Sixt connects to VW’s Elli charging network
Car rental company Sixt now gives its customers access to almost 400,000 charging points in the public charging network of VW subsidiary Elli. The Sixt Charge charging solution developed together with Elli in the Sixt app simplifies the charging of e-cars in Germany, Austria, France and the Benelux.
Sixt is the first major car rental company to offer its customers all functions, from finding charging points to billing, in its app. They no longer need charging cards, apps or third-party registrations. Charging is billed by Elli via the credit card stored in the Sixt app.
“The new solution aims to lower the barriers that have so far prevented many people from switching to e-mobility,” said the car hire company in the press release. It is the first major provider in the industry “to offer its customers a charging solution for e-vehicles that is directly integrated into its own app”. In the coming months, Sixt plans to launch its charging solution in other European markets.
As is usual with such charging services, all steps from finding the charging stations to starting the charging process and billing are available in the app. The advantage is that customers do not need an additional charging account – they are already registered with Sixt if they are in one of the provider’s electric hire cars.
At the end of 2023 Sixt confirmed that it would be disposing of the Tesla vehicles in its fleet. However, Sixt intends to stick to its overall goal of electrifying 70 to 90 per cent of its fleet by the end of the decade. Electric cars from the Stellantis brands could play an important role in this: In January, Sixt and the car manufacturer signed a framework agreement for up to 250,000 vehicles – including electric ones.
“With the gradual roll-out of Sixt charge in our European markets, we are expanding our extensive ecosystem of sustainable mobility offers,” said Nico Gabriel, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sixt SE. “By providing access via the Sixt app, we are making charging as simple and seamless as possible and tackling one of the biggest challenges for the acceptance of e-mobility. Together with our partner Elli, we want to make sustainable mobility an experience for even more people.”
Giovanni Palazzo, CEO of Elli and Global Senior Vice President Charging & Energy of the Volkswagen Group, adds: “Collaboration and jointly developed innovations are essential to accelerate the transition to electric mobility and drive a smart, sustainable future. By opening up our extensive Elli charging network and digital services to Sixt customers, we are significantly improving the quality of travel for EV drivers in Europe.”
