We’re keen to ask Alfonso Martinez how business has changed since the merger, and how against all the odds ALD Automotive | LeasePlan has managed to innovate against this difficult backdrop. He says: “Following the merger of ALD Automotive and LeasePlan in May this year, we have seen both teams come together and embrace a new culture and way of working. The hard work and commitment of our employees, as well as the strength of our leadership team, have allowed us to navigate this changing landscape and remain focused on our shared vision of becoming the world’s leading sustainable mobility player.
“During this time, we have continued to invest in and develop our market-leading technologies, such as our Next Generation Digital Architecture (NGDA) platform and TCO+ service. Moving forward, we will continue to invest heavily in innovation and technology-enabled services as we leverage our unique position to lead the way to net zero and shape the digital transformation of the industry.”
Martinez goes on to tell me how they’ve recently announced their “PowerUP 2026” strategic plan, which sets out their ambitions and financial objectives over the next three years. He says: “Sustainability sits right at the centre of this plan and will be the driving force behind all our decision-making going forward.
“We believe in supporting our customers to make sustainable choices about their journeys – whether that’s electric vehicles or other forms of low-emission travel. We own the largest multi-brand electric vehicles (EVs) fleet in the world and have plans to expand this considerably over the next few years. By November 2023 we expect to have hit half a million electric vehicles – a key milestone in our electrification journey. By 2026, our aim is to have 50% of all new vehicle registrations to be electric, up from 28% in 2022. We also aim to decrease our internal CO2 emissions by a further 35% in 2026 versus our 2019 figures.”
Martinez is keen to tell us about the recent unveiling of their new global mobility brand, Ayvens, which unites the two companies under a single, common identity. He says: “This was a huge moment for us as it represents the next step in our company’s development.
“The new brand will be rolled out in 2024 across the 44 countries where ALD Automotive | LeasePlan is present, representing the largest direct geographic coverage in the industry. For the UK, this is due to take place next summer.
We’ve recognised ALD Automotive | LeasePlan as Best Leasing Company (Over 25,000 Vehicles), but we ask Martinez what he thinks makes the business stand out against the opposition? He says: “What sets us apart from the competition, is our people. When the two companies came together, we found ourselves united by a shared ethos: we all believe in working towards a sustainable future and in putting the customer first on that journey.
“Thanks to our unique position as the UK’s largest fleet provider, we’re best placed to cater to the country’s changing mobility needs, providing zero and low-emission fleet solutions to private individuals, SMEs, the public sector and large corporations.”
The final question we put to Martinez is how this win at the 2023 Business Car Awards will change the business and how they plan on keeping hold of it next year. He says: “Winning at the 2023 Business Car Awards is a huge morale boost for our incredible teams and a testament to all the hard work they’ve put into making the merger a success. We will use this momentum to drive us forward as we continue our journey to transform the mobility industry and deliver even greater value to our customers.
“Going forward, we are fully committed to delivering on our “PowerUp 2026″ strategic plan. We truly believe that this is the most ambitious plan of its kind and will help to position us as the leading sustainable mobility player not just in the UK but across the world.”
