Operational leasing company ING Car Lease has expanded its European network by joining forces with BPN Rent in Portugal.

The alliance, called Fleet Partner (Aluguer Operacional) will offer a full operational lease product to the Portuguese market from mid-March.

The move means that ING Car Lease now offers its operational lease services to 10 European countries. It also rents cars and light commercial vehicles.

It has a fleet consisting of more than 10,000 vehicles in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. BPN Rent formerly specialised in financial lease and short-term vehicle rental.

ING Car Lease said the expansion makes it 'one of the top 10 brand-independent car leasing companies in Europe'.

Its parent company ING Lease, part of the ING Group, offers a wide range of services in Europe including equipment leasing, property leasing, vendor leasing, full-service car leasing and structured finance leasing.