German car rental company Sixt to order 100,000 EVs from China's BYD

BERLIN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- German car rental company and mobility service provider Sixt plans to order 100,000 electric vehicles from China's BYD over the next six years, the company said on Tuesday.

Sixt has already ordered "several thousand" pure-electric vehicles from BYD. The first vehicles would be available for customers in Europe -- starting with Germany, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom -- in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the company.

"The agreement with BYD is an important milestone to deliver on our promise of putting significantly more e-cars onto the street," Vinzenz Pflanz, chief business officer responsible for sales and vehicle purchase at Sixt SE, said.

With the order, Sixt will be the "first car rental company in Europe to offer BYD's vehicles," the company said in a statement. The first BYD model to be delivered will be the fully electric C-segment SUV (sport utility vehicle) BYD Atto 3.

"Cooperations are a core part of the BYD business strategy," commented Michael Shu, general manager and managing director, BYD Europe and International Cooperation Division. "Our shared vision allows us to build our green dreams together, initially starting in Europe."

Sixt aims to electrify 70 percent to 90 percent of its fleet in Europe by 2030, "covering a wide range of manufacturers and models."