Hyperion Solutions ‘Drive Clean to Drive Change’ Program

In December 2004 Hyperion Solutions, a Silicon Valley software company, launched a first-of-its-kind initiative to help its employees purchase fuel-efficient cars for their personal use. As part of its Drive Clean to Drive Change initiative, Hyperion reimburses employees $5,000 for vehicles that achieve 45 miles per gallon or the equivalent of gasoline.

The 45-mpg standard (approximately 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers) results in dramatically less carbon dioxide emissions when compared to the vast majority of gasoline-powered vehicles. The standard also is achievable by fuel-efficient vehicles using technologies such as hybrid, diesel and electric that increasingly are available in most of the countries in which Hyperion does business.

Under the program, employees who have been with Hyperion one year or longer can seek reimbursement for one vehicle every four years. The company says it is aiming to reimburse up to 200 employees each year; reimbursements are available to employees on a first come, first served basis.

Carbon dioxide emissions from personal vehicles are a major cause of poor air quality in industrialized nations. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States pumps about 22 tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere per person every year, with Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom each at about half that level. Switching from a car that gets 20 mpg to one that gets 45 mpg can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as three tons per person per year.