Aral AG
Encyclopedia
Aral is a brand of automobile fuels and gas stations, present in Germany
and Luxembourg
, but formerly used in most countries of Western
and Central Europe
. The company behind the brand name, Aral AG (previously Veba Öl AG), is owned by BP
, but was established in 1898 as Westdeutsche Benzol-Verkaufs-Vereinigung GmbH. The Aral brand was introduced in 1924 and is a portmanteau of the German words "Aromaten" and "Aliphaten", alluding to the aromatic and aliphatic components found in gasoline
, respectively.
On July 15, 2001, it was agreed that 51% of the stakes in Veba Öl AG
would be acquired by Deutsche BP AG. Beginning February 1, 2002, the acquisition was completed. The Aral brand name was retained, and 650 BP stations in Germany were rebranded to Aral. 6 BP branded filling stations remained operational in Germany to protect the company's rights to the name, while elsewhere, as Poland
and Austria
, the Aral stations were switched to BP. In some countries the Aral national chains were sold. Aral's slogan is "Alles super".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, but formerly used in most countries of Western
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
and Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. The company behind the brand name, Aral AG (previously Veba Öl AG), is owned by BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, but was established in 1898 as Westdeutsche Benzol-Verkaufs-Vereinigung GmbH. The Aral brand was introduced in 1924 and is a portmanteau of the German words "Aromaten" and "Aliphaten", alluding to the aromatic and aliphatic components found in gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, respectively.
On July 15, 2001, it was agreed that 51% of the stakes in Veba Öl AG
VEBA
VEBA AG was a German energy company. VEBA was founded in 1929 as a holding company owned by the state of Prussia, and was privatized in 1965. VEBA became a part of E.ON in 2000....
would be acquired by Deutsche BP AG. Beginning February 1, 2002, the acquisition was completed. The Aral brand name was retained, and 650 BP stations in Germany were rebranded to Aral. 6 BP branded filling stations remained operational in Germany to protect the company's rights to the name, while elsewhere, as Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the Aral stations were switched to BP. In some countries the Aral national chains were sold. Aral's slogan is "Alles super".