Volkswagen‘s commitment to sustainability was recently recognized by the consultant firm, Interbrand. They named VW one of the world’s Best Global Green Brands for 2012. Volkswagen ranked fourth overall and was third among the automotive companies.

Think Blue gets its name from Volkswagen’s plan to step beyond “thinking green.” This division of the company oversees all operations and develops plans to make them more environmentally friendly. Among those plans are increasing fuel efficiency by 10-15 percent for every new generation of autos it produces, and their current investment of more than $700 million in renewable energy plants.

Think Blue also challenges Volkswagen owners to test their ability to drive efficiently through their blog; they call it “Tank Wars.” All you need to compete is a 2009 or newer Volkswagen TDI Clean Diesel and a Facebook page.  They ask you to start with your car in park and your trip meter set to zero then drive fifteen miles or more and park once again, recording your results with a digital camera. Right now a 2010 Golf TDI has the lead followed by a pair of 2009 Jetta SportWagen TDIs. There are also Jetta sedans and a couple of Touaregs on the list.

A Think Blue sponsored  mobile game can be downloaded for free from any IPhone,  IPad, or IPod Touch. The goal of the game is to drive a 2012 Golf TDI through a course, using as little fuel as possible. You also answer bonus, fuel-efficiency-related questions at various checkpoints to increase your score. The game is also playable through Facebook after downloading the app to your computer.