The car rental industry has been rarely viewed as a world leader in the sense of technological development. In the past, even the quality of the cars being used was called into question, some customers claiming that the cars they hired had been so damaged by previous customers that they were just as likely to breakdown at the roadside as get you to your destination. This situation has definitely changed however; the car rental industry now embraces technological change, providing customers with an efficient and reliable service.
One of the largest influences on the car rental industry has been the impact of global warming and more widely the environmental concerns of customers. It is hoped by many car rental companies that by introducing more efficient cars into the fleet, fuel efficiency will be increased and customers will receive a better deal. This is not all of the car rental companies, but some have noticed the niche in the market for customers with an environmental conscience; revealing a wider trend not only in car hire but in society more generally.
The most obvious way that car rental companies can reduce their environmental impact is by introducing highly efficient cars into their fleets. An example would be the hybrid cars that are becoming extremely popular at the moment; they bring the benefits of a smaller environmental footprint and cheaper fuel rates for customers. Not all have embraced the introduction of hybrid cars however, some view their introduction as purely a temporary measure that in no way tackles the root causes of emissions. Additionally, the use of bio-fuel cars has been growing, while this fuel is cheap and produces less harmful emissions critics have been quick to realise that if all of the arable land in the world was turned over for the production of bio-fuel plants, then foodstuffs would be extremely short. It is all rather Malthusian but it is a good point nonetheless.
Some of the more future conscious car rental companies have been studying the ways in which to change the application of rates to customers. In the past companies would charge for the hire of a vehicle on a daily basis, meaning that if you returned the car just half an hour late, another day's charge would be added to the bill. Many companies have noticed that this is not great customer service and have subsequently introduced an hourly pay structure into their operations. While some profits may be surrendered following this strategy, customer service will be increased whilst a bi-product is that fewer cars will be on the road at any one time.
Many car rental companies have been quick to realise the benefits of GPS technology and the ways in which it can aide their operations. GPS tracking devices give the rental company the option to track their fleet vehicles, allowing them to record the way in which cars are being driven and their location. While for many this may be seen as an invasion of privacy, it is not; it is simply a reaction to the large amount of organised crime that focuses on the theft of rental cars. With GPS technology the chances of a company recovering the stolen vehicle are increased considerably, showing that this strategy is simply a way for companies to protect their assets.
The introduction of high technology to the car rental industry has been a long time in coming. Whether this is due to a reluctance to change or simply because the technology has not been effective enough is hard to ascertain. One thing is certain however, with the introduction of GPS, biometric data recorders, environmentally friendly cars and revolutionary pay structures; the future of the car rental industry is bright.
When you think of car hire you probably remember the experience of that summer vacation where you spent an hour after getting off the plane trying to find the little mobile van so that you could retrieve the keys to something that resembled a fridge on wheels, before spluttering out of the airport in a foreign country on the wrong side of the road with one eye on the map and the other trying to remember how to change gear with your right hand.
Car Hire is the last place you would think, in this day of global warming and computer technologies, that would be leading the forefront of technologies to reduce green-house gases and such things but in a few cases around the globe it is the Car Hire firms that are taking technology by the scruff of the neck and producing some real results.
The obvious technologies that are being introduced are hybrid fuel cars. Whist these are greener in terms of green house emissions, there are still questions as to how green they really are. The cost of making the hybrid fuel ethanol has already led to corn production impinging on wheat fields leading to a spike in the price of wheat and the many foodstuffs that it goes into, bread, pasta etc. The case that we cannot afford to turn over our arable land in the pursuit of producing enough ethanol from corn to replace gasoline is a strong one. But as an issue putting carbon emission in front of the consumer, it currently is all we have. When we start complaining about the $10 loaf of bread we will know it has gone too far!
The lesser known technologies now being introduced however show forefront thinking. A firm in Boston is now providing a 24/7 car hire system called Zipcar where consumers effectively give up their car for a rental based on hourly use. Once the customer has signed up he can book a car by the hour and using a credit card style key has only to travel a short distance to pick up a car in his immediate location. The car is equipped with GRPS and black-box technologies which not only control the ignition but also allow the car to be tracked via satellite reducing fraud and theft. The company says that for every car that they employ up to 20 cars are taken off the road thus reducing congestion and overall fuel emissions.
In the UK, car hire firms in association with the local police are requiring bio-metric identification in the form of a fingerprint before you can register for your car. Whilst there have been some complaints by customers, the idea that has seriously reduced theft and fraud is the same argument being put forward for full bio-metric ID cards in that the innocent have nothing to fear and it is only those who have something they wish to hide that are being thwarted.
With many of us now thinking about our summer vacations to France, Italy and beyond it is good to know that at least one of the industries involved in getting us to our destination is thinking about our carbon footprint. It may be some time before we can vacation completely conscience free these days, but who would have thought that those companies that put us in those little deathtraps and sent us on our way into the abyss would be the fore-runners of the new technologies.
Both Thomas Pretty & Neil Ebsworth are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Thomas Pretty has sinced written about articles on various topics from Formula One, Debts Loans and Interior Design. Cultural affairs expert Thomas Pretty looks at technological and environmental strategies being implemented by the industry.. Thomas Pretty's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.
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