LeasePlan & ALD Automotive explore merger options

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easePlan has revealed that it is holding discussions with ALD Automotive and Société Générale regarding a potential merger between the two firms. While both companies have confirmed the talks, a joint statement from LeasePlan & ALD read: “There can be no certainty at this stage that these discussions will result in any agreement or transaction. Further announcements will be made when appropriate according to applicable laws.”

Both companies have been active in the market recently, with ALD recently acquiring Fleetpool in Germany, while LeasePlan’s used car market CarNext recently raised €400m in a bid to become Germany’s largest online used marketplace by the end of the year.

LeasePlan currently has approximately 1.8m vehicles under management in 29 countries around the world. The company purchases, funds and manages new vehicles for customers, and is committed to taking a leadership role in the transition to zero-emission mobility and has set itself the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions from its funded fleet by 2030.

ALD has operations in 43 countries globally with 1.7m customer contracts, offering fleet management and long-term vehicle solutions. The company has a target of 2.3m contracts by 2025 and plans to invest €66m in digital capabilities over the next five years.