ALD AUTOMOTIVE S IN-CAR TELEMATICS SYSTEM HELPS POLICE RECOVER STOLEN CARS WORTH 1M

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1 30 November 2009 Press Release ALD AUTOMOTIVE S IN-CAR TELEMATICS SYSTEM HELPS POLICE RECOVER Forty company cars worth 1 million have been returned to their drivers thanks to being equipped with ALD Automotive s unique ProFleet2 telematics system. Around half of ALD s 50,000-vehicle fleet are now equipped with the company s multi award-winning ProFleet2 system. The technology provides companies with key management data to improve operating efficiencies with related financial savings, compliance with duty of care best practice and carbon footprint reduction as a result of improved journey management. However, one spin-off benefit, greatly appreciated by a number of fleet customers, has been that the technology has enabled police forces nationwide to recover stolen vehicles as a result the system s location service. The latest company to benefit from the technology is Hoylake-based Newhall Publications, which operates a 100-strong company car fleet. A Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi 130 worth more than 21,000 was stolen from outside the Suffolk home of its driver just two weeks after it had been delivered.

2 On being alerted of the theft, ALD Automotive s Fleet Services team immediately activated the locater functionality delivered through the unit s SIM card. Within four hours the vehicle was traced to a location just 15 minutes away from where it was stolen by Suffolk Police and recovered largely undamaged. Alex Murphy, Newhall Publications field support manager who administers the company s fleet, said: This was the third company car supplied by ALD Automotive which has been stolen and in each case the vehicles have been recovered thanks to ProFleet2. While we use the data from ProFleet2 to help our compliance with health and safety legislation, the technology also acts as a peace of mind tool in the event of a vehicle being stolen and it has worked very effectively in recovering three of our company cars. He added: Had the Vauxhall Insignia and the two other vehicles not been recovered the impact of the thefts on our insurance premiums may well have been significant. However, thanks to ProFleet2 the company cars have been recovered and our insurance costs have been kept in check. The most valuable company car so far recovered as a result of being equipped with ProFleet2 was a 59,300 BMW 630i Convertible 3.0 Sport auto in April last year. Additionally, the 1m haul of vehicles stolen and subsequently recovered includes a 31,200 BMW 330d SE saloon, a 44,000 Mercedes CLS320 CDI Coupe 3.0 auto, a 38,200 Audi Cabriolet 3.0 TDi Quattro Tiptronic as well as an 11,700 Ford Transit Connect 220 SWB 1.8TDCi.

3 Following the reporting of each vehicle theft the location monitoring functionality within the ProFleet2 system was activated by ALD Automotive after written permission was obtained from the client company and the vehicle s driver. Official Home Office figures indicate that vehicle crime has fallen dramatically in recent years. Vehicle thefts peaked at 522,000 in 1991 but according to 2008/9 crime figures the number has since dropped to 150,000. Police say that is because an increasing number of vehicles are equipped with tracking devices and other security features, which makes vehicles more than ten times safer than a car with no security equipment. ALD Automotive marketing director David Yates said: ProFleet2 has established an enviable record in helping police recover stolen cars. Vehicle theft can obviously impact on fleet insurance premiums so companies that lease vehicles from ALD with the system fitted are clearly guarding against such costs raises, which is even more important in the current recession. The technology is therefore both helping to combat vehicle crime as well as keeping vehicle operating costs down and improving efficiency for fleets and their drivers. Exclusive to ALD, ProFleet2 was the first practical solution launched more than six years ago into the fleet sector to overcome both cost issues and potential employee resentment often associated with in-vehicle telematics products.

4 The cutting edge ProFleet2 software has been welcomed by fleet decision-makers for the wealth of management and driver information transmitted and then analysed online, thereby helping companies comply with duty of care legislation and environmental best practice. As well as ensuring vehicles are serviced on schedule through the triggering of a two month/2,000-mile vehicle service reminder that also eliminates the risk of in-life or end of contract recharges caused by poor service history, ProFleet2 is also proving invaluable in helping drivers record accurate business mileage. This ensures they are not overly exposed to risks and companies can keep a thorough audit trail of vehicles and drivers by business mileage being reported separately. ProFleet2 continues to evolve and last year saw ALD launched Fleet Manager with its reporting suite providing fleet managers with comprehensive journey data for their fleet including exception risk reporting, as well as full journey information, time of travel and miles clocked up. To view a ProFleet2 demonstration go to For further information please call David Yates, Marketing Director, ALD Automotive, or david.yates@aldautomotive.com

5 Notes to Editors: About ALD Automotive ALD Automotive is the operational leasing and fleet management arm of the Société Générale Group. ALD Automotive is one of the largest providers in Europe and a company of reference on its market: - Operates now in a total of 40 countries in Europe, Northern Africa (Algeria and Morocco), Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Turkey, USA, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia - Employs 4,000 persons dedicated to customer satisfaction - Manages more than one million vehicles Combining professionalism and quality of services and providing companies with valueadded integrated solutions at both national and international levels, ALD Automotive provide a complete range of vehicle financing and management solutions to both major corporates and private individuals. ALD Automotive is committed to delivering high quality service solutions from tailoring outsourced fleet management and contract hire options to implementing structured employee car ownership schemes. Within the top tier of contract hire companies in the UK, in fleet size terms, ALD Automotive operates 50,000 vehicles on contract hire, contract purchase, conditional sale, fleet management and PCP.

6 Since 2006 ALD Automotive has won numerous industry awards for its innovative range of products and services including: DriveSafe - a one-stop shop programme of risk management initiatives ProFleet2 ALD Automotive's unique in-vehicle telematics facility providing both an enhanced security measure for fleets and helping companies comply with health & safety legislation CARRS ALD Automotive s car allowance road risk solution focused on managing duty of care in the 'grey fleet' Since the apdexperteye Pre and Post Sale Surveys were introduced in the leading CSI benchmarking service in the industry - ALD Automotive has achieved first place on a number of occasions. ALD Automotive also has the distinction of having the highest CSI rating in the leasing industry comparing service levels with 20 of the UK s top leasing companies. About Société Générale Group Société Générale is one of the largest financial services groups in the euro-zone. The Group employs 163,000 people worldwide in three key businesses: - Retail Banking & Financial Services: Société Générale serves more than 30 million individual customers worldwide. - Global Investment Management & Services: Société Générale is one of the largest banks in the euro-zone in terms of assets under custody ( 2,560 billion) and under management ( 336 billion at December 2008). - Corporate & Investment Banking: Société Générale ranks among the leading banks worldwide in euro capital markets, derivatives and structured finance. Société Générale is included in the three major socially responsible investment indexes: FTSE4good, ASPI and Ethibel.