Customers of Avis Budget Group renting FCA vehicles in Europe will soon find it easier to pick up and return their vehicles, allowing them to manage their entire rental experience digitally and enabling lock/unlock technology as a result of an agreement between the two companies.
More than 22,000 connected Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Lancia cars and Fiat Professional LCV’s are projected to be added to the Avis Budget Group European fleet by the end of July 2020, with at least 8,000 digitally connected by the end of March.
A connected vehicle can allow Avis customers to manage their entire rental experience through the Avis mobile app, including choosing the exact vehicle they want, selecting an upgrade and extending the duration of their rental from their phones. Even returning a rental vehicle is automated with connected technology, allowing customers to drop off their vehicles through a simple tap in the Avis app.
In addition, these connected vehicles enable lock and unlock technology, providing a straight-to-vehicle, self-serve option for customers.
The connected FCA vehicles will provide valuable telemetry data in real time, including mileage, fuel level and updates on the mechanical condition of the car. Connectivity also enables vehicles to get back on the road faster, giving increased availability for rental customers as Avis Budget Group fleet managers can process information they need more quickly.
FCA is providing a ready to use telematics solution that offers a simplified and efficient way for Avis Budget Group to connect vehicles, reducing typical cost and complexity of implementing aftermarket solutions on its own.
The partnership follows a recent announcement from Avis Budget Group as it surpassed the 200,000 connected car threshold globally. Its partnership with FCA now means that an additional 22,000 Fiat vehicles in the Avis Budget Group fleet will be connected, significantly contributing towards its goal of a fully connected global fleet.
FCA said that it is very happy to offer a new service to Avis Budget Group and help optimizing its customer experience and productivity. We consider the connected vehicles as part of our strategy and look forward to enrich this product thanks to our collaboration with Avis Budget.
Source: Press Release
