Volkswagen Group has expanded its “car wash swap” initiative across more than 150 retailers in the UK, giving customers the option to plant a tree instead of receiving a post-service wash and vacuum.
The scheme is now available across Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Škoda and Seat/Cupra sites, covering 21 investor groups.
Since launching in January 2025, VW said the initiative has saved five million gallons of water and funded the planting of more than 45,000 trees.
Around 25% of VW customers choose to plant a tree
Participating retailers offer customers the choice to opt out of the standard wash in favour of tree planting, with around a quarter of customers choosing the alternative.
Dealer groups like JCT600 and Yeomans have been early adopters of the programme.
Volkswagen Group is working with Ecologi to deliver tree planting and wider sustainability projects globally.
Jaspal Toor, aftersales propositions manager at Volkswagen Group UK, said: “We know that sustainability expectations influence customer decisions, from choice of car brand and model, through to aftersales.
“In fact, our research shows 86% of customers say they would change brands to achieve a more sustainable aftersales choice, so we know environmentally conscious decisions extend beyond the vehicle purchase stage, and driver better customer satisfaction.
“Our goal is to reduce carbon emissions, conserve water, and offer sustainability-conscious customers a greener choice.”
Volkswagen Group retailers currently use more than 200 million gallons of water on car washes each year, equating to more than 300 metric tonnes of CO2e.
The initiative has so far reduced water usage by five million gallons and delivered an estimated CO2e reduction of six metric tonnes.
The programme forms part of Volkswagen Group’s wider goTOzero strategy to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.