Press Release

Braunschweig, 18 February 2021. Volkswagen Financial Services are extending their range of mobility services to include the leasing and financing of bicycles and e-bikes. The expansion of the business model is being achieved through the participation held by Volkswagen Financial Services AG in Digital Mobility Leasing GmbH (26 percent holding) and the stake acquired by Volkswagen Bank GmbH in the Austrian company Fintech Credi2 GmbH (20 percent). The additional sales cooperation with Bike Mobility Services GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of PON Bike, gives customers throughout Germany the opportunity to select their preferred bicycle or e-bike at the dealership and conclude the contract on site. The leasing offer is aimed at companies and their employees and the financing offer addresses private customers. "We have seen ourselves as a full-service provider of mobility for many years. As a result of the rapid development of e-bikes, there are many customers we can reach through financing and leasing offers designed to promote sales. There are clear parallels here with the automobile industry," says Lars Henner Santelmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Volkswagen Financial Services AG.

With company bike leasing, company employees can sacrifice part of their gross salary to pay for leasing their bike and save up to 40 percent compared to buying one privately – with manageable monthly installments. Additional services such as all-round protection can also be ordered (including protection against loss and damage caused by theft, a mobility guarantee, and a package covering periodic accident prevention checks and maintenance). More than 3,000 cycle dealers in Germany are offering the leasing model. The offer applies to all brand-name bikes sold by the respective dealer costing between EUR 499 and EUR 15,000. The bikes do not have to be used solely for commuting to and from work, but can also be ridden in the course of day-to-day life, during vacations or for exercise.

In addition to the leasing model for company staff, private customers are being offered a new, digital financing solution via the FINANCE A BIKE brand. This new financing product enables customers to select the bike of their choice, complete the financing and then take the bike with them from the shop with just one visit to a cycle dealer listed on FINANCE A BIKE. Using the hundred-percent digitized online application route, they can apply for a loan of between EUR 500 and EUR 10,000 in less than ten minutes – quickly, easily and securely. In addition to paying for bikes and e-bikes, this amount can also be used for accessories such as bicycle locks, helmets and extra batteries. Consumers have the flexibility of choosing a credit term between 6 and 60 months and the option of early repayment.

The new process is also beneficial for cycle dealers. Using FINANCE A BIKE is completely free of charge for them and they are able to open up additional sales potential. Moreover, since customers go through the online loan application process completely on their own, sales staff can use their time for giving personal advice. This enhances their service and strengthens customer loyalty.

Around 450 cycle dealers in Germany are currently offering the new financing model. More will be joining them this year.

Further information about bike leasing can be found (in German) at:
www.vwfs.de/geschaeftskunden/leasing-finanzierung/e-bike-leasing.html

More information about bike financing can be found (in German) at:
www.finance-a-bike.de

Information for editors

Volkswagen Financial Services are a business division of the Volkswagen AG group of companies and comprise Volkswagen Financial Services AG along with its associated companies, Volkswagen Bank GmbH, Porsche Financial Services, and the financial services companies in the USA and Canada that belong directly or indirectly to Volkswagen AG – with the exception of the financial services of the Scania brand and Porsche Holding Salzburg. The key business fields embrace dealer and customer financing, leasing, the bank and insurance business, fleet management and mobility offers. Volkswagen Financial Services have a total of 16,571 employees worldwide – including 7,414 alone in Germany. Volkswagen Financial Services report total assets of around EUR 223.5 billion, an operating result of EUR 2.96 billion and a portfolio of around 21.5 million current contracts (as at: 31.12.2019).

Bike Mobility Services GmbH (BMS) is a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based company Pon Bike, a top five player in the global bicycle market with international brands such as Cervélo, Kalkhoff, Urban Arrow, Santa Cruz, Focus and Royal Dutch Gazelle. BMS offers various service solutions in the mobility domain in close cooperation with specialist bike retailers. These include, in particular, the LEASE A BIKE company bike leasing solution, FINANCE A BIKE cycle financing, PROTECT A BIKE e-bike insurance, and eBIKE4BUSINESS, an e-bike sharing concept for companies. In addition to Germany, BMS is also represented in the Netherlands and in Belgium with its LEASE A BIKE brand.