Interviews
18 May 21

Regina Granados, LeasePlan Mexico: Optimizing budget through fleet leasing

As the world continues to drive forward amidst the current health and economic hurdles of today, the scenario is much the same in Mexico. Travel has been reduced for many companies but most of them are still looking to optimize their budget, according to LeasePlan Mexico CEO Regina Granados.

As it enables fleet managers to achieve greater savings in terms of corporate mobility all while focusing on their core business, migrating to a leasing program is key to achieving this, said Ms. Granados in the latest Fleet LatAm interview (Latin America arm of Global Fleet).


LeasePlan's overall footprint entails 1.9 million vehicles in 32 countries, mostly Europe (source: Global Fleet)

Could you first give me an idea of LeasePlan's fleet profile in Mexico and the types of services offered?

Granados: First of all, I’d like to say that our service is more than vehicles as we offer a variety of solutions for mobility needs. We start with the delivery, but our service also includes maintenance, insurance, fuel, replacement car, telematics, and all formalities until the sale of the car at the end of the contract period. 

We are proud to say that we are very flexible, offering different plans depending on the needs of our clients. We can provide any type of vehicle, brand, or model in Mexico. LeasePlan manages more than 30,000 vehicles in the country, being 94% automobiles, 3% trucks, 2% motorcycles and 1% vans.

As we have a robust and reliable network of business partners and suppliers, we are able to meet any client request with preferential prices and with nation-wide coverage.

What types of companies are seeking your service in the country?  

Granados: The flexibility of our solutions allows us to work with customers from any business sector. However, we mostly support those from industries related to pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, services, and consumption.

Being able to adapt to the requirements of our clients gives us an advantage in the market. We can offer our services to small fleets or multinational companies. It doesn’t matter if you only have one car or 10,000, we have products for everyone.  

How is technology being used in your services?

Granados: In terms of digitalization, we have tools such as a mobile application where you can find all the information you need on your vehicle. This includes online fleet reports (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) and telematics which gives our clients detailed location information and recommendations on driving practices.

Do you have any new services you’d like to highlight for this year?

Granados: I’d first like to mention that we have a system which helps our clients develop their fleet policies. It brings together all the relevant points they need to consider so that they can have a complete and robust policy. 

Moreover, we launched a new system this year which focuses on keeping our clients and users fully updated. We are the only leasing company in Mexico with such a system.

One of our main products to highlight for 2021 is our Sale & LeaseBack.  Through this product, we buy our customers’ fleets and then lease them back, including the management of the fleet. This enables them to be more efficient and to focus on their core business. 

Last but not least, I’d like to mention another new product this year, being a model that was jointly developed with one of our partners. It takes all variables into consideration for a particular model, analyzes it, and then predicts the potential savings a fleet or mobility manager could have. 
 
Is sustainability on the minds of fleet managers in Mexico?

Granados: There are some companies seeking to evolve to a more sustainable fleet, reducing CO2 emissions by migrating to electric and hybrid vehicles. For us, it is important that our clients are aware of the benefits of having an ecological fleet. As founding members of the EV100 initiative, we want our vehicles to reach the zero emissions goal by 2030.

This transition to hybrid and electric vehicles implies that employee needs will shift over time as well. Thus, our objective is to better support and advise companies during the transitionary process of their fleets, helping them achieve financial benefits by managing fleet costs and providing clarity to the company.

As for LeasePlan, we have decided to evolve towards hybrid and electric vehicles and 50% of our fleet are electrified today.

Mexico is Latin America but it is also North America.  What is the main difference between the two, in terms of the fleet market?

Granados: There are a few differences, but compared to the United States, I would say that having a car as a benefit is more commonly stated in employee benefit programs in Mexico and this certainly opens up opportunities to offer leasing in the country. As such, it is very important for us at LeasePlan to continue innovating our services and being a strategic partner with our clients.

Regina Granados will be one of several speakers present at the upcoming Fleet LatAm Business Networking Group meeting, taking place Tuesday (18 May).

Authored by: Daniel Bland
Advertorial: