Sixt boosts Australian EV fleet as drivers respond to low rates and free charging

One of the largest rental companies in Australia has revealed significant year-on-year growth in the EV fleet, and it is proving popular with drivers because of free charging and daily rental rates that are cheaper than ICE cars.

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The latest data from Sixt Australia – owned by motoring group NRMA – showcases that the EV fleet has grown by 647% in the financial year (FY23) compared to the levels at the end of FY22 with the addition of several hundred vehicles.

This is a big jump from the previous year’s growth which saw an increase in the EV fleet of 325%. The fleet now includes six battery EVs – the BYD Atto 3, the Tesla Model 3, the Tesla Model Y, the Hyundai Ioniq EV, the Hyundai Kona EV and the BMW ix3.

In late 2022, BYD announced that it had partnered globally with the car rental giant to supply 100,000 “new energy vehicles” (NEV) through to 2028. 

The first signs of this partnership emerged locally earlier this year when Sixt announced that it planned to add 500 EVs to its Australian fleet. 

Just after April, Sixt was due to take deliveries of the first 200 new Atto 3s. These could be rented for as little as $90 a day. 

This was recently highlighted by one of The Driven’s readers, Chris Q, who was travelling to Brisbane for work. From his experience, renting a BYD was the most affordable option, which surprised him when he was comparing it to the ICE rentals available.

This is great for EV owners and travellers as it encourages more Australians to get behind the wheel of an EV when travelling around the country.

Sixt has a target to have 50% of its Australian corporate fleet of over 8,500 to be EVs by 2027 with an aim to deliver that in the coming years.

 As of August 2023, it has the largest EV rental fleet in every state and territory bar the Northern Territory. On the back of this, it’s planning to double its fleet in the coming 12 months to help it get to the 2027 goals.

To charge this growing fleet at depots across the country, Sixt has partnered with EVSE to install level 2 AC chargers across the rental giant’s 17 sites. Many of these are the same units found at various council depots across the country to charge their EV fleets.

At various Sixt sites, there are also 60 kW DC chargers being used to charge some of this growing electric rental fleet that may require a quick turnaround during busier rental periods.

As the number of EVs in rental fleets increases, many more people can get behind a wheel of an EV and see if it fits their lifestyle. It’s another way to experience an EV for an extended period because sometimes a rushed 30-minute test drive just isn’t enough time to get to know a car.

Rental companies have an opportunity here to provide EV experiences in an affordable way. At $90/day, it’s similar to or less than what many would pay for an ICE car but without frequent petrol station stops.

Along with that, it’s cleaner motoring which helps reduce fleet emissions as rental cars travel longer distances than many private cars.

The growing EV rental fleets across the country will help encourage more travellers to get behind the wheel of an EV on their next holiday. Once they do, it’s an experience very few forget.