German car rental group Sixt said Tuesday it has agreed to buy up to 250,000 cars from automaker Stellantis in a "multi-billion euro" deal that includes electric vehicles.

The purchases will extend to 2026 and concern Europe and North America, the two companies said in a joint statement.

"The deliveries to Sixt will include a variety of classes from city cars to SUVs to vans and trucks, as well as a full range of propulsion types," the companies said.

Electric vehicles will be included, but the statement didn't provide any specifics.

The first deliveries will start in the first quarter of this year.

Stellantis groups 14 brands including Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Opel and Jeep.

"Order quantities, order compositions and delivery dates beyond the volumes that have already been planned for 2024 can be flexibly agreed between both companies considering fleet requirements and demand," they said.

In October, Sixt said it had bought "thousands" of electric cars from China's BYD Auto for its operations in Germany, France, Netherlands and the UK.

Rival Hertz said last week it will sell one-third of its electric vehicle (EV) automobiles to resize its fleet in line with slowing demand growth for emission-free transport.

The rental car giant will sell 20,000 EVs in the United States, steering a portion of the funds to purchase "internal combustion engine vehicles to meet customer demand," Hertz said in a securities filing.

© 2024 AFP