Car
WINNER: BMW Group, MINI Countryman
Who? The MINI story started in 1946, when Charles Cooper and his son John founded the Cooper Car Company. The latter became a racing driver and Formula 1 team owner, and created the MINI Cooper as the brand’s racing car. Today, the MINI is a British design icon and an eternally popular motor.
Why? A worthy winner in the electric car category, the MINI Countryman has been designed with sustainability at its heart – right down to the use of materials inside the car. The dashboard and door panels feature 90% recycled polyester for the first time, while the steering wheel and seats are made from a new plant-based leather, Vescin, which is not only made from recycled materials, but is itself fully recyclable.
The BMW Group plant that produces the car, has four on-site wind turbines for energy, while a battery storage farm ensures that surplus energy is captured and stored for later use. Additionally, the cars are painted using a new overspray-free method, reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption. Even the wheels have an option of being made from up to 70% reclaimed aluminium, and their aerodynamic design optimises the vehicle’s electric range (up to an impressive 287 miles per charge).
“BMW is to be commended for adding so much detail to the scrutiny of its various sustainability claims, rather than just adding links to websites, particularly the level of detail around its water management at its global plants – I was taken by the monsoon water being collected in India to provide 100% of plant water requirements,” notes judge Erin Baker of Autocar. “I like the fact it is sourcing its critical minerals directly, and that it tracks and traces Scope 3 emissions.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Volvo EX30 and Renault ZOE
4. Green Emission Initiative
WINNER: BMW M5 and BMW iX
Who? A second nod for the BMW Group in this category – its M5 and iX models are the joint winners of our Green Emission Initiative award.
Why? BMW is undertaking forward-thinking research into hydrogen fuel cell technology as an alternative fuel source. It’s been exploring the potential of hydrogen vehicles since the 1980s and last year launched its BMW iX5 Hydrogen prototype to complement its EV offerings, including the M5.
While a production vehicle won’t be available until closer to 2030, the iX5 Hydrogen pilot is an important first step on the road to creating a sustainable alternative to not only traditional fossil fuels, but to electric cars.
The vehicle offers zero local emissions and can be driven up to 313 miles on a single refuel – and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure is high on the company’s list of priorities. “Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility,” Oliver Zipse, CEO of BMW AG said of this. “One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”
“This is a company that has made a long-term commitment to transform every area of the business to limit its impact on the environment – from supply production and packaging to supply chains and corporate culture. A worthy winner,” notes Thompson.
5. Sustainable Interior
WINNER: Volvo EX30
Who? Founded in 1927, Swedish car giant Volvo is synonymous with refined, luxurious safety and reliability.
Why? With the introduction of the EX30 model, it’s clear that Volvo is committed to reducing all aspects of its carbon footprint. The brand has thoughtfully considered its use of materials with the interior design of the EX30, reducing the number of components – there are no switches on the doors (these are now housed in the centre of the car), while a single soundbar renders multiple speakers unnecessary.
The materials used internally are either recycled or natural, and entirely leather-free. Instead, the brand features Nordico upholstery, which it describes as a “progressive and technically advanced material created with textiles made from recyclables such as PET bottles and bio-attributed material from forests in Sweden and Finland”.
Each model boasts its own unique, innovative finish, from dashboard trim inserts made from recycled PVC window frames to woven flax and even denim fibres reclaimed from the offshoots of recycled jeans – Volvo has made anything and everything work in this truly impressive, sustainability-focused vehicle.
“Volvo has made an impressive commitment and investment in the traceability of the products used in their vehicles,” says Thompson. “The blockchain technology significantly boosts transparency of the raw material supply chain, empowering customers to make informed conscious choices.”
Marie Claire UK has determined the award winners in accordance with the judging criteria and with the information provided by the entrants. All information provided by the winning brands is published in good faith.
