BYD has entered an agreement with international vehicle rental company SIXT for a 100,000 electric vehicle rental fleet that will operate in Europe.
The agreement is the first of its kind and size in Europe and is nearly identical to Tesla’s 100,000 vehicle supply “deal” with Hertz, which was announced in 2021. BYD said it would provide the 100,000 vehicles to SIXT by 2028, with SIXT committing to an initial order of “several thousands of pure-electric BYD cars” that will make their first deliveries later this year.
The BYD partnership will support SIXT’s sustainability goals, as the company hopes to have at least 70 percent of its rental fleet be comprised of EVs by 2030. This figure could be as high as 90 percent by that time, BYD noted in its press release announcing the partnership.
The first BYD vehicles available in SIXT’s fleet will be available later this year in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. BYD’s ATTO 3, an SUV built on the company’s latest e-Platform 3.0, which was launched late last year and offers more efficiency and enables ranges as high as 620 miles, will be the first vehicle available to customers.
Financial details regarding the partnership have not yet been revealed. It is unclear if BYD will supply the vehicles at cost, or if, because of the bulk purchase, SIXT is receiving any financial breaks. Interestingly, Hertz did not receive any breaks from Tesla when they purchased 100,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles last year. CEO Elon Musk even stated there was no signed contract and that the vehicles would be supplied as they were available.
SIXT operates more than 2,100 branches in more than 100 countries and has several business practices, including car rentals, car sharing, ride-hailing, and car subscriptions.
BYD’s General Manager and Managing Director of the European and International Cooperation Divison, Michael Shu, commented on the partnership:
“Cooperations are a core part of the BYD business strategy. We are delighted to start our cooperation with SIXT, the car rental company with the world’s fastest-growing brand value, and a very important key partner to BYD as we take our first steps into the rental market. Our shared vision allows us to build our green dreams together, initially starting in Europe. We aim to inspire SIXT customers with our latest products and innovations in EV technology. These are exciting times for BYD, as our market-leading solutions provide greater access, and more options for electric mobility. We look forward to a long and flourishing partnership with SIXT.”
(Left: Michael Shu, General Manager and Managing Director, BYD Europe and International Cooperation Division; Right: Vinzenz Pflanz, Chief Business Officer responsible for sales and vehicle purchase, Sixt SE)
Car rental companies are continuing to expand their fleet of electric vehicles. Hertz has partnerships past Tesla, as it also has Polestar vehicles currently available in its fleet. It also signed a 175,000-vehicle deal with General Motors in September.
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