Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance invests in the future of mobility with Hopium

Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance has signed a €1.2 billion order with Hopium for 10,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are scheduled to be built by 2025. The bank is thus strengthening its commitment to green mobility. Agilauto (Sofinco) will offer the Machina sedan from the French company Hopium to its private and business customers from 2025.

FACTS

• Hopium announces the launch of its sedan called Machina, a hydrogen Super GT:

  • 500 horsepower (0-100 km/h in less than 5 seconds)

  • A range of up to 1,000 km and 3 seconds to fill up

  • A sales price set at €120,000

• Production is planned for 2025, in a factory in Douains. The factory would produce up to 20,000 vehicles per year.

• The Machina saloon has already recorded 3,000 to 4,000 pre-orders in a week. To this list will be added the 10,000 vehicles ordered by Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance.

CHALLENGES

• Commitment to green mobility: this commercial partnership around a supercar may seem to be just a communication stunt. In reality, it is a way of proving the group's commitment, and showing it in its new financing offers:

  • Integration of the Tesla Model Y in the Leasys panel in Italy (in CarCloud and Be Free) or in the financing offers of FCA Bank, via a configurator (Finance Configurator) that allows the personalisation of both the vehicle and the financing.

  • Integration of VinFast's electric SUV into FCA Bank's Europe-wide financing offers and availability of the Finance Calculator.

  • Agreement to market Fisker's Ocean Extreme SUV with a solar roof, which will be offered to private banking customers of the regional banks and LCL.

• In parallel with this rather upmarket and innovative positioning, Crédit Agricole has also positioned itself on a social leasing offer, with Sofinco, as an extension of You R Mobile, for a vehicle rental from 100 euros per month, for a period of up to 96 months, for Crit'Air 0 and 1 vehicles.

• In the end, the banking group is taking a real shift by renaming all its European activities under the Drivalia brand (instead of FCA Bank and Leasys Rent), in the wake of the reorganisation of Stellantis. This brand should enable it to promote its expertise in mobility and its ambitions in green mobility throughout Europe. A move not unlike that of BNP Paribas.

• Participating in the future pillar of mobility in France: Crédit Agricole wants to support what could be the future of mobility in France, hydrogen. With Hopium, the bank is committed to promoting French-style hydrogen.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• The Motor Show was also an opportunity for CACF to present a number of "green" vehicles from partner brands in Europe: the Italian Sportequipe (DR Automobile), the Americans Tesla and Fisker, the Chinese MG Motor and the Vietnamese VinFast.

• In connection with the ecological transition and the end of sales of thermal and hybrid vehicles in 2035, France is facing the problem of sovereignty in the construction of electric vehicles, notably lagging behind China. Hydrogen mobility is therefore a real opportunity that must be seized to give France a competitive advantage and sovereignty in the automotive market.