AMSTERDAM, April 2022 - Casi and AutoScout24 have launched a new European car subscription marketplace that will allow car subscription providers access to marketplace users. Sixt+, Anyways, and Hertz are among the providers that currently offer car subscription on the marketplace, along with Casi’s own fully electric car subscription service.
Automotive players are expecting car subscription to have a substantial impact on the industry, estimating approx. 20-30% of new cars in 2025 to be sold on subscription. Expanding the AutoScout24 marketplace to encompass subscription will broaden the offering for consumers and allow dealers, as well as car subscription providers and fleet owners to tap into this incremental source of high-quality traffic.
Casi’s purpose-built car subscription technology is progressing the automotive industry toward a more data-driven and digital future. Their platform delivers, for example, connected fleet management, AI automation, and smart integrations that facilitate scalable and profitable car subscription services for any fleet owner.
“We are thrilled to deliver AutoScout24the technology to enable car subscription on the marketplace and to make it as easy as “plug-and-play” for automotive players who are usually not in the direct-to-consumer car buyer segment, such as rental companies and manufacturers, to reach marketplace users,” said Hans Kristian Aas, Casi CEO.
AS24 is the largest pan-European automotive marketplace and is widely regarded as the go-to digital platform for car purchases. With the launch of the car subscription marketplace, AutoScout24takes the position as the enabler of the new way to have a car.
“Car subscription is a sustainable model that will continue to gain traction. Partnering with Casi is a powerful step toward AutoScout24 facilitating the development of car subscription as an alternative to ownership. The more choices consumers have regarding different ownership models and the more subscription providers enter the market, the higher the importance of an efficient marketplace to make decisions easy for consumers. It is here where we will play a crucial role,” says Borja Muller, Chief Strategy Officer, AutoScout24.
SIXT+ was one of the early providers to join the marketplace.
SIXT+ is the first car subscription that dissolves the 1-to-1 relationship between car and user and is thus our answer to the current shift in mobility demands: maximum flexibility without obligations and perfectly adapted to personal circumstances. With a car subscription, the car can be used for as long as required and customers only pay when they actually use it, as the subscription can be paused free of charge and canceled after 30 days. In addition, given the option to switch between various categories, SIXT+ is the ideal way to try out different vehicles, for instance, e-vehicles. We are very much looking forward to the collaboration with AutoScout24 and we expect that many of AutoScout24's traditional car buyers are open to alternative ways of using a car, said Leonie Kunert, Senior Executive Product Manager Subscriptions at Sixt+.
The Casi and AutoScout24 partnership began in July 2021 when Casi closed a $22.3 Series A led by AutoScout24 with the mission of developing the car subscription category. The companies are considering launching the car subscription marketplace in other markets in 2022and see great synergies in their collaboration.
The partners chose to launch first in the Netherlands, stating that the nation is very forward-leaning regarding automotive trends and micro-mobility; Private leasing has been on the rise in the Netherlands which is an early indicator of car subscription adaptability.
The country is also the fourth-best in Europe, after Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, in electric vehicle adoption. Casi argues that car subscription makes shifting to electric vehicles easier by lowering the barrier of entry and hypothesizes that “flexibility beats uncertainty” when it comes to new electric vehicle brands and models.
Who is who?
Casi is a Norwegian mobility company that specializes in car subscription as a service. They enable mobility companies, car dealers, insurance companies, and financial institutes to offer their own car subscription service through a holistic white-label solution. Casi originated in Norway in 2018 and is trusted by partners to launch and scale their car subscription services.
AutoScout24 is the largest pan-European online car market, with over 30 million users per month, more than 43,000 dealer partners, and around 500 employees. AutoScout24’s footprint includes the European core markets of Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and Austria. AutoScout24 has been offering private users, car dealers, and other cooperation partners from the automotive, financial, and insurance services sectors a comprehensive digital platform for car trading online since 1998. On the platform, people can buy, lease, subscribe to, and sell used and new cars, motorcycles, caravans, and commercial vehicles. In 2020, leasing specialist LeasingMarkt.de joined the AutoScout24 Group. Together the two marketplaces form the largest online leasing offer in Germany.