Topcon Positioning Ireland has made a huge step towards a more sustainable future by welcoming 12 new fully electric Volkswagen ID.4s.

The positioning equipment manufacturer makes the move as part of its continued commitment to sustainability, replacing 100% of its company car fleet with the zero-emission electric vehicles.

Data from Volkswagen has shown that Topcon Positioning Ireland will save approximately 98 metric tonnes of CO₂ by updating its old fleet of diesel vehicles to new electric ones, saving approximately the same weight of CO₂ as more than 16 adult African Elephants.

Mark Fagan, business director at Topcon Positioning Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to have made the move to electric vehicles within the Ireland team. As a manufacturer, we are always asking our customers to embrace new technologies and innovations and, at Topcon, we’re leading by example with the decision to replace 100% of our company car fleet and embrace electric vehicles. Our commitment to sustainability is an integral part of our business practice and, from manufacturing processes to the way we conduct business on a daily basis, we’re always striving to make a positive and meaningful change in terms of our impact on the environment.

“Sustainability and environmental responsibility have been at the top of the agenda for a number of years, and the updates from COP26 last year placed even more of a focus on how the construction industry can make a real difference in striving towards net-zero. This decision to transition all of our car fleet to electric is important, and one we hope to see emulated across the industry as we come together to reduce the environmental impact of the sector as a whole.”

The ID.4 vehicles are the first in Europe to receive a TUV Nord carbon-neutral certificate, meaning they were manufactured as carbon neutral vehicles, offset with initiatives such as recycling and planting trees. Volkswagen is the first manufacturer to achieve this certificate.

Michael Neill, fleet sales manager at Volkswagen Financial Services Ireland Limited, said: “It’s brilliant to work with progressive companies like Topcon Positioning Ireland, sharing our passion for a more sustainable future. The all-electric ID.4 is produced and delivered with a carbon-neutral balance – during production, we rely on energy efficiency and the use of green electricity, avoiding emissions wherever possible through every stage of the vehicles’ manufacture. That, coupled with the instant move away from fossil fuel powered vehicles, means Topcon is making instant CO₂ savings thanks to this switch.”

Topcon Positioning Ireland is committed to reducing CO₂, both within its own organisation and across the wider industry. Further to investing in its own fleet of vehicles, the solutions and technologies that Topcon provides enables businesses to work more efficiently and productively, and helping to minimise machinery use, and therefore fuel consumption, and reduce material waste.