Enterprise Netherlands:
RENTING IS THE SMART WAY OF SHARING
When Thomas Wolters, director of the Dutch division of Enterprise, first set out to
introduce the US car rental company’s concept in the Netherlands, he never would
have dared to dream that after opening multiple locations across the country the
franchise would still be expanding. Its newest location in Zuidas is proof of an
ever-growing company, but also of how very rapidly the world of modern mobility is
changing as car sharing and rental become more and more popular. Thomas told us
all about Enterprise Netherland’s plans and their outlook on the future of mobility.
What was the reason for opening a location in Zuidas?
“A bigger network is a better product. With
the opening of the Zuidas we are closer to
our customers: the citizens of Amsterdam,
the international traveller and the people
working in the Financial District. Zuidas
was therefore the perfect place to build our
newest home and get involved within the
community. Additionally, our location in the
Zuidas allows us to optimize our operations
in Amsterdam. Our fleet is available and
accessible for any mobility need. We strive
to optimize that fleet so we don’t end up
with superfluous vehicles. That means we have to – as it were – chop up our fleet into
smaller pieces and manage logistics so the
right car is in the right place at the right
time for our customer.
You’ve had plans to move to the Zuidas
for a while now, so why did you wait?
“We made a deliberate decision to be
patient. Over the years we’ve talked
to many local parties about opening a
branch here, but time and time again we
simply did not find what we were looking
for and chose not to settle for second
best. “Finally this location where we
are now open on Aaron Coplandstraat is easy to get to, in an ideal location in
the centre of the community and with
an easily-accessible distance to parking
spaces.”
Sustainability is a hot topic in the
mobility world. What is Enterprise
Netherlands doing on this front? “We believe that, with car rental and car sharing companies such as ours, there’s no longer a need for everyone to own a car. If you rent a car from us when you need it, you can still enjoy all the freedom of having a car but without it sitting on the street for days where you don’t use it. Moreover, we constantly upgrade and modernize our fleet as often as possible, which already consists largely of electric, hybrid and in the future hydrogen vehicles. By employing the most advanced technology, we not only guarantee the highest level of safety, but in turn continually increase how sustainable our fleet is. Our modern fleet is among the most streamlined, clean and efficient modes of transport, because it has a high frequency of sharing with others; by then deploying our fleet in the smartest way possible, we get the best and most sustainable usage out of our vehicles.”
How do you envision the future of mobility?
“Mobility is all about efficiency. For
example, at this location in Zuidas we’re
operating with only five parking spaces,
even though we’re working with as many
as fifty cars on some days. That basically
sums up our thinking on how urban areas
should and could function. We’re supplying
the neighbourhood with dozens of vehicles,
but we only need five spaces to do so.
Our concept of brick-and-mortar locations,
a physical presence with a shop in the
neighbourhood is the key to that success.
With that promise, we guarantee the highest hygiene standards in the mobility
industry. In contrast to our parking-spacefriendly set-up, street-rental companies
need their vehicles visible in the streets in
order to make a transaction; at the same
time, they have more and more difficulties
meeting the cleanliness expectations
of their customers. This is why we invite
everyone in the community to stop by our
branch to learn how we can customize their
mobility needs to suit their lifestyle.”
Enterprise Amsterdam Zuidas
Aaron Coplandstraat 6
1082 MG Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 740 19 50
www.enterprise.nl
Text: Tessa Burger & Romy Lange • Photography: Caily Bobbie Jo
