The New Technology of Car Rental Companies

(June, 2019)

The car rental experience for the business traveler can be long and stressful. After arriving from a flight, the last thing someone wants to encounter is a lengthy line, an incorrect reservation, or lack of transparency throughout the rental process.

Fortunately, car rental providers have noticed the unnecessary pressure that customers feel and have started to create opportunities to provide a seamless and personalized experience. New and improved technologies have become the focus for overcoming the current challenges of the industry.

Apps

Waiting in line is a thing of the past and people are heading straight to their mobile apps. As a result, car rental companies are significantly enhancing the functionalities available within their apps with abilities to reserve, upgrade, pay and even select your car rental. For example, Avis encourages travelers to take control and download the Avis App for a more personalized experience. The app gives travelers the ability to see what car they will receive, but also allows the option to exchange the car if they aren’t satisfied with what was selected. Another great feature is the Split Bill function, which gives travelers the flexibility to use two credit cards and split their charges by amount. This technology is a game changer as bleisure trips are becoming more common among business travelers.

Connected Car Technology

Reinventing the car rental process means extending the capabilities and conveniences of connectivity. Today’s cars are all connected to basic mobile platforms, but things are changing as multi-dimensional connectivity is coming to the forefront bringing fleet-wide platforms as well as third party services. With multi-dimensional connectivity, business travelers can control every aspect of the rental experience from remote access to keyless operation. Even travel and rental managers can streamline operations by benefiting from access to real-time data such as fuel level, tire pressure and road conditions.

Autonomous Cars

Imagine if the introduction of self-driving cars caused traffic to cease and parking spaces to open up. Autonomous cars are not just a fantasy, but the next reality in car connectivity. These robotic vehicles have the potential to shift road safety, increase traveler productivity and enhance the economy.

The future of the car rental experience is expected to be connected, convenient and customized for business travelers. Multi-dimensional connectivity will give customers control from start to finish and will push the development of innovation and mobility for autonomous vehicles. In return, travelers will gain valuable time and a sense of satisfaction that could be easily lost in an aggravating rental process.