Joaquin Lizarralde, RDA Mobility: Providing comprehensive mobility services in Latam

Argentina-based RDA Mobility (formerly RDA Renting) has already expanded into Uruguay and Colombia and it is now working toward pushing its new Marketplace as well as a slew of mobility solutions as we dive into 2022, according to Regional Director Joaquin Lizarralde.

RDA Mobility was one of the sponsors of the Fleet LatAm Conference which took place on 21 September. It was attended by more than 400 fleet and mobility decision makers and professionals from Latin America and beyond. 

Could you tell us a bit about the RDA Mobility fleet?

Lizarralde: RDA Mobility has more than 10,000 vehicles, and they are located in Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay. We offer several types of vehicles, ranging from work tool vehicles to benefit cars and even those for recreation. Our fleet is mainly made up of Passenger vehicles, but we also have light duty utility vehicles and pickups.

To meet the public demand, we also offer several types of vehicles by way of our Car Sharing operation.

How is Argentina’s economy impacting RDA's business and what are you expecting in 2022?

Lizarralde: I am based out of Buenos Aires but I am a Regional Director, so this means that I am responsable for developing the group’s business on an international level.  

As for Argentina, it has always faced challenges in its business environment owing to economic and political issues but this is paradoxical. We are home to a large number of highly successful businesses including some of the most valuable companies in Latin America in terms of stock valuation.

This is explained, in part, by the great talent that can be found in the country and its important trait of resilience, a fundamental element of generating successful businesses in Latin America.

Regarding RDA, we were founded by entrepreneurs which were selected by an international panel that was put together by Endeavor back in 2018, and we are heavily marked by this DNA until today. As for 2022, we are planning new business which involves expanding new services into various countries.

With that said, how is your expansión into Uruguay and Colombia coming along?

Lizarralde: Our operations in Colombia and Uruguay have been developing very well this year. We are consolidating the structures and services that we began implementing in 2020 and are seeing significant growth.

The countries have been affected differently by the COVID-19 pandemic and neither has held back the dynamic nature of their mobility markets. As both are showing good signs for services such as Full Service Leasing, these are consolidated products which are being offered in both countries.

Meanwhile, what catches our attention nowadays and motivates us more is the growing interest in services such as Fleet Management, Fleet Connectivity, and sustainable mobility alternatives such as Car Sharing.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that both countries are moving rapidly towards electrification. Considering the incentives and legislation it has today, Uruguay is perhaps one of the most advanced countries in the region in this regard.

And how is RDA Mobility preparing for the mobility trends of today and the future?

Lizarralde: In general, we are seeing incremental growth in the interest of comprehensive mobility services. Approximately two years ago, we took our first steps in this direction when we launched the first Car Sharing company in Argentina and one of the first in South America.

Today, the scope of RDA Mobility’s business is structured into two main divisions. One contemplates Business Solutions which offers Full Service Leasing, Telematics and Fleet Management solutions.

The other is Customer Applications which entails more technological solutions such as our Car Sharing platform. This solution is not only capable of managing our own operations, but also acts as a SaaS (software-as-a-service) for third-party services.

Last but not least, I’d like to say that we have been working hard on developing our Marketplace which has been designed specifically for the automotive industry. It enables the exchange of goods and services in a much more efficient, transparent, and quick manner and its name will be revealed soon. 

Do you have any tips for fleet managers in Latin America?

Lizarralde: If had to give a tip to Fleet Managers in the region, I would say that they should participate in working groups such as those promoted by Fleet LatAm. These are good places to exchange valuable knowhow with other experts regarding new developments and trends taking place in the industry.

Keep in mind that some of the changes that were once seen as a thing of the future are already happening. It is this willingness to change, along with agility and flexibility, which will prove to be fundamental variables in the corporate mobility ecosystem of the future.

For more insight on the fleet and mobility markets in Latin America, see our video playlist for the latest Fleet LatAm Conference which took place in September.