How the car hire sector is advancing
by James P. Outreach & PR ExecutiveWhile we have nearly all used it at some point, car hire can
be an infuriating experience. Whether it’s renting a vehicle while on holiday
to take in some new sights, or hiring a car for a business trip, this form of
transport can often be a hassle to organise.
We used to have to ring up a company during office hours to
book a vehicle – and face hefty fines if it was returned outside of these
hours. Taxis are another form of car hire which have often been very annoying
and unreliable. However, nowadays there are many alternatives that are allowing
us to reduce the stress of hiring a car. Here, with Lookers, who have a range
of used Audi A6
cars available, we look at how the car hire industry is becoming more advanced.
Carpooling
While this may seem like a weird addition to ‘car hire’,
sites such as Blablacar offer you the chance to rent a space in a car – or rent
out a space in yours. It gives you the opportunity to find travellers who will
be completing the same journey as yourself, meaning that the costs are
considerably cut.
According to research, it’s anticipated that 18 million
people will use car-sharing services by 2025. This is almost threefold from
2017’s six million users. In London, Zipcar has almost seven times as many
rentable cars in London as Starbucks. This means that half of the city’s
population find themselves within a five-minute walk of this type of hire car.
Online taxi booking
Following Uber’s emphatic arrival into the world of hire
cars, the taxi industry is going from strength to strength. In an industry that
could often be frustrating due to taxi companies giving unrealistic waiting
times, Uber – and now most taxi companies – offer you the chance to track where
your vehicle is, giving you real-time wait times.
Not only this, but if you find yourself caught short on
cash, the apps allow you to pay by card without even removing your card from
your wallet. By entering your details into your app, you will know a rough estimate
for the cost of your journey, as well as being able to connect your card to
your booking.
Cars-as-a-Service (CaaS)
If you want to go a short distance, CaaS is going to be a
revelation in the car hire/taxi sector. Expected to be rolled out by 2025, this
driverless sensation is anticipated to reduce mobility costs while also
offering a safer alternative to if a human was driving. The ride-sharing
service will allow smart device owners to book a driverless car through an app
and quickly get to where they need to be.
Audi on Demand
According to Audi’s website, you simply have to ‘pin your
location and get the Audi of your dreams delivered to you’. This is the German
manufacturer’s newest app and is helping the hire-drive experience advance. The
seamless digital booking procedure allows you to confirm your booking online in
a space of minutes. It’s perfect for those who have a last-minute trip suddenly
planned, as your vehicle can be ready for collection in as little as 30
minutes. You can also reserve your car for a specific time.
The service includes concierge delivery, full comprehensive
insurance, unlimited mileage and Audi 24-hour roadside assistance, meaning you
can relax in the knowledge that every aspect of your hire is covered. Once you
have finished your trip, you are able to return the vehicle to a concierge at a
location that is convenient to you.
Personal hire
Personal Contract Hire (PCH) allows you to drive a new
vehicle over a sustained amount of time. It provides a cost-effective route to
a new vehicle without facing the large drops in value you’d see if you bought
the vehicle outright. Benefits of personal hire include low monthly repayments,
a flexible contract and fixed monthly payments.
The hire car sector is becoming a lot more user friendly,
which will help people to migrate to the services. With more focus on customer
service, the sector will continue to grow, encouraging more people to leave
their own vehicle at home.
Sources
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/advice/carpooling-sharing-companies-rated/
https://www.uk.audiondemand.com/audi-mobility/audi-on-demand/uk_en.html
https://towardsdatascience.com/the-future-of-technology-in-the-automotive-industry-11081c8a1999
Sponsor Ads
Created on Dec 5th 2019 08:22. Viewed 305 times.