Alphabet Germany continues to grow in e-mobility

Alphabet continues to expand its digital offerings, also or especially because of the pandemic. Uwe Hildinger, Chairman of the Management Board of Alphabet Fuhrparkmanagement GmbH, explains:

"The past, extremely volatile year was challenging for us — just like for the entire industry. Nevertheless, we succeeded in achieving our biggest and foremost goal: We continuously stood by our customers as a strong partner and were able to navigate the different phases of the crisis together with them."

This success was particularly evident during the first lockdown. This is because Alphabet Germany promptly shifted its operational business to remote work and was able to maintain its accessibility and services without restriction. Hildinger is delighted:

"We were able to ensure the mobility of our customers continuously. It was crucial to identify the rapidly changing individual needs and to provide solutions immediately."

For example, the extended use of existing vehicles was enabled, or through the flexible rental solution AlphaRent, appropriate replacement mobility was provided.

Electromobility continues to rise sharply

Although Alphabet recorded a decline in fleet volume of 2.35 percent due to the changing mobility and investment behavior of corporate customers, the demand for electromobility remained at record levels, just like the previous year. Of 54,000 new orders, 20 percent were electric. Thus, the number of new orders for e-vehicles increased by almost 30 percent compared to the previous year. The most popular models were the BMW 330e among plug-in hybrids and the BMW i3 among battery electric vehicles. Overall, the total inventory of e-vehicles increased by 40 percent to over 14,000 vehicles. According to Hildinger, the sustainability of mobility solutions remains of "central importance" for Alphabet. He explains:

"With our holistic eMobility solution AlphaElectric, we comprehensively accompany and advise our customers in the electrification of their fleets. It is important to us to reconcile sustainability and economic efficiency."

From the analysis considering TCO criteria, to the implementation of charging solutions, to load and charge management, according to Alphabet, all needs are covered. Additionally, as one of the world's leading providers of sustainable business mobility solutions, Alphabet offers the leasing of charging solutions.
 
BMW subsidiary also sees significant growth in vans as a brand-independent provider

The Alphabet leasing offer for transporters is also experiencing significant interest. The company recorded nearly 4,000 new orders for light commercial vehicles — the inventory now stands at almost 15,000. As an independent provider, Alphabet offers all available models.
 

Digitalization is the Focus in 2021
 
In addition to the sustainability of mobility solutions, the digitalization of their own services will continue to be a focal point. Last year saw a comprehensive redesign of the innovative driver app AlphaGuide and the launch of a dedicated Amazon Alexa skill. Furthermore, additional self-service functions such as digital driver's license checks were integrated into the app. The result was a record response: AlphaGuide was downloaded over 20,000 times in 2020. The app helps, for example, in finding service partners, Alphabet partner workshops, and charging stations, and enables quick and direct access to contract data. Another feature is the integration of various service documents, thereby saving material resources. For instance, in March, Alphabet became the first leasing provider to integrate the International Insurance Card into the app.

What does that mean?

Digitalization is becoming increasingly important at Alphabet as well: In the future, the scope and operation of the app, along with its comprehensive electrification services, are likely to become more important than the sheer offering of vehicles.