The Rent a CAR sector foresees a good summer after the opening of borders to tourism and the implementation of the digital green certificate, although without still reaching the 2019 figures.However, associations warn of the problem of shortage of cars due to the lack of semiconductors or chips, which is causing features of factories around the world.
"The Rent a Car sector is one of the main buyers of new vehicles of the manufacturers, so that the delays in the production that many of them are inevitably affect us," says the president of Aneval [who groups Avis, Avis,Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt], Tobias Zisik.According to the consultant Alixpartners, this situation will cost manufacturers a production of about 3.9 million vehicles this year.
Zisik also asks for caution because the reserves are made less in advance than normal given the "uncertainty" that the COVID-19 still generates."We are optimistic and we are in the recovery ramp, but there is a way to go and we think that prepaandemia data will not return to 2023," he emphasizes.
However, if the lowest availability of vehicles is added and greater demand as economic activity is recovered, the result is leading to a strong punctual increase in prices in the Rent to Car market, which is already being noticed throughout the country.In Balearic Islands, this situation has caused companies in the sector to raise their rates up to 300%.There are signatures that charge on average between 130 and 175 euros per day, when in a normal situation it would be below 50 euros and even 30.
According to Bloomberg, rental cars rates in Spain rose 143% at the end of May compared to 2019.It puts the example of Europcar: 880 euros for a Volkswagen Polo during the last week of July in Palma de Mallorca.
However, Zisik shows that national tourism "is not enough to refloat the numbers" of the sector (total demand), since a good part of its income comes from the international.“Your recovery will be slower and below what we would like for this year.An example is the delay of the United Kingdom to place Spain in the list of countries ”with little risk of Covid, says the general director of Europcar Mobility Spain.
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“Each company has its price policies, completely independent, and follows its strategies in that regard.However, and given the market situation in which it is estimated to have less fleet for the summer, it should be provided that such a circumstance impact vehicle rental prices, ”he says.
Paulatina recovery
Along the same lines, the president of the National Federation for the Rent of Vehicles with and Without Driver (FENEVAL), Juan Luis Barahona, encourages customers to make reservations as soon as possible due to the “uncertain future” and strong price oscillations.
“We expect a better summer than that of 2020 and a gradualization of demand from October, but the data will not approach those of 2019;Maybe we will stay at 40% or 50%.This, added to the lack of rental cars for the semiconductor crisis, predicates us an uncertain future.Therefore, we recommend making reservations as much in advance possible, ”he insists.
The income of the sector fell 73% in 2020, with a turnover of just 480 million euros, according to the DBK Sectorial Observatory of Informa (CESCE subsidiary).In addition to the restrictions on mobility and the lack of national and international tourists, it was also harmed by the decrease in corporate business, when online meetings and remote work prevail, and limit events with physical face -to -face.
In this context, companies have been forced to reinforce offers for companies with subscriptions that work similarly to video platforms or streaming music: the vehicle rental user pays a monthly rate, has all included and notis obliged to tie up for permanence.
En busca de un ‘IVA turístico’
One of the oldest demands in the sector is the equalization of VAT between car rental and rest of tourist activities.The rentals pay a general regime of 21%, compared to the VAT of 10% that supports the hospitality and restoration.
In addition, companies in the sector face annual expenses of about 2.000 million euros due to the environmental labeling of the DGT, for the cost of the stickers and because their cars stand two days on average until they receive them.The Rent A has a great weight in the Spanish economy, impacting more than 60 sectors, contributing to GDP 4.672 million (0.4% of the total) and generating more than 25.5000 jobs only in the case of the five companies that make up Aneval.
In the Spanish market, the rental channel managed to moderate its setback in May to 8.7% compared to the fifth month two years ago, with 31.100 vehicles enrolled, thanks to the end of the alarm state, the progressive increase in the vaccination rate, the recovery of mobility between regions and tourism and forecasts for the summer campaign.
