French mobility brand Ayvens, a subsidiary of ALD Automotive and Leaseplan, has signed a financing agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to expand its fleet with 19,000 electric vans across Europe over the next three years.
The EIB is providing a €350 million loan on favorable terms, matched by an equal investment from Ayvens. The vehicles will primarily serve businesses in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, where demand for electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) is rising due to tightening emissions regulations in urban areas.
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Ayvens will lease the vans to customers, including last-mile delivery services and tradespeople, who face increasing restrictions in low-emission zones. “This new finance agreement with Ayvens demonstrates the EIB’s leading role in finding innovative financial solutions for decarbonizing Europe’s vehicle fleet,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle.
While Ayvens has not specified which models will be procured, a press photo accompanying the announcement features the Fiat e-Ducato. The inclusion of smaller electric vans remains unclear.
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Patrick Sommelet, Group Deputy CEO and CFO of Ayvens, emphasized the importance of making electric vans more accessible: “This co-investment strengthens our sustainability strategy and enables us to offer clients a broader range of eLCVs at attractive prices.”