Merchants Fleet Named as Sponsor of the McLaren Extreme E Team

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Written By: Merchants Fleet

Furthering Merchants Commitment to Meeting ESG Goals through ACCELER8 ESG Program

Merchants Fleet, North America’s fastest growing fleet management company, announced it will partner with the McLaren Extreme E team for the  Extreme E series, an all-electric, off-road international racing event that provides the world’s first gender-equal motorsport platform. The series is focused on highlighting the impact of climate change in some of the most remote environments around the globe. With this partnership, Merchants will further its commitment to ESG and leading electrification in fleet through its ACCELER8 ESG program.

“We couldn’t ask for a more exciting way to punctuate our promise to ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) than to partner with one of the world’s great racing brands on this breakthrough initiative,” said Brendan P. Keegan, CEO of Merchants Fleet. “Merchants is committed to creating a better world, through electrification and equity. We are excited to collaborate with McLaren Racing to highlight these important issues through Extreme E, which puts women in the driver’s seat and allows racing fans to experience the world-class skill and equity that the McLaren Extreme E team brings to the sport.” 

In the traditionally male-dominated fleet industry, Merchants stands out with its robust commitment to ESG through its ACCELER8 ESG program with a focus on Electrification & Environment and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. In line with the program’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion pillar, Merchants female executives make up nearly half of Merchants’ corporate leadership team, and half of its total employee base. Merchants has also been named a 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Rising Champion by the University of New Hampshire, which promotes organizations who demonstrate values of equity, diversity and inclusion. Moreover, Merchants will launch a ‘Diversity in Fleet’ initiative in 2022, designed to help level the playing field for men and women within the industry.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Merchants Fleet to support our McLaren Extreme E team,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “Our partnership with Merchants Fleet highlights the dedication of our partners to help address the impacts of climate change. We’re looking forward to competing in Extreme E’s second season to continue to educate ourselves, accelerate our sustainability journey and promote diversity, equality and inclusion.”

As sponsor of the McLaren Extreme E team, Merchants will continue to drive awareness of electric vehicle (EV) adoption as a path to corporate sustainability, and equity in business and sport. The company has made reservations and placed orders for more than 40,000 EVs from multiple major vehicle manufacturers, and has developed an exclusive AdoptEV program that guides businesses through each  step of the fleet electrification process — from assessing needs to purchasing the right vehicles to charging options and infrastructure support. Merchants has committed more than $2 Billion toward having 50% of its mobility fleet electric by 2025 and 50% of its clients’ fleet electric by 2030.

About McLaren Racing

McLaren Racing was founded by New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren in 1963. The team entered its first Formula 1 race in 1966, since then McLaren has won 20 Formula 1 world championships, more than 180 Formula 1 grands prix, the Le Mans 24 Hours at its first attempt and the Indianapolis 500 three times. McLaren Racing currently competes in Formula 1 globally and INDYCAR in the US. 

The team is contesting the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, and in the 2021 INDYCAR Series with Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist. McLaren was the first F1 team to be certified carbon neutral ten years ago and has successfully retained the Carbon Trust Standard Award, most recently in February 2021. They were also the first team to be awarded the FIA Institute’s Environmental Award in 2013, which they have consistently maintained at three-star level.

In 2022, McLaren Racing will enter a new category of motorsport when it enters a team into Extreme E, the innovative all-electric off-road racing series.

 

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