TAP ordered a new fleet of BMW vehicles from its managers to replace the old fleet of Peugeot vehicles. The carrier guarantees that it even saves money. The company is implementing a rescue program that amounts to 3.2 billion euros from taxpayers.
TAP has ordered dozens of BMWs from its general managers, improving the profile of its current fleet of mostly Peugeot vehicles. The new cars have a market value of between 52,000 and 65,000 euros, are plug-in hybrids, and will start arriving early next year.
According to TVI/CNN Portugal internal documentation and portal away – the bodies of the Media Capital group – had access, we are talking about an initial order for 79 cars from the 5, X3 and X2 series of the German brand. TAP, when confronted, guarantees that there are only 50 vehicles. The real number is not indifferent: if there are 79, TAP not only improves its fleet, but also increases it.
These cars are intended for executive directors and top directors of the airline. And they are concluded with the company through “lease” agreements, that is, monthly lease payments for each vehicle. TAP guarantees it will spend less money on the new fleet compared to the old one, but it’s unclear why it hasn’t considered cheaper brands.
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The new TAP fleet consists exclusively of plug-in hybrid models, which are more environmentally friendly and have lower CO2 emissions, as well as the ability to drive only in electric mode.
At the top of the park are the sporty BMW 530e and the BMW X3 xDrive 30e SUV, both with 292 hp engines, claimed fuel consumption of 1.8 to 2.6 liters per 100 km and an estimated range in electric mode of 61 or 50 kilometers. , respectively. Retail prices for these models start at €65,120 for the 530e and €65,870 for the X3.
Most of this new fleet is made up of the BMW X2 xDrive 25e, with a 220 horsepower engine capable of consuming 1.8 liters per 100 km. The cost of PVP starts at 52,409 euros.
When contacting TAP, they did not answer about the monthly cost of a new park. Based on market modeling (without negotiating a discount that will be managed by TAP), the provision of these cars can range from €608.94 + VAT (for a BMW X2 xDrive 25e with 15,000 kilometers per year and 72 months) to €857.72 + VAT (for BMW X3 xDrive 30e Pack M for the same 15,000 kilometers per year for 48 months).
Meet the new BMW X2 xDrive 25e in this video.
The company guarantees that it saves money
“The current rental fleet is mainly from 2017 and the maximum number of renewals possible in the contract will be reached in 2023,” explains TAP, which justifies the purchase of “plug-in hybrid vehicles instead of the current diesel one for environmental reasons, but also for tax benefits associated with these less polluting vehicles.”
“This option represents a savings of more than 20% monthly rent and taxes on new leasing contracts for vehicles with similar characteristics to the current (diesel), which is in line with the restructuring plan, as it represents the lowest possible cost in a tendered market.”
Asked by CNN/TVI/Away why TAP isn’t considering lower cost new vehicles given they’re under a government salvage program, the company replied that “the options available to directors also include a premium brand because it has higher rent compared to other brands due to better residual value at the end of the contract.” In addition, “this option also provides better vehicle delivery times, given the manufacturing crisis that the automotive market is experiencing.”
TAP reiterates that “there are 50 units and not the 79 mentioned” and guarantees that “the market was tendered in accordance with the TAP procurement manual and six organizations were invited to participate in the Portuguese market”. The company did not distinguish which companies they were.
