Avis Budget Group Fleet Expands to 100,000 Connected Cars, Benefitting Customers, Cities and the Company Bottom Line
August 13 2018 - 9:00AM
Avis Budget Group
(NASDAQ: CAR) today announced it
has surpassed the 100,000 connected car threshold globally, a
milestone that promises to further improve the traveler
experience, increase operational efficiencies for the Company, and
benefit smart city planning. The growing presence of connected cars
across the Avis Budget Group fleet, combined with the Avis mobile
app, means more travelers can change or upgrade their vehicle in
real-time right from the lot, locate their vehicle and,
in the future, personalize geolocation-based travel and tourism
push notifications sent to customers.
Traveler Benefits“Connected cars allow Avis
customers to manage their entire rental through our app, including
locking and unlocking car doors via smartphone. We see a future in
which connected cars will know preferred seat positon, car
temperature, radio presets and more,” says Arthur Orduña, chief
innovation officer of Avis Budget Group. “An example of this is in
our Mobility Lab in Kansas City, which aims to enhance travelers’
experiences through our connected cars. If a traveler’s phone shows
they are interested in baseball, the customer may receive a push
notification recommending the city’s acclaimed Negro Leagues
Baseball Museum.”
In the two years since the Avis mobile app's transformative
launch, usage has grown to more than 1.5 million transactions by
more than 400,000 unique customers and has increased customer
satisfaction ratings by 20 percent. The redesigned experience
through the app has also allowed travelers to:
- choose a car that better meets their personal preferences
- return their vehicle, saving time to help them catch their
flight home or to their next meeting
- eliminate stress by finding their way to the rental facility in
an unfamiliar airport
- locate a missing receipt or details on a past rental, avoiding
an unnecessary call
- see how long before our next courtesy shuttle arrives
- find nearby fuel or parking services to assist in making their
travel easier, and
- find their car faster in new surroundings
Company Operational BenefitsIn addition, the
connected fleet offers Avis Budget Group significant opportunity to
streamline operations and reduce costs. This includes real-time
inventory counts, mileage management and automated maintenance
notification. Having a fleet of connected cars enables more
sophisticated tracking of idle vehicles, and automated processing
of cars ready to rent.
“Connectivity allows us to employ more dynamic planning and
makes our inventory process that much more effective,” added
Orduña.
Smart City BenefitsFor cities like Kansas City
who choose to partner with Avis Budget Group, this milestone also
means access to connected car data that has been stripped of any
identifiable traveler personal information—this could inform smart
city planning, like road condition and traffic volume data.
“If one of our vehicles hits a pothole on a given route, it’s
possible that we map this data based on the car’s geolocation and
create a feedback loop with our city partners,” says Orduña.
“Connected cars have the potential to be eyes and ears on the
ground for city planners seeking data that could ultimately improve
our communities.”
About Avis Budget Group Avis Budget Group, Inc.
is a leading global provider of mobility solutions, both through
its Avis and Budget brands, which have more than 11,000 rental
locations in approximately 180 countries around the world, and
through its Zipcar brand, which is the world’s leading car sharing
network, with more than one million members. Avis Budget Group
operates most of its car rental offices in North America, Europe
and Australasia directly, and operates primarily through licensees
in other parts of the world. Avis Budget Group has approximately
31,000 employees and is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. More
information is available at www.avisbudgetgroup.com.
Contact:
Alice Pereira
(973) 496-3916
PR@avisbudget.com
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