Drivalia announces growth plans in Ireland

Published on 26 October, 2023

New mobility and rental company plan to expand their fleet by 40% 

Overview

CA Auto Bank's mobility services have arrived in Ireland with the establishment of Drivalia Lease Ireland, a new company specializing in rental, leasing, and mobility services. The company, which has been operating in Dublin since August, is led by CEO David Wilkinson and plans to expand its fleet by 40%, reaching over 15,000 vehicles by 2026. Initially, Drivalia Lease Ireland will focus on operational leasing and fleet management, building on its existing business volumes to solidify its leading position in the Irish market. This acquisition by CA Auto Bank will provide financial support and help Drivalia achieve its ambitious growth plans in Ireland. Furthermore, the company is considering additional expansion opportunities, including subscription services, car sharing, and short-term rentals, aligning with CA Auto Bank's European strategy.

“Our goal is to democratize green mobility, making it accessible to the general public. We plan that by 2030, 80% of the new vehicles in our total fleet will be green” said Giacomo Carelli, CEO of CA Auto Bank and Chairman of Drivalia.

"The launch of Drivalia’s solutions in Ireland represents an important step in our pan-European growth strategy. Our goal is to become one of the leading players in the new mobility sector, with a strong focus on new energy vehicles” says Paolo Manfreddi, CEO of Drivalia."To achieve this, we are investing to strengthen our fleet in Europe, which is set to expand to 300,000 vehicles by 2026, with over half of them consisting of electric and PHEV models. Furthermore, our electric infrastructure is projected to encompass 3,500 proprietary charging stations by the same year”.

“We are proud to join the strong team of Crédit Agricole Group and Drivalia” saysDavid Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Drivalia Lease Ireland. “Being part of a banking group with the scale of Crédit Agricole, one of the ten largest banks in the world, will ensure that we can continue to meet our customer’s needs now and into the future. I am looking forward to an exciting journey for our customers and staff”.

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives