The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €250 million credit to vehicle leasing giant ALD Automotive to accelerate demand for hybrid and electric vehicles across the EU.
The financing will support the acquisition of around 15,000 vehicles for customers, with a particular focus on France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The funding is part of the Cleaner Transport Facility (CTF) programme, a joint initiative launched by the European Commission and the EIB in 2016 to combat climate change.
Violeta Bulc, the EU’s transport and mobility commissioner, said: “This is another important step in our investment plan for Europe. The €250m loan for alternative fuel vehicles will enable us to speed up our transition to low-emission transport across Europe and actively implement the EU's programme to promote jobs and growth.”
ALD chief financial officer Gilles Momper said the leasing company wanted to be a leading mobility supplier in its chosen markets, adding: “This financial partnership will help to strengthen our sustainable mobility strategy and encourage the gradual adoption of low-emission vehicles.
“Our fleet of green vehicles is growing fast – standing at over 118,000 at the end of June 2019 – and we aim to have a fleet of more than 200,000 alternative vehicles under management by the end of 2020.”
The agreement came as ALD Automotive launched ALD Move in the Netherlands, the company’s first Mobility-as-a-Service smartphone app.
ALD Move provides a combination of real-time travel information and advice alongside a range of mobility offerings.
It offers a travel assistant, which provides personalised travel itineraries based on a user’s calendar, using live updates and predictive analytics to adapt to changing conditions to provide alternative travel routes and alternative transport options.
It includes a built-in chatbot, instant route planner and can be paired with a mobility card to provide cashless payment for a range of public transport options.
The app can include restrictions to reinforce corporate mobility policies and encourage greener, more cost-effective travel choices.
Employees can also accumulate mobility credits for making sustainable travel choices, such as using a bike or electric car, which can be converted into extra mobility credits.
ALD Move will be tested by 100 users in the coming months.
John Saffrett, deputy CEO at ALD, said: “At ALD Automotive, we are committed to shaping the future of mobility. ALD Move is a clear example of how we use technology, partnerships and industry expertise to improve the day-to-day mobility of our clients to ensure that they benefit from best-in class mobility solutions that are efficient, flexible and sustainable.
“Once you’ve harnessed the capacity to centralise mobility solutions through an open and collaborative community to make Mobility-as-a-Service a reality, the possibilities are endless.”
