Marketing & services: convenient services to meet customer needs
For Total, marketing petroleum products means meeting a host of challenges — providing a broad range of services and a secure supply of safe-to-use products, practicing environmental stewardship and staying on the cutting-edge of technology — every day, in locations that are convenient for our customers.
Service stations: listening to our customers
With more than 15,000 service stations worldwide, Total is a top retailer of automotive fuel. We are a leader in Western Europe and Africa and pursue a growth strategy based on quality of service and convenience. Our marketing teams are expanding our network through targeted growth, to capitalize on strong brands and standardized facilities.
Smarter, More Frugal Consumers: Total Encourages Best Practices
We help Total customers better understand their fuel consumption, so they can be smarter, more efficient energy users and better stewards of the environment. We do this by promoting best practices at service stations, including:
- Choosing the most efficient fuels and lubricants.
- Checking engine settings and tire pressure.
- Driving in a smooth, controlled fashion.
We publicize best practices through our Eco10 program and other European oil industry initiatives Total participates in, in France and Europe. We are carrying out a similar program in the Africa/Middle East region, where Total was the first retailer, in 2008, to offer a line of eco-services combining environmental stewardship and lower fuel costs. Lastly, for professionals, specific initiatives tied to Total's GR fuel payment cards target corporate fleet managers. Our goal is to encourage truckers to adopt eco-driving practices.
Equipping Service Stations to Meet the Challenges of Sustainability
We are taking a number of steps to make our European service stations more energy efficient. To cut back on electricity consumption, we are installing real-time tracking devices to monitor power use and tailor the operation of equipment to business hours, customer traffic and even weather conditions. All around the world, a growing number of service stations are turning to renewable energies, with the help of photovoltaic panels or solar thermal collectors. The Parsac highway service station in France illustrates this integrated approach and combines several advances. Equipped with increased insulation, photovoltaic modules and solar thermal panels, it uses a heat pump, natural cooling and power-saving lighting solutions. In addition, its coolers are precision-controlled to reduce their energy use. Along the same lines, we have developed a new visual identify for our service stations. The more up-to-date, airy T-air design is gradually replacing our current red stations. With a much lighter, translucent canopy and a dominant natural "teak" color, the new stations blend into their surroundings better.
Creating fuels: mastering the technology, anticipating needs and protecting the environment
Fuel specifications are changing, largely to meet environmental requirements, but also to stay in step with new engine technologies. Rising to the challenge requires a high level of capabilities and expertise, which we have. Total has the know-how to anticipate needs, develop the most efficient additives and create radically new solutions.
Excellium, a Distillation of Advanced Technologies
Total launched the Excellium line in 2005. These innovative gasoline and diesel grades were tested in the laboratory and different engines to compare their performance to standard fuels. They were found to offer:
- Better engine protection.
- Improved fuel efficiency.
- Lower carbon emissions.
The results of our tests are published on Total Web sites in each country. The proprietary additives developed by our teams are the main distinguishing feature of Excellium fuels. They are suited to all vehicles now on the road. In addition, we launched Total Excellium Truck Diesel, a diesel fuel made specifically for trucks, city buses and motor coaches, at end-2008.
Developing the Biofuels of the Future
In the last 15 years, Total has acquired extensive experience with the two main types of so-called first-generation biofuels available today:
- ETBE, or ethyl tertiary butyl ether, which is blended into gasoline.
- FAME, or fatty acid methyl ester, for diesel vehicles. FAME is also known as VOME, vegetable oil methyl ester.
We are now working primarily on developing second-generation biofuels, produced from non-food biomass such as forest and agricultural waste. In partnership with producers of bio-resources (crops, wood, food waste), researchers and manufacturers, we are investing in developing new biomass treatment processes, exploring several avenues. Our biofuel projects focus on three absolute requirements:
- Further shrinking their environmental footprint.
- Cutting costs.
- Creating fully acceptable, sustainable production sectors.
