At the ‘Europcar E-Xperience Rally 2024’, corporate customers will gain practical insights into the premium car rental company’s e-mobility solutions. At the same time, they can provide valuable first-hand feedback at the nationwide series of events. One third of the journeys booked with Europcar in Germany are already suitable for electric vehicles – particularly relevant for companies that increasingly have to fulfil CO2 requirements for business trips. The ‘Europcar E-Xperience Rally’ offers an exclusive platform for corporate customers to familiarise themselves with the latest developments in e-mobility. In presentations and through networking, participants can exchange ideas with industry colleagues and fleet managers and ‘experience’ the latest e-cars for themselves.
‘The future belongs to electromobility and the shared electric car,’ emphasises Gerhard von Hasselbach, Commercial Director Germany of the Europcar Mobility Group. ‘That’s why we at Europcar are setting standards: we are continuously investing in the expansion of our e-fleet and charging infrastructure and advising our customers with trained teams. We are working closely with partners and customers to successfully shape the change. The B2B events, which have already taken place for the second year, are another important component of our strategy for sustainable mobility.’
How Europcar is dealing with the challenges of electromobility
Although the German market for electromobility is currently in decline overall, an EY survey shows that 26 per cent of Germans are considering buying an electric car, two per cent more than the international average. In addition, electric cars accounted for 21.6 per cent of all new car fleet registrations in September 2024, a significant increase of 9.4 per cent compared to the previous year.
Car hire companies are a showcase for new technologies. At Europcar, customers can try out modern vehicle models in an uncomplicated way without committing themselves directly – the perfect alternative to buying or leasing. Europcar is actively involved in the transition to electromobility: the company is continuously expanding its charging infrastructure, both at its own locations and through partnerships with public providers. Together with the VIA (Association of International Car Rental Companies), Europcar has also made concrete demands to politicians – for example, the expansion of the publicly accessible charging infrastructure, particularly at airports and railway stations, should pick up speed with a focus on fast chargers. Europcar’s regularly renewed vehicle fleet offers access to modern technology and lower CO2 emissions, with vehicles that have generally only been in use for six to nine months. Overall, Europcar relies on strong partnerships, especially with European and German manufacturers such as Audi, Mercedes and VW, and ensures the necessary knowledge transfer through its well-trained employees to make the transition as smooth as possible for its customers.
E-Xperience Rally imparts practical knowledge
Europcar also passes on this knowledge at the nationwide ‘E-Xperience Rallye’ series of events. Participants are particularly enthusiastic about the practical relevance: during the test drives, they can get behind the wheel themselves and familiarise themselves with the EPolestar, the Audi e-tron, the Mercedes EQA, EQB, EQS, EQE and the KIA EV6 and EV9 under realistic conditions – including the charging process. ‘The transition to electromobility can only succeed if all stakeholders – companies, politicians and society – work together. At Europcar, we see ourselves as a showcase and promoter of sustainable mobility,’ says von Hasselbach. ‘By organising our second series of events, we are not only raising awareness of the benefits of e-mobility, but also promoting the important exchange between corporate customers, fleet managers and mobility experts. Experiences and ideas are shared in order to further develop solutions and help shape the mobility revolution.’
After stops in Hanover and Hanau, this year’s series of events ended in Munich on 21 October. In total, around 60 participants from over 30 companies were able to see for themselves the benefits that electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles can bring to their business. The E-Xperience Rally 2024 was realised by Europcar in collaboration with its partners Best Western Hotels & Resorts and expenseBrain. A continuation in 2025 is firmly planned.