"Operational leasing has become an important pillar of mobility”

Reporter: What are the milestones for the first half of 2025 in the Romanian market in terms of operational car leasing?

Răzvan Roşculeţ: I would like to start by saying that 2025 is an atypical year for the Romanian market in general. We have gone through a series of events, from electoral campaigns and elections to profound discussions and measures regarding the tax system, which have left their mark on the business environment. In this not at all favorable context, we note that the operational leasing segment has continued the consolidation process that began after the pandemic, becoming an increasingly important pillar of corporate mobility. The domestic market continues to demonstrate a growing openness towards operational leasing solutions, a trend that we observed in the data of the recently launched Arval Mobility and Fleet Observatory 2025. As for Arval Romania, we try, as we have always done, to be close to our partners with modern and efficient solutions, supporting their mobility plans.

Reporter: What is the Arval Flex product?

Răzvan Roşculeţ: Arval Flex is, first of all, a simplification of the short and medium-term leasing concept. It is a dynamic solution offered to our customers, which we have developed to offer a high level of mobility and flexibility, while allowing us to maximize the operational efficiency of the fleets we operate. This operational leasing system with all costs included offers an optimized grid, with flexible cost ranges for rentals, of one, 6 or 12 to 24 months, responding to the needs of rapid mobility in the market. Costs become increasingly competitive as the leasing period increases, and flexibility is the watchword, while the means of mobility is delivered quickly. An example that I like to highlight is that of a company that adopts a short-term contract and decides to extend the duration later. In this case, the change is made at no additional cost, right from the moment the request to modify the contract is sent. Arval Flex is the solution that addresses both short- and medium-term projects and the needs for temporary adjustments that may arise in certain periods.

Reporter: What offers do you have for companies that want to change their vehicle fleet, but do not have the necessary financial resources?

Răzvan Roşculeţ: For companies with limited financial resources, Arval proposes a wide range of solutions: from flexible long- or short-term full-service operational leasing to the Re Lease option, an extremely advantageous sustainable mobility solution, with used vehicles that are carefully checked and adapted to modern needs. I would refer more to this solution that we believe in very much and that offers partners access to high-performance vehicles at low costs - a major plus for optimizing cash flow. Re-Lease is a type of operational leasing service through which we manage to bring quality vehicles to customers at a low cost, while contributing to sustainability measures by creating a second cycle of use for vehicles. I can also add here Arval Car Sharing, the shared mobility solution that allows a company with limited resources to offer several employees the possibility of benefiting from shared mobility. In general, the Arval sales team that I lead offers solutions carefully configured according to the profile of each business, so that the budget allocated to mobility by the customer is accessible, efficiently managed and flexible in the face of operational challenges.

Reporter: Regarding achieving the targets in the Green Deal, what support is offered to customers for the purchase or operational leasing of electric vehicles?

Răzvan Roşculeţ: The transition to sustainable mobility is a strategic priority for Arval, both locally and at Group level. If we look at the global evolution, we see that the share of electrified vehicles in the Arval fleet has increased significantly both at the centralized and local level in 2025, which is also highlighted by the recently launched study Arval Mobility and Fleet Observatory 2025. In Romania, the appetite for the transition to electrification is growing, and Arval is actively responding to market demands. As I said, we offer companies in Romania complete solutions and support them in the transition process through leasing packages that include electric or hybrid vehicles, soon complemented by charging stations financed through leasing solutions developed in partnership with BNP Leasing Solutions, as well as with Arval Energy Card charging cards in roaming system in which most of the charging networks in the country and in Europe are enrolled. Moreover, we also offer consulting products in choosing solutions to optimize the level of use of electrified fleets.

Reporter: What was the turnover last year and what are your estimates for the end of 2025? Will this year's turnover be impacted by the tax changes that come into effect in the second half of this year?

Răzvan Roşculeţ: Globally, Arval ended 2024 with solid results and consolidated its leading position in sustainable mobility solutions, in a global context that was not without challenges. In Romania, too, our business has entered a phase of consolidating its market leadership position, but also of developing flexible sustainable mobility solutions, which truly address the mobility and budget optimization needs of companies. The year 2025 is, as I said, an atypical one, in which we must work on many levels and once again demonstrate a high level of resilience. We are in a period where there is a lot of discussion and, of course, we also do our own analyses and adapt our forecasts. The fact that the Romanian market is growing and companies are showing an increasing openness towards full-service operational leasing solutions is one of the elements that give us confidence for what is to come. We are convinced that a complex period is ahead and we will be, as always, a reliable partner for companies in Romania.

Reporter: Thank you.