The German car rental company
Sixt announced on Tuesday, October 4, its intention to purchase more than
100,000 electric vehicles from the Chinese manufacturer
BYD Auto . The first vehicles will be delivered as early as this year, Sixt stated.
Sixt is aligning itself with its competitor Hertz
In its press release, the rental company states that it has committed to delivering several thousand BYD vehicles this year in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom . Sixt claims to want to be ” the leading BYD electric vehicle rental company in Europe .” By the end of 2022, Sixt has also promised to offer 20 new electric models, ” Audi, Opel, Renault, BMW, Peugeot, Tesla, and now BYD ,” according to a brand spokesperson.
The German company’s announcement comes after the agreement reached a few weeks ago between its competitor Hertz and the American automaker General Motors . Hertz has signed several contracts, the first for 175,000 electric cars with the American manufacturer over the next five years. The second contract was signed in 2021 with Tesla for 100,000 units. Finally, a third deal was signed in April 2022 for 65,000 vehicles with Polestar.
Rental companies are likely looking to anticipate a future ban on internal combustion and hybrid vehicles in Europe in 2035. Sixt aims to have between 60% and 90% of its fleet comprised of electric vehicles by 2030. Meanwhile, Hertz plans to have at least 25% of its fleet replaced by the end of 2024.
BYD Auto plans to expand in Europe
The Chinese company, BYD Auto, dominates the electric car market in China , ahead of Tesla . It sold 175,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in August 2022, while Tesla struggled to reach 77,000 sales in the Middle Kingdom.
BYD now wants to expand into Europe. In 2020, the company conducted an initial test in Norway, the testing ground for most automakers. While the company hasn’t released sales figures, the trial appears to have been successful, as last week BYD unveiled the prices of its three electric models that will be sold in Europe. The flagship models, the Han sedan and the Tang SUV, will be priced at €72,000. Meanwhile, the Atto 3 SUV, which will be sold to Sixt, will cost €38,000.
Car rental companies are racing to modernize their fleets. Sixt is focusing on China , while Hertz continues to invest in the United States . To promote these new models, Hertz, in collaboration with BP, has begun developing a charging network in the US. Europe currently has 300,000 charging points, and the goal is to increase this number tenfold by 2030. Sixt announced on September 20th that it will invest €50 million to build its own charging infrastructure.
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