Tourism Vehicle Rental News
- In January 2022, ekar, the Middle East's mobility company, launched its operations in Thailand starting with Bangkok and with plans to expand into other countries. ekar is launching its proprietary car subscription service which offers cars from one to nine-month terms for a single monthly subscription cost with no down payments or long-term commitments via the ekar app.
- In December 2021, Volkswagen announced plans to acquire Europcar in France and launched USD 3.4 billion. The acquisition will be handled by Green Mobility Holding, a dedicated vehicle of which Volkswagen will own two-third.
- In November 2021, Hertz rentals partnered with Tesla Motors, to supply 100,000 Model 3S by 2022, and news that half of these vehicles are expected to be rented out to Uber drivers.
- In July 2021, Key'n Go, which is operated by Goldcar, the low-cost brand of Europcar Mobility Group allows customers to benefit, at scale, from a 100% digital, safe and fast solution to book, pick up & return their vehicle in 35 key leisure airports in Southern Europe
- In February 2021, Theeb Rent a Car, a Saudi-based car rental company extended its car rental fleet in the Kingdom. The company has added more than 1,700 cars from luxury brands such as BMW, Mercedes, and also economic models such as Chevrolet, Kia, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, and Hyundai, including the new 2021 models.
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Related Automotive Services Industry News
- September 2024: MG Motor introduced an innovative battery rental plan as part of its strategic initiatives aimed at boosting sales of eco-friendly vehicles. Under this plan the company will offer battery for their newly launch electric car Windsor on a pay-per-use rental model at Rs 3.5 per km. This move is intended to make electric vehicles more accessible and affordable for customers, thereby encouraging the adoption of sustainable transportation options.
- March 2024: Nio Inc. a Chinese multinational automobile manufacturer has signed a partnership agreement with battery giant CATL to develop technologically advance batteries which can offer longer battery life in wake of reducing operating cost of Nio's battery swapping and changing stations. In a move aimed at reducing the purchase costs of electric vehicles (EVs), the company unveiled a significant reduction of up to 33% in the monthly battery rental fees.
- May 2023: EnBW opened a new fast-charging station with a solar canopy in Großburgwedel, Germany. This is the first EV Charging station in Germany that offers service islands with car-related services such as floor mat cleaners. The company operates 27 large EnBW fast-charging stations with solar canopies throughout Germany. The company has opened more than 140 new fast-charging sites across Germany to date.
- April 2023: One of the leading EV Charging Infrastructure players, Charge Point, announced its partnership with ALD Automotive, a leading global sustainable mobility player. This partnership aims to create a unique electric Mobility Service Provider (eMSP) to accelerate corporate fleet electrification.
- November 2024: JOLT Energy and IMO Car Wash partnered to offer fast charging alongside car wash services at selected locations in Germany. The pilot project will expand in 2025, enhancing service offerings and convenience for customers.
- August 2024: Tommy's Express entered the Europe car wash market, with its first car wash in Allonne, France, opening in December 2024. Featuring efficient operations and subscription options, the brand plans additional openings in France (2025) and the Netherlands (2025).
- June 2024: HEM set a world record by completing 10,199 car washes in under eight hours in Germany, surpassing the previous record of 7,197. The event offered washes at five euros, attracting many customers.
- January 2024: Grab introduced a new car rental scheme in Indonesia that provides drivers with a unique opportunity to work towards owning a car while enjoying maximum flexibility in their rental arrangements.
- February 2024: Enterprise Mobility extended its rental services in Thailand. The company has now established its presence at nine different locations across the country, including all major international airports, through a partnership with Thai Rent a Car.
- March 2024: BMW's financial arm partnered with CRIF to introduce open banking services in the United Kingdom, targeting prospective car buyers. The collaboration aims to streamline auto financing across all UK retailers, enhancing BMW's financial arm's access to crucial creditworthiness data.
- February 2024: Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) highlighted a significant upsurge in car loan values during Q3 2023. This surge was primarily attributed to Irish consumers' growing preference for electric vehicles. Notably, the number of car loans in Q3 2023 reached 14,994, marking a 25.5% increase over the same period in 2022. Consequently, the total value of these loans hit Euro 189 million (USD 204 million).
- January 2024: Bumper, a fintech platform specializing in flexible payment solutions for car repairs, secured USD 48 million in its Series B funding round, spearheaded by Autotech Ventures. Bumper's unique offering provides drivers with interest-free payment options, easing the financial burden of sudden repair expenses.
- February 2024: To provide financial assistance, inDrive, a ridesharing platform, collaborated with the financial technology firm R2 to offer loans and credit cards to its drivers in Mexico. To facilitate this, inDrive collaborated with Mastercard and other local fintechs like Giro and Galileo.
- July 2023: Hoop Carpool, the shared mobility startup, raised USD 1.3 million in investment funds in a round led by Ship2B Ventures through BSocial Impact Fund, with additional support from Banco Sabadell, FEI, AXIS, and 4Founders Capital.
- June 2022: International Finance Corporation (IFC) invested USD 15 million in BlaBlaCar to support the shared-travel platform's growth in Mexico and Brazil.
- January 2024: Xanh SM, a new transportation brand launched in early 2023 focusing on sustainable growth, launched a short-term self-driving car rental service, Xanh SM Rentals, with electric car rental packages offering attractive price policies, and attracted more than 15 million customers after only 8 months of launch.
- April 2023: Green and Smart Mobility JSC (GSM) was established and launched in Vietnam as a multi-platform green transportation model. It operates with a fleet of 100% electric vehicles.
- February 2024: Sime Darby Auto Bavaria entered into a partnership with Sime Darby Rent-A-Car (SDRAC) - Hertz Malaysia to introduce luxury electric cars for rental service. This collaboration enabled the company to enhance its vehicle fleet and extend its car rental offerings nationwide.
- November 2023: Green Motion, an international brand in the car rental industry, announced a significant achievement in its global expansion plan. The expansion was facilitated by a master franchise partnership with Lokman Hakim Ibrahim, an enterprising and independent entrepreneur with expertise in the car rental sector.
- In March 2024, Alphabet's autonomous driving division, Waymo, introduced its ride-hailing service, Waymo One, in Los Angeles, California. The service is being offered to the public for free, and this decision was made after the successful completion of the Waymo One Tour program that the company initiated in the city.
- In February 2024, Zoomcar and CARS24 formed a strategic alliance to provide enhanced assistance to local car-sharing hosts. As part of this collaboration, Zoomcar will aid hosts in expanding their vehicle fleets and increasing their potential earnings by offering support with purchasing cars and flexible financing options.
- March 2024: Hype, a luxury traveler company based in Bengaluru, India, extended its luxury car rental services nationwide. With this expansion, the company broadened its offerings, providing compelling rates for premium car rental services throughout the country.
- January 2024: Sixt, a premium mobility service provider, entered an agreement with Stellantis, a leading automaker. As per the agreement, Sixt has the option to purchase up to 250,000 vehicles over the successive three years for its rental fleet in corporate countries across Europe and North America.
