Absolutely! The curve for the latest fleet registrations is pointing steeply upward. In my opinion, this is not only due to the favourable CO₂ emissions of PHEVs, but also especially the growing model diversity, the longer ranges, and the improved service intervals. Unlike in the past, for example, our PHEVs, such as the CUPRA Formentor, the SEAT and CUPRA Leon or the CUPRA Terramar, can now cover well over 120 km under purely electric power. This is usually perfectly adequate for most commuters. When it comes to business trips or holidays, the integrated combustion engine plays to its strengths again. All in all, PHEVs offer user choosers excellent flexibility – plug-in hybrids are extremely suitable for everyday use. Added to this is the clear willingness of increasingly more people to go electric and therefore play their part in climate action.

Not only that: we are producing precisely the PHEVs that the market needs and offering a correspondingly wide choice. Our strategy has always been to offer a PHEV variant for practically every conventionally powered model. The best example of this is the recently launched CUPRA Terramar. It is available to fleet customers as a combustion engine model, a mild hybrid and a latest generation PHEV – the latter option even in two different power versions. The latest drive generation features a host of improvements, for example, in terms of charging speed.

Individual requirements are of course paramount when making a decision. Annual mileage and luggage compartment capacity, for example, are important aspects for many customers in the fleet sector. We can determine which drive option is ultimately the right one through an individual driver profile analysis. Because such purchase decisions in particular always hinge on countless details, we provide comprehensive advice on absolutely every last detail for our fleet customers on the German market through our fleet customer advisory team team, our fleet management at SEAT Deutschland, and in the context of VW FS Fleet.Electrified (german language).

SEAT is our foundation – also in the fleet market – and is ideally complemented by CUPRA. SEAT meets the fleet car pool requirements in many ways, for example, with regard to the TCO or seriousness. It is our volume brand – with very accessible prices. CUPRA in turn scores very high with user choosers. In addition, companies that also want to make a statement in terms of design and emotions are more likely to identify with CUPRA. And, of course, the question of the drive also plays an important role: we currently only offer all-electric options for CUPRA. Basically, both brands simply complement each other very well: we can offer their models in a wide variety of sizes and types.

At CUPRA we can provide vehicles both directly through our dealerships and through our key account management team. This provides an opportunity to examine the models locally and test-drive them extensively – and it’s highly persuasive. Once our CUPRA models are on the list, they are generally among the more popular. From an emotional and design perspective, for example, the CUPRA Terramar and CUPRA Tavascan appeal greatly to user choosers.

With the CUPRA Tavascan, we offer what is certainly one of the most attractive models in its segment – especially in terms of design. Through its size, the amount of space in the interior and its suitability for long-distance travel it is also very attractive for user choosers. We are addressing a whole new target group for CUPRA with this model.

From 2027, the Core brand group will offer electric vehicles for around 20,000 euros in Europe. ​The Group is this meeting it promise to make it easier to get started with e-mobility, initially with other Core brands. ​At the same time, intensive work is already underway on the “Electric Urban Car Family”, with which the Core brand group aims to introduce electric cars starting from 25,000 euros by the end of 2025 (VW, CUPRA & Škoda). The vehicles will be built in Spain.

The SEAT Leon just got new engines and technologies this year. We are also currently working on an update for the very popular SEAT Arona and SEAT Ibiza models, which the brand will certainly want to really push again.

With SEAT we have a Spanish icon, and with CUPRA a challenger brand with exponential growth. As a company we are well positioned with both brands and offer efficient combustion vehicles, mild and plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles.

In my experience, fleet customers generally prefer complete solutions with a good service network. They want to source everything from one supplier, they want one contact, and one service provider locally. We can offer all of this as part of the Volkswagen Group. We have the infrastructure and a comprehensive dealership and service network to also manage the topic of BEVs with ease. At the same time, we work closely with our Group companies such as Volkswagen Financial Services, Elli and Logpay. In other words, regardless of what the fleet customer needs, whether a personal consultation, an in-house charging station, charging cards or other support in relation to electric mobility, they will find it with us. I don’t believe that other market competitors can match that. Incidentally, that also applies to the aspect of fleet digitalisation.

This is a classic case of how our fleet customers can benefit from the advantages of us belonging to the Volkswagen Group. Fleet managers can use Fleet Interface Data straight away to obtain vehicle data from the six Group brands via straightforward API integration and thus make their fleets even more efficient and sustainable. This includes data on fuel and battery charge levels, kilometres driven, remaining range or activated warning lights. They can load this information into their own systems in compliance with GDPR regulations, without needing additional telematics hardware.