Sixt continues its global growth strategy with the announcement of a new franchise collaboration. The operator's partnership with the National Roads & Motorists’ Association (NRMA), the largest national automobile club and Australia car rental company, started on Dec. 1.

Sixt says the cooperation results in an immediate achievement of 13% market share on the continent, expanding its international network by about 160 branches with a rental fleet of 16,000 vehicles. 

The NRMA has around 2.7 million members and offers a range of services including leisure, tourism, and mobility. The NRMA previously operated as a Thrifty franchisee, and the new agreement will see all 160 branches operating under the Sixt brand.

The partnership includes an initial integration of 40 MG EV and 25 Tesla Model 3 vehicles, making it one of the largest electric vehicle fleets for hire in Australia today, the announcement included. For the NRMA, the addition of EVs is an important step toward electrifying half of its nationwide rental fleet within five years to support the nation’s net zero emissions target.

Sixt has operated in the Australian market since 2005 with smaller partnerships, which are now being dissolved as part of the agreement with the NRMA, the news announcement stated. The operator gains increased presence at the country's airports as well as in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, accounting for around 60% of passenger traffic (pre-COVID). Australia’s car rental market represents a market volume of over 1 billion euros, with inbound business around 20%, according to Sixt.

“Our expansion into Australia marks another milestone in Sixt's corporate history and substantiates our position as a leading international mobility service provider," said Konstantin Sixt, co-CEO of Sixt SE. "The strategic partnership with the NRMA creates the perfect basis for Sixt to fully exploit the huge market potential in Australia. It is only natural for us to offer our customers one of the country’s largest electric rental fleets upon entering the market. We are thus not only meeting our customers’ desire for environmentally friendly electric mobility, but also contributing to Australia’s transition to a more sustainable transport future.”

“By entering the Australian market and with our latest cooperation, SIXT is concluding one of the largest franchise partnerships in its expansion history," Ruediger Proske, senior vice president international franchise of Sixt SE, added. "After the launch in New Zealand in November 2020, we are significantly driving our international network coverage with this step and are now present throughout the Asia-Pacific market.”