Sixt Opens New Technical Base Near The Airport

Sixt, a member of the AutoWallis Group, has built its new technical base in Vecsés, near Budapest's Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Of the HUF 705 million investment project, 40% (HUF 282 million) is covered by Hungarian taxpayers through a decision by the government.

AutoWallis classified the construction of the new base a green project, devoting special attention in the course of project implementation to sustainability and to ensuring that the new location is suitable for servicing the electric vehicles of car sharing programs and fleet providers.

The technical base of 1,349 square meters, with a total of 210 parking spaces, was created on a site of almost 6,000 square meters by renovating and converting existing structures.

With this investment project, AutoWallis has prepared for the increase in tourism following the end of the pandemic, for the more cost-effective operation of Sixt, and for the quick support to be provided to any mobility services the Group may launch in the future (such as car sharing and fleet management).

An important factor for the investment project was to increase the effectiveness of car rental services and the connected logistics, operations, technical, and vehicle preparation tasks. The development project took place as part of the AutoWallis Green Finance Framework, with the part required in addition to the state aid funded by AutoWallis using the proceeds of the green bonds issued last year. The green investment of Sixt’s new technical base was performed by ALTEO based on a cooperation agreement concluded by the two companies last year.

In line with AutoWallis’ green commitments, ALTEO has installed a 50-kW solar panel system on the property and 13 electric charging points, and has prepared the system for future connection to an energy storage facility. The technical base operates using heat exchangers for heating and cooling and uses only LED lighting, and vehicles are cleaned with both dry and wet handwashing methods.

The fact that rental cars will no longer have to be moved between Sixt’s service points results in significant fuel savings, in addition to which the increasing proportion of hybrid or fully electric vehicles in the fleet can also be charged using electricity obtained with solar energy.