Leasys, a Stellantis brand and a subsidiary of FCA Bank, celebrates its 20 years in business. Two decades of history, founded on solid experience in mobility services, which saw the company become a leader in Italy in the long-term rental sector and among the first in Europe. An important milestone for Leasys, reached in a process of growth that shows no sign of abating. The company is celebrating this achievement by announcing that, by the end of the year, there will be more than 400,000 vehicles in its fleet and more than 600 Mobility Stores in Europe, to support a 360° offering ranging from short/medium-term to long-term rental, to car subscription, to car sharing.
Leasys started in 2001 as a B2B long-term rental operator in Italy. In 2005 Fiat became the sole owner of the company, which the following year became part of FGA Capital, now FCA Bank, together with Savarent (also active in the long-term rental sector). In 2010, Leasys and Savarent merged into a single company.
Year 2016 marked an initial turning point for Leasys, which came under the full control of FCA Bank, an equally-held joint venture between FCA Italy S.p.A. and Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance. Since then, the company’s growth has accelerated significantly, with the launch of Be Free, a long-term rental plan for private individuals that marked its entry into the B2C rental market. Furthermore, in 2017, Leasys started its expansion in Europe, which has led it to establish operations in 11 other European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Spain.
A second crucial event in the evolution of Leasys took place in 2018 with the acquisition of Winrent, one of the leading car rental companies in Italy, which enabled the company to enter the short-term rental business and eventually pursue expansion in this space thanks also to the acquisition of similar companies in France, Spain and the UK. A year later, with the inauguration of the Leasys Mobility Store network and the launch of Leasys CarCloud, the first car subscription formula accessible through Amazon, the company reached full maturity, establishing itself as a leading player in the European 360° mobility market, with solutions “from one minute to a lifetime” driven by the trends of sharing, disownership and the subscription economy.
Finally, in 2020, the start of a new phase, represented by the beginning of the “sustainable mobility revolution” project, together with FCA Bank. The initiative has already led to the electrification of all European stores and the creation of Italy’s largest private network of EV charging stations. The electric strategy has also affected the Leasys fleet: the company intends to have more than 50% hybrid or electric v vehicles in its short term fleet by the end of 2022. The commitment to sustainable mobility culminated in 2021 with the launch of the LeasysGO! electric car sharing scheme and the issue of the first €500 million green bond on the capital market.
SOURCE: Stellantis
