ADESA Europe rebrands to OPENLANE Europe

ADESA Europe is changing its name. From now, the provider of digital marketplace solutions for used vehicles will be known as OPENLANE Europe. “This reflects the rebranding of our U.S. parent company, and our mission to make car wholesale easy,”, says Jolijn Bockstaele, the company’s marketing manager.

In May of this year, KAR Global – the company’s U.S. parent – rebranded as OPENLANE. That digital brand had been part of KAR’s offerings for more than a decade. It is now the name for both the parent company and for its various digital marketplaces: in the U.S. and Canada, and also in Europe.

The rebranding signals the company’s ongoing move to become a more asset-light, digital-focused marketplace. In 2022, KAR sold its ADESA bricks-and-mortar auctions in the U.S. to Carvana.

“Our vision is to build the world’s greatest digital marketplace for used vehicles, and we are advancing that vision by bringing together all of our sellers, buyers and vehicles under openlane.eu on the European continent, and under openlane.co.uk in the UK”, says Grainne van Berkum, president of the European entity since November 2023. “We believe that by leveraging the power of a global brand, we can accelerate innovation and improve the overall customer experience.”

The rebranding to OPENLANE is about more than a name change, the company says. It expresses the companies’ commitment to make buying and selling used cars easy, and the customers more successful, Ms. Van Berkum explains:

• “In Europe, we make cross-border sales easy by providing a secure one-stop shop with best-in-class services and real-time delivery options. Our logistics network in the UK and across the rest of Europe ensures customers benefit from seamless transactions and efficient distribution.”
• “At the same time, we also make domestic sales easy. Our supply of local vehicles is increasing, thanks to a rapidly growing dealer base. OPENLANE Sell, our modular dealer platform, offers a range of flexible modules that put dealers in control of every transaction.”

In 2022, the various OPENLANE marketplaces helped sell 1.3 million vehicles, with a gross value of $23 billion, across a network of more than 50,000 franchise and independent dealers, OEMs, financial institutions, rental and recovery companies, and fleet operators.

OPENLANE Europe connects fleet owners, OEMs, wholesalers, and dealers with buyers in more than 50 countries across Europe. Headquartered in Belgium, it has operations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.