Resulting from the merger of several companies, and partially owned by Stellantis and Crédit Agricole groups, the “new” Leasys has just introduced itself to the Portuguese market with a new and innovative strategy, whose main objectives are to offer the best customer experience and provide comprehensive mobility solutions for all types of customers, regardless of their needs – with a significant focus on electric mobility. After recently acquiring ALD Automotive, Leasys currently manages a fleet of over 31,000 vehicles and a portfolio of more than 4,200 clients in Portugal, making it the second largest player in the country’s sector. Internationally, the numbers speak for themselves: a fleet of over 850,000 vehicles, a portfolio of over 105,000 clients, and presence in eleven countries.
In today’s meeting with the Portuguese press, the new management team of Leasys Portugal highlighted the fact that the Portuguese market is a strategic asset, not only because of its prominent position, but also because it serves as a testing laboratory for the introduction of new solutions that can be applied in other regions. This was confirmed by Sebastiano Fedrigo, Director of International Markets and Business Development: “Our numbers confirm our growth – and are the result of a clear strategic plan; we are deeply in tune with the dynamics of the automotive market and customer expectations. Leasys’ mission is to become the leading mobility provider in Europe, promoting innovative and flexible solutions, always with the customer at the center of our strategy. The acquisition of ALD Automotive’s activity in Portugal, completed in August, accelerates the Company’s development in strategic markets, in line with our ambitions to be among the European leaders in the car rental industry. This acquisition brings Leasys closer to its ambitious goal of surpassing one million vehicles in its fleet by 2026.”
For the development and growth of its activity in Portugal, Leasys Portugal will count on a dedicated team of over 150 members and the Stellantis dealership network. But that’s not all. In order to serve all customers and meet their needs, a set of partnerships and the direct sales channel will allow Leasys to offer products and services for models of all brands and provide customers with autonomous control over vehicles and fleets, supporting them in managing services related to their contract through advanced digital platforms. Fernando Sousa, Commercial Director of Leasys Portugal, stated: “Providing a range of flexible operational rental products and services to different customers involves following strategic pillars, including a multi-channel and multi-brand approach, a complete catalog of products and services, and advanced digitalization processes.”
Digitalization rhymes with innovation
Providing an advanced range of product and service solutions, from traditional Renting to the most flexible products, for total customization and satisfaction of its customers, Leasys promises to differentiate itself, in the same way, by introducing innovative solutions, ambition confirmed by Ricardo Amaro, Marketing and Communication Director of Leasys Portugal: “Our approach is not only related to traditional rental formulas, but also to a wide range of innovative mobility solutions, unique in the market. Our products meet the specific needs of customers and are complemented by services for a true ‘mobility experience’.”
Among these products that make a difference in the sector are Be Free (long-term rental that allows returning the vehicle after one year without penalties); As New (rental of used vehicles from Leasys, promotes circular economy and guarantees accessibility of offers for different target customers); and Leasys Pro (customized commercial vehicles, based on the needs of each customer). There are also internally developed options that facilitate the energy transition through increasingly integrated and eco-sustainable mobility solutions, as demonstrated by Unlimited, dedicated to electrified vehicles, and including unlimited kilometers.
Equally important is the fact that Leasys is investing economic and human resources in a digitalization process, paying special attention to large companies and Fleet Managers, providing various digital services that make fleet management more efficient. An example of this is the digital platform MyLeasys, which allows fleet managers to remotely have a global view of the behavior of their entire fleet and the services included.
But the company’s new “star” is undoubtedly the one announced as the most complete and innovative solution in this domain for electric vehicles. Named Leasys My Evo, it promises to be a true ecosystem, including tools such as facilitator services (aimed at helping companies achieve their sustainability goals, namely through the electrification of their fleets and the transition to electric mobility); consumption reporting and allocation to users; consulting and specialized support; sale and/or rental of battery charging equipment, whether for home or business use; charging card (for public or private network).
All the details will be unveiled within days, at the official presentation of Leasys My Evo. It is certain that this will be a determining aspect of its activity to achieve the ambitions already defined by Leasys Portugal: to grow its fleet by about 20% by 2026; to be the best operator in its area of activity in terms of electric vehicles; and to be the undisputed market leader in terms of customer satisfaction.
Time for challenges
In a highly competitive and ever-changing market, in various domains, it is natural that there are priorities in the strategy of any company. Leasys is no exception, but promises to be attentive to the changes that the complex world we live in imposes on any business area, and to try to turn any difficulties into opportunities.
For example, despite what is commonly referred to as renting being usually associated with business clients, individuals are not out of the company’s “radar”, quite the opposite. If, in just two years, the percentage of contracts established with individual clients has doubled, rising from 2.5% to 5%, the goal is still to grow in this area in the near future. The dealership networks of the various Stellantis brands and digitization are expected to be decisive factors in achieving this growth, as they provide quick, easy, and efficient access to contracts and services included in them.
In this regard, despite the aforementioned multi-brand approach with all operators in the sector, it is expected that Leasys’ strong connection to Stellantis will result in specific synergies, capable of materializing in special conditions for the company, and therefore, for the end customer who contracts through a dealership of a brand belonging to the Italo-Gaulish group. And not only in terms of cost but also in terms of vehicle delivery speed, maintenance, and assistance – in this case, always carried out in the official brand network, which may not be the case with models of other origins, where, depending on the contractual conditions, such operations may be carried out in certified independent workshops, with maintenance in the brand having an additional cost.
At the same time, the crisis context that the economy is going through, aggravated by the military conflicts that unfortunately occur in several geographies simultaneously, can also represent a growth opportunity. It is well studied that in times like these, customers prefer the certainty over uncertainty and, whenever possible, transfer the risks associated with their operations to others – which, in the case of automobiles, almost certainly means a greater focus on financing, leaving all uncertainties related to factors such as interest rates, trade-in values, selling the vehicle as used, etc., on the side of the leasing companies.
In the first person
In conversation with Nuno Jacinto, AutoGear had the opportunity to further explore some topics related to the company’s activity in our country with the General Director of Leasys Portugal. Namely, the change in perception that it has ceased to be a kind of “armed branch” of Stellantis for the financing area, in order to adopt a truly multi-brand approach: “That is one of the main points we intend to clarify and convey immediately. We know that our past clearly associates us with captives because that’s how we were born and emerged in 2020, offering Operational Vehicle Rental solutions for FCA, for the Fiat Group. Meanwhile, there was the merger of the Fiat and PSA groups – which, in turn, already had Free2Move, and Leasys remains a captive, this time of the Stellantis Group. Now, with the joining of two giants, Stellantis and Crédit Agricole, the objective is to launch a fully multi-brand financing company. That is the message we want to convey, that we are competitors of all similar companies existing in Portugal. For this, we have three sales channels: direct customers, with a brand called Leasys Mobility; partnerships, with a brand defined by the partner, or through the brand Be Renting; and Leasys Net, the brand we will use for the Stellantis network, dedicated to its models, through which we intend to substantially leverage the business. And that will be as important for customers as it is for the network itself, considering that Peugeot is the best-selling brand in Portugal, and Stellantis is the best-selling manufacturer.”
Regarding green mobility, how will access to the charging network be at an international level? Is it possible for customers to use it when traveling abroad? “Unfortunately, no, due to limitations that we are completely unaware of. Just going to Spain, not only are Portuguese cards not accepted at charging stations, but it is also necessary to have a charging card for different operators. In Portugal, we are very advanced in this field. There is no partner that can offer outside the country what already exists in Portugal: a card that aggregates the various operators.”
Theme that is no longer new is the eventual elimination of the tax benefits currently granted to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, which have greatly contributed to their adoption by companies. Given the voracity of the Portuguese state towards automobiles, there are even those who anticipate that this type of vehicle will, in the relatively near future, be subject to some form of additional taxation, a kind of equivalent to the Vehicle Tax that applies to vehicles with internal combustion engines. How can Leasys face such a scenario, if it were to materialize? “I agree that, sooner or later, the creation of this new tax will happen. Especially from the moment when its representation, in terms of sales, implies a truly significant reduction in tax revenue from the automotive sector, it is my belief that the benefits will begin to be reduced, then eliminated – until a new form of taxation that does not currently exist is reached. But this is an unstoppable process, regardless of tax issues. Eventually, there will be an impact on the cost of vehicles, as well as on their rental, but at the European and even global level, brands are moving towards electrification, also due to production limitations. We already have many difficulties in satisfying customers when they want a diesel car, simply because they are disappearing, there are fewer and fewer, and the availability of electric and plug-in hybrids, or hybrids at the limit, is increasing. So, ultimately, in one way or another, more or less forced, this path towards electrification will be followed, we have no doubt about that, it is a European, if not global, objective. Even considering the product offering, this transition process will be irreversible. It may have an impact on cost structure, like others have had, but companies, and particularly Leasys, will work to minimize them.”
Finally, the disposal of vehicles at the end of the contract: “We have various channels for this purpose. The main one, clearly, is B2B, for professionals, through our own online auction platform – it represents about 90% of sales, has about two thousand professional users, and carries out an average of two auctions per week, sometimes three. We also have what we call B2E (Business to Employee), to satisfy the user who, at the end of the contract, wants to keep the vehicle because they know it, instead of going to the market to buy a used one. Finally, we have B2C, selling to individuals, through a physical showroom and advertising our vehicles on the main used car platforms.”
