In the past 10 years, the car rental industry went through countless transformations. This was led by consumer behavior and the revolution we saw in the smartphone sector. Modern consumers want frictionless and fast solutions that can easily satisfy travel needs.
While there are countless technologies that we can highlight and that can be seen even in a common rental car in Ukraine and other countries with a strong rental industry, those below need to be mentioned.
Connected Car Technology
CaaS (cars-as-a-service) and connected car technology are nowadays synonymous with a clear demand for increased flexibility and mobility. With the use of connected car technology, companies quickly know the status of their vehicles and the number of cars that they have available. Vehicle recovery becomes very simple and asset management is very easy.
Nowadays, consumers often collect the vehicle right from a specifically designated facility, like an airport. Remote access technology makes it possible to create partnerships between hotels and rental companies, as an example.
Ridesharing
Everyone knows Uber, the ridesharing giant that is available in most countries around the world. This company revolutionized how people move from one point to another. Smartphone apps give access to these ridesharing opportunities and a car can be booked very fast.
Numerous business travelers and consumers use services like Zipcar and Uber because of their convenience. For many people that need to move from one place to the next, ridesharing is the solution, not taking a taxi or renting a car.
Ridesharing is also changing the rental industry because ridesharing firms now want to offer private vehicles that would be rented through the proprietary platform for those that need more than just a vehicle for a few hours.
Self-Driving Cars
We cannot talk about the rental industry and not discuss self-driving vehicles. Driverless cars have many exited but the truth is that we are still far away from this being a reality. There are countless legal considerations that have to be analyzed but we are looking at a technology that is truly game-changing.
In the event that self-driving cars become a thing, we expect rental companies to add such vehicles to their fleet. This is very convenient for the person renting and for the companies.
Smartphone Revolution
The entire hospitality sector was reshaped by the evolution of the smartphone. Apps are nowadays used to book holidays and countless companies realize the fact that the future is driven by mobility.
Car rental companies are right now reinventing the rental system by putting their customers right in the middle of the experience. There are modern mobile applications that allow the selection of price points, car models, makes, bike racks, GPS systems, mobile WiFi, car seats, and so much more.
In the past, a big problem for rental companies was the fact that rental agreements had to be signed before issuing a key. With the use of keyless technology, customers can gain remote access to the rented vehicle from a smartphone. Skipping the counter will be a reality in the near future as more and more rental companies allow customers to rent vehicles without a face-to-face meeting.
