Athlon has reserved 150 units, so the new upscale EV will be available to its customers as soon as European deliveries begin in late 2012.

Tesla Motors and Athlon Car Lease announced an agreement Tuesday to offer Tesla's Model S electric sedan for lease to corporate fleets across Europe. Athlon has reserved 150 units, so the new upscale EV will be available to its customers as soon as European deliveries begin in late 2012. The two companies established a leasing program for the Tesla Roadster in July of last year.

"We are excited to kick off Model S leasing with a company that shares our passion for a future of energy efficient vehicles that are incredibly fun to drive," said Tesla VP George Blankenship. "Athlon Car Lease is a valuable partner and is instrumental in our efforts to show customers across Europe the benefits of driving electric."

"We are thrilled to continue our collaboration with Tesla and to increase our EV offering to our customers under our one-stop-shop policy for electric vehicles," said Athlon President Hans Blink. "As a leading mobility provider, sustainability and innovation are in Athlon's DNA and at the very core of our business. We believe that bringing EV solutions closer to customers is key in increasing the adoption of electric vehicles in the market. We are thus proud to be – once more – a frontrunner in promoting change in our industry."

Athlon VP Richard Sikkel confirms: "Our collaboration with Tesla has been very well perceived by the market. Almost 50 % of our initial order have already been pre-reserved by several of Athlon's existing customers – an example that demonstrates the increasing need for electric vehicles in the industry."

Image: Tesla