Electric vehicles are playing an increasingly important role in the mobility strategy of many companies. There is yet another lever for expanding their mobility portfolio in line with the times – and increasing their attractiveness as an employer at the same time. Bike leasing through the employer is the keyword …

There is no question about it: Anyone organising company mobility today has far more items on their agenda than 20 years ago. It is not just the ever stricter requirements for reducing emissions that are tying up a lot of resources in fleet management. The demands of employees have also changed fundamentally in some cases – or rather: differentiated. Today, more and more employees expect their companies to take a more holistic approach to the issue. What is needed are contemporary solutions that – beyond the classic company car – fit into the (working) lives of employees. Bike leasing achieves the feat of bringing practically no additional expense to the working lives of fleet managers.

Bike leasing is practically a “sure-fire success“

Vehicle leasing here, bike leasing there… Even if the terms sound similar at first, the two concepts differ enormously in practice. If an employer offers company bike leasing through Lease a Bike – a cooperation partner of Volkswagen Financial Services AG – the fleet management does no longer have to coordinate the purchase or return of bicycles, repairs, theft or damage processing, etc. Instead, the entire, fully digitalised process runs via the employees. The company (as lessee) simply concludes a framework agreement with Lease a Bike – whereupon interested parties register on the associated online portal. There they receive an order code that entitles them to choose a bike (regardless of model and brand) from 6,700 bike dealers in Germany, online shops or online retailers nationwide. Final approval of the bike by the fleet management is not required. Service packages such as wear and tear repairs including inspection, theft insurance, free Europe-wide mobility guarantee, etc. are included as required. At the end of the 36-month leasing period, the bike is either returned or the employee has the option of buying the bike at an attractive price.

Financial benefits possible – for all employees

As uncomplicated as the process is, the advantages of this mobility model can be manifold. This starts with the elimination of the usual question in the vehicle fleet: “Who gets what?” While fleet vehicles are usually an incentive for people in higher positions, bike leasing offers the opportunity to generate concrete benefits for all employees. Thanks to tax incentives for (e-)bikes up to 25 km/h as part of a salary conversion scheme, it can be cheaper for employees to purchase a bike from their employer than to buy one privately. Compared to a private purchase, the savings can amount to up to 40 per cent for employees when the employer provides a company bike as part of a gross salary conversion with a purchase option at the end of the contract.

Study confirms: Commuting by bike reduces sick days

And: Studies show that commuting by bike has a positive effect on health. For example, a Dutch research team demonstrated a direct correlation between commuting distances travelled by bike and sick days in a representative study conducted in 2010. The more often the study participants used their bikes to get to work and the more kilometres they covered, the less often they reported sick¹⁾.

Short routes to bike leasing

The Lease a Bike service is currently available in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden and the United States. Other market are scheduled to follow.