Europcar

Europcar
Subsidiary
Industry Car rental
Founded Paris, France (1949)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Philippe Germond
(Chairman) & (CEO)
Owner Eurazeo
Slogan Moving your way.
Website Europcar.com

Europcar is a car rental company owned by Eurazeo. Europcar's head office is in the Immeuble Les Quadrants in Saint Quentin en Yvelines, France.[1][2]

The firm has been owned by Eurazeo after its sale by the Volkswagen group. The company was founded in Paris in 1949. Europcar today operates a fleet of over 200,000 vehicles at 2,825 locations in 143 different countries covering Europe, North America, The Middle East, Africa, Latin America, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and Asia Pacific.

While Europcar is an international car rental company, the brand is best recognized in the larger European economies, particularly, Germany, France and the UK. Their core markets are in leisure and corporate rentals.

As part of a cost-cutting strategy, Volkswagen, who had become the sole shareholder in 1999 chose to divest from its Europcar holdings. On June 1, 2006, the sale of Europcar to French investment company Eurazeo was completed.

In 2007 Europcar purchased Vanguard EMEA for €670 million. Vanguard EMEA was the operator of National car rental and Alamo Rent A Car in Europe. As part of this purchase a partnership was made for any business that Europcar would send to North America it would be directed to National Car Rental, instead of their previous North American Partner Thrifty Car Rental. This arrangement for National Car Rental and Alamo Car Rental locations in Europe remained in place after the 2008 purchase of Vanguard Car Rental, Inc. by Enterprise Holdings up until December 17th, 2014 at which time Enterprise Holdings, Inc. was permitted to terminate the agreement. Europcar no longer operates any National or Alamo locations in Europe. [3]

Sponsorship

Europcar garage in Hampshire

Europcar has sponsored 2009 ICC Champions Trophy organised by ICC which was held in South Africa, although it was not a major sponsor.

Since 2011, Europcar is the title sponsor for the French professional cycling team Team Europcar. This sponsorship has been renewed until the end of the 2015 cycling season.

Legal

In June 2014, the Australian Federal Court ruled that a Europcar franchisee in Tasmania had 'engaged in unconscionable conduct and made false or misleading representations when charging customers for damage to hire vehicles"[4] and fined the car hire company $264,000. A warning was made by the Tasmanian Justice Minister that customers need 'to read the fine print of their rental car products.'[5]

References

  1. "Our Headquarters." Europcar. Retrieved on 26 December 2011. "3 avenue du Centre Immeuble Les Quadrants 78881 St QUENTIN en Yvelines FRANCE "
  2. "Legal Mentions." Europcar. Retrieved on 26 December 2011. "Registered office: 3 avenue du Centre, 78881 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France"
  3. http://www.ktul.com/story/27652569/enterprise-ends-europcars-license-to-operate-national-and-alamo-brands
  4. "" Mercury News, 25 May 2014, "Court slams hire car rip-off..."
  5. "" Mercury News, 25 May 2014, "Court slams hire car rip-off..."

External links