Global Fleet's 10 most read articles of 2022
What caught your eye on Global Fleet in 2022? We'll let the numbers do the talking: here are the 10 most read articles of the year gone by.
1. ALD acquires LeasePlan for €4.9 billion – “NewALD” is born
It’s finally happening: ALD announced it will acquire 100% of LeasePlan. Price of the merger: €4.9 billion. Société Générale will own ca. 53% of the merged company, provisionally called “NewALD”, LeasePlan shareholders a total of 30.75%. The merged entity forecasts 6% fleet growth per year.
2. Exclusive: “What will emerge is a new type of company, doing a new type of business”
Don’t get used to the name “NewALD”. In an exclusive conversation with Fleet Europe, Tim Albertsen (CEO, ALD) and Tex Gunning (CEO, LeasePlan) reveal that will not be the name for the company that will emerge from the acquisition of LeasePlan by ALD.
3. Where do EV battery minerals come from?
EVs help fight one global problem – climate change – but they create another: mineral dependency. Will we become as reliant on those who mine and process those minerals as we are on those who produce our oil and gas?
4. US approves IRA but which cars get EV tax credits?
The US government’s $433 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is highly related to climate change and energy transition, has been signed into law and below are the electric vehicle (EV) models qualifying for a $7,500 phase in of tax credits.
5. LeasePlan nets a record €1 billion in 2021
LeasePlan just announced a record net result for 2021. The company netted a cool €1 billion, up 302.8% over the previous year. That ten-figure sum is not just the result of the sale of CarNext and LeasePlan’s businesses in Australia and New Zealand, but also of solid operational success.
6. Four years of women drivers in Saudi, what has changed?
Saudi Arabia was the last country in the world to repeal its ban on women drivers. In June 2018, women were allowed to drive again in the Kingdom following a 30-year prohibition.
7. Who is winning the car subscription race in North America?
The vehicle subscription market in North America offers a high potential for dealers to expand their business and OEMs to add new services to meet increasing demand. Yet, the vast geography of the region doesn't appear to be so easy to establish a successful car subscription service.
8. ARI rebrands as Holman
Fleet management and funding specialist ARI has rebranded as Holman. The change is part of a wider group-level unification of the automotive services organisation under the Holman name.
9. Fleets ask suppliers: “Let’s write history together”
Just a few years ago, managing fleets – global or otherwise – was an almost exclusively male profession. That has changed, and for the better of the industry. For proof, look no further than the three female fleet talents in the second session of the Global Fleet Conference, discussing how to manage today’s global fleet challenges.
10. If oil prices go down, why don’t fuel prices follow?
Russia invades Ukraine, and crude oil prices shoot up. Prices at the pump follow promptly. As the initial panic settles, oil goes down in price – but not fuel. If that’s true, are you being had?
