Thursday 2 December 2021: The NRMA has launched the SIXT car rental brand in Australia and unveiled one of the nation’s largest electric vehicle fleet for hire which could translate to cost savings for consumers renting vehicles which don’t need to be filled up with fuel.
The NRMA has operated in the car rental industry in Australia since 2006 and is now representing and expanding the SIXT car rental brand in the Australian market.
SIXT is an award winning and leading international mobility and vehicle hire brand, originating out of Germany. The SIXT network globally has a fleet of over 280,000 vehicles across more than 2,100 locations in 110 countries, offering rent, ride, share and subscribe products to consumers around the world.
The NRMA will be representing the SIXT brand in Australia as an independent franchisee and trading as SIXT Australia. NRMA’s car & truck rental operations in Australia comprise a fleet of 16,000 vehicles across over 160 locations nationwide.
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The NRMA’s adoption of the SIXT brand coincides with the unveiling of an initial 40 MG EV and 25 Tesla Model 3 vehicles, making it one of the largest EV fleet for hire in Australia today, which will be available at key metropolitan SIXT locations including Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport and Brisbane Airport.
In addition to resulting in a greener footprint, today’s announcement could mean cost savings to customers who hire electric vehicles. Historically, the average distance travelled by NRMA’s car rental customers is 533 kms per rental. The national average price of regular unleaded two weeks ago was 171 cents per litre. At this rate, the estimated average cost to customers for filling up their vehicle before returning is $73.
NRMA’s SIXT customers in Australia who hire an electric vehicle will not be required to return the car charged, with some being able to take advantage of free recharge networks (depending on the vehicle type) when recharging during the rental. While rental rates in the car rental industry can vary by time of year, vehicle type and length of rental, price savvy customers could realise overall costs savings when factoring in these lower running costs.
NRMA is aiming to convert half of its 16,000 nationwide rental fleet to electric within five years to help deliver on the nation’s net zero emissions target and, as a byproduct, speed up the creation of a second-hand EV market in Australia.
SIXT Australia will build on the long-standing market leading customer service experience provided through NRMA’s car rental operations over the past 15 years and will now make available to its customers a new digital platform to book and track car rentals. Crucially, SIXT Australia will also unveil a new subscription service in Australia in the coming months.
SIXT Australia Managing Director Matthew Beattie said the NRMA’s expansion of its electric vehicle fleet and future plans to continue to improve its mobility services, now under the SIXT brand, open up new opportunities to make hiring cheaper, cleaner and more efficient.
“The launch our SIXT EV fleet represents the biggest shake-up of the car rental industry in Australia in years and we are absolutely committed to giving Australians a glimpse into the future of hiring a car that is cheaper to drive, cleaner for the environment and easier to book,” Mr Beattie said.
“We are proud to unveil one of the largest electric vehicle fleet in Australia and we plan to increase the size of the fleet aggressively in the coming years. Australians today are paying record high prices for petrol and diesel and the cost to refill the vehicle before returning on average is $73.
“There is considerable change coming to Australia’s transport mobility future and SIXT Australia intends to lead that change. We can help Australia reach its net zero emissions target and reduce vehicle running costs to our customers.
“SIXT Australia has good reason to be excited about its future.”
NRMA Group CEO Rohan Lund said the alliance between SIXT and Australia’s largest Mutual and the EV expansion would be a boost to the nation’s domestic tourism industry and enhance the uptake of electric vehicles in Australia.
“The car rental industry is vital to Australia’s tourism because it connects people with places and that is at the heart of the NRMA ethos,” Mr Lund said.
“NRMA and SIXT will play a vital role in helping rejuvenate the nation’s tourism industry still reeling from COVID.
“By transitioning our fleet to electric we will help open up this driving experience to Australians and ultimately make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible on the second-hand market, which is critical to helping fast-track Australia’s transition to a more sustainable transport future.”
Contact: Peter Khoury 0439 133 115
