BERLIN (Reuters) – German carmaker Volkswagen confirmed on Thursday that it is considering acquiring a majority stake in car rental company Europcar, along with investors Attestor and Pon Holdings.
It said in a statement that considerations are at a very early stage and no decisions have been taken, adding that Europcar had already rejected a non-binding offer of 0.44 euros ($0.52) per share.
Volkswagen said buying Europcar was one of several options the company was considering to give the company access to a rental platform that would support its “long-term mobility vision” and strengthen its range of products and services.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg news agency reported that Europcar had rejected a $2.6 billion takeover bid from Volkswagen.
($1 = 0.8370 euros)
(Reporting by Emma Thomasson; Editing by Caroline Copley)