A car hire company is predicting that the connected car has the potential to revolutionise the industry.Avis Car Rental UK's latest report, summarised on FleetNews.co.uk, says connected cars could make car rental 'more efficient' and 'more enjoyable', allowing people to see what car has been assigned to them and giving them the option to change the booking with a 'simple tap of an app'.  Drivers will be able to open the car using their smartphone and the paperwork will have been taken care of as part of the sign up process of the app.
The report, The Evolution of the Connected Car, adds that when the car is returned it will automatically tell the hire company the final mileage and fuel reading, and the customer will be able to end the rental agreement on their phone.
This scenario is 'not something way off in the future', according to Nina Bell, managing director for the Northern EMEA Region at Avis.'It is being trialled in the United Kingdom today and is enabled by connected car technology,' she told FleetNews.co.uk.She added, 'connected car technology has the potential to change not only the car rental experience but the entire automotive industry, as well as business models within other sectors.  This report explores this evolution and what it means for us all.'