This year, Avis Budget Group’s connected fleet will cover about 4 billion road miles. And that fully connected fleet could generate more than 7 billion road miles of data in 2020.
To unlock new avenues for value creation from the data that connected fleet generates, Avis Budget Group on Wednesday announced a partnership with automotive data services platform Otonomo.
With the Otonomo Automotive Data Services Platform, Avis Budget Group says it will gain new and actionable insights from its connected cars.
Those cars, according to Avis Budget, feature a varied range of makes, models and telematics technologies. Avis Budget said it will gain insights to improve operations, lower costs and increase customer satisfaction by “reshaping this disparate connected car data for new users.”
Avis also said the Otonomo Platform brings new opportunities to collaborate with cities and other partners that help its customers and the general public.
Through the partnership with Otonomo, Avis Budget Group can explore more of what it called “data for good” opportunities. Those opportunities could make smart cities smarter, improve road safety and traffic flow, improve parking efficiency, and make driving more enjoyable, Avis Budget said.
The company also said data from the Avis Budget Group fleet could improve smart city applications such as planning, road hazard identification, or advanced traffic management. As time goes by, that could mean emissions reduction, better prediction and prevention of accidents, and simply a better traveler experience.
Avis Budget highlighted J.D. Power as being among the first companies to use Avis Budget Group data. An important application the company is using is captured data from vehicles. That data will complement its consumer research on different makes and models.
“Working with Otonomo and Avis Budget Group will add another dimension of rich data to J.D. Power’s Voice of the Vehicle analyses,” J.D. Power vice president, global automotive Dave Sargent said in a news release.
Sargent added, “The fleet is large, yielding high quality data with excellent national coverage and it is also very diverse, with over 200 makes and models, spanning multiple years in the data set we've evaluated. We're particularly interested in the signals we get from a fleet that is constantly refreshed with a wide selection of new vehicles.”
News of the partnership is in line with recent comments from Avis Budget Group vice president of product development Jeff Kaelin, who commented in a new Auto Remarketing article about his company’s “journey to a connected fleet.” It’s all about shifting control from the rental company to the consumer, Kaelin said, and the company has worked to provide what he describes as “a mobile experience that allowed customers to control their end-to-end rental experience.”
Regarding the Otonomo news, the company’s chief executive officer and founder Ben Volkow said, “Otonomo is a pioneer in transforming car data into valuable insights, and we’re excited at the opportunity to realize our vision in partnership with Avis Budget Group. The global scale of Avis Budget Group, along with its fleet management expertise, offers many new possibilities to realize value from connected car data from fleet-wide predictive maintenance and streamline rental car returns, to smart city and beyond.”
“Data aggregation and analysis is a force multiplier for the automotive industry,” said Strategy Analytics director, automotive connected mobility Roger Lanctot. “Data enables fleet operators to optimize their service offerings, refine their logistics, increase uptime, and improve the user experience. This is nothing less than a breakthrough in an otherwise mature industry.”
“By partnering with Otonomo, we can better utilize the data captured by our connected vehicles,” said Avis Budget Group chief innovation officer Arthur Orduna “The Otonomo Platform also allows us to safely and securely engage with new public and commercial partners, and together, make an impact on what the future of mobility looks like for consumers, communities and companies alike.”
A recent Avis Car Rental survey of nationwide travelers shows that 87% will most likely mix business and leisure in the same trip. That blurring of lines between leisure and corporate travel expenses could include needs such as extending a corporate rental for a weekend vacation or upgrading a vehicle for a sunnier trip in a convertible.
Now, according to Avis, the blurring of lines no longer has to be a worry for travelers.
With Split My Bill, a new payment feature within the Avis mobile app, travelers can split car rental payments between two different credit cards or forms of payment. Avis said in a news release it is the first car rental company to introduce split payment functionality to its mobile app experience.
With the feature, customers can now split their payment by total bill amount, rental days or additions such as SiriusXM Radio. Or they can charge vehicle upgrade costs to a second form of payment during their rental period.
The feature allows travelers to divide costs associated with their rental between corporate and personal credit cards, which Avis said provides more convenience on the road and when reconciling travel expenses.
Avis describes the new functionality as a seamless process that provides more control to business travelers who previously had to rely on Avis counter staff or review different receipts at the end of their trip. With Split My Bill, travelers don’t have to visit a physical service desk. As quickly as travel plans change, travelers can adjust payment forms through the mobile app or Avis.com website any time during the rental period, Avis said.
Through the Avis mobile app for devices on the iOS and Android platforms, The Split My Bill feature is available to all Avis Preferred members. Avis Preferred enrollment is free.
“With the introduction of Split My Bill, our business travelers can go beyond the corporate experience or trip to experience upgrades and additional services that travelers enjoy and want,” Avis Budget Group vice president, ancillary revenue Beth Gibson said in a news release. “We recognize that many travelers use business trips as an opportunity to explore new cities solo or meet up with family in the area and are thrilled to offer a feature that will help them make the reconciliation of travel expenses cleaner and easier. Our mobile app experience gives customers more personalization of their trip than any other brand.”
With Avis Budget Group’s chairman of the board saying that Larry De Shon has played an important role in “positioning Avis Budget for the future of mobility, while navigating through unprecedented industry challenges,” Avis Budget Group said on Tuesday that De Shon was leaving his position as president and chief executive officer of the company.
De Shon was with Avis Budget for 13 years, including the last four years as chief executive officer. The company said De Shon will remain in his current positions until his successor has been named, and he will remain with the company until the end of the year.
“Together with our outstanding management team, Larry has built a strong foundation for growth and continued success,” Avis Budget Group chairman of the board Leonard Coleman said in a news release. “We are pleased that we will continue to have access to Larry’s insights.”
“Throughout all of my years with Avis Budget Group, I have been continuously inspired by the talent, performance and dedication of my colleagues across the globe and their steadfast commitment to the company’s mission of delivering excellent service and innovative solutions for our customers,” De Shon said. “I appreciate the support of the board, my management team, and our employees during my time as CEO, and I am confident Avis Budget Group is well positioned to continue building on its momentum and driving growth for years to come.”
Perhaps the day is coming soon when dealership service drive personnel or rental fleet staffs already will have a host of information about a vehicle’s tire condition and other data points before the customer even gets in line.
Revvo, a Silicon Valley-based startup formerly known as IntelliTire that offers an internet of things (IoT) “smart” sensor for vehicle tires, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $4 million in Series A funding.
Norwest Venture Partners led the round with participation from Vulcan Capital and AngelList, according to a news release.
Revvo said it will use the financing to continue to build the product and expand its technical and business development teams.
Revvo highlighted that the firm proudly joins the ecosystem of tech startups fueling the shift in the mobility and transportation sectors. Although autonomous vehicle and self-driving technology have made enormous advances, Revvo contends the tire has remained virtually unchanged, despite being one of the most critical components of a vehicle’s performance, safety and reliability.
The firm sees the market offering a massive opportunity with more than $225 billion spent on 2.2 billion tires in the last year alone. Revvo’s initial focus will be on the fleet sector, a segment consuming tires at a disproportionately high rate with clear pain points around tire usage.
Revvo explained that it has built what the company said is a first-of-its-kind, sensor-enabled artificial intelligence software platform to monitor tires while a vehicle is on the road. The technology includes proprietary sensors that are embedded inside the tire, which can generate a real-time feed of a tire’s condition and performance. The sensors capture thousands of data points per second from the interior of the tire which is sent to the cloud via an app on the driver’s phone.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning models are applied to the aggregated data set to better predict tire tread wear. This technology can helps the driver and fleet managers better understand the overall health of the tires on their vehicles which leads to increased vehicle uptimes, optimized efficiency, and improved safety.
“Until now, tires have not benefited from the mobility revolution. Through machine learning and AI, tires can provide an invaluable data set of road conditions, driver behavior, and feedback for vehicle performance,” Revvo chief executive officer Sunjay Dodani said.
“We’re extremely excited to have the support of the Norwest team, which will help us work toward our goal of enabling smart and connected tires,” Dodani continued. “Our team at Revvo is passionate about applying a data science-centric approach to bring intelligence to the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground.”
Parker Barrile, who is a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, added, “We live in a world of increasingly connected and autonomous vehicles, but tires haven’t changed in decades.
“We’re excited to work with the team at Revvo to make tires as smart as the vehicles that depend on them and to tap into a massive market that is shifting toward fleets and autonomous vehicles,” Barrile went on to say.
For more information, visit www.revvo.ai.
John North III, who is resigning from his chief financial officer post at Lithia Motors effective March 1, is joining Avis Budget Group as its CFO, effective March 18.
Avis Budget noted in a news release that North will oversee all financial aspects of the business, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial reporting, tax, internal audit, investor relations, and treasury and risk management.
Martyn Smith will continue serving as interim chief financial officer until March 18 and will serve in a transitional and advisory role for at least six months after that, according to the company. He served for 16 years with Avis Budget Group and Avis Europe.
North has held various leadership positions in finance since 2002, most recently as CFO at Lithia.
Avis Budget noted in a news release that North helped lead the transformation of Lithia’s finance and accounting functions during a period of significant growth for the company from 2010 to 2018. He also helped complete various acquisitions and integrate those businesses.
North holds a degree in finance from Santa Clara University and is a certified public accountant.
Larry De Shon, president and chief executive officer of Avis Budget Group, said in a news release that North is a “strategic and innovative leader” with strong finance experience.
“Additionally, his background in the auto retail industry will serve the company well as we execute our strategy for success in mobility and sustained, profitable growth, including our initiative to increase our direct-to-consumer vehicle sales,” De Shon said in a news release.
Lithia said in its latest quarterly earnings release that North informed the company of his plans to resign from his positions after the company files its 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Lithia vice president and corporate controller Tina Miller will become interim principal finanical officer on March 1, as the company searches for a new CFO.
There’s now a new way for traveling Avis customers to return a rental vehicle and be conveniently dropped off at the airport terminal curb.
Avis announced Wednesday that customers can sign up for a new Curbside Delivery option via the Avis mobile application when traveling in 35 cities.
“We’ve all been in that situation where we’re running late for a flight or have a juggling act when returning a rental car with luggage, golf clubs, kids and little time to spare. The new Avis Curbside Delivery shaves time off your trip and extends you the convenience of being dropped off right at the airport terminal by one of our staff members in the same car you rented,” Avis Budget Group Americas president Joe Ferraro said in a news release.
From the Avis mobile app, customers can select the new “Curbside Delivery” feature as a trip add-on so that they can drive their rented vehicle back to the lot to have an Avis representative transport them, their passengers or any luggage directly to the airport terminal curb in the same car that they rented.
Avis Curbside Delivery can be added at any time during a trip using the “Purchase Add-Ons” option offered on the Avis app. Avis said that renters will be able to select Curbside Delivery on Avis.com later this fall.
“As we further digitize all aspects of our business, we’re focused on reinventing the rental experience for both leisure and business travelers — that means simplifying their journeys with the tap of the app, giving them more choice and control over how they travel,” said Ferraro.
Additionally, Avis customers who utilize the Avis mobile app can also receive a push notification offering them the option to return the vehicle through the new Curbside Delivery feature while they’re with their rental.
Hertz is ramping up its rental service offerings, which includes the chance of to win a special edition Chevrolet Corvette.
The company on Wednesday announced the launch of Hertz+, a new platform that can give customers access to more than 130,000 curated and unique experiences globally, including exclusive events, travel opportunities and more.
To celebrate the debut of Hertz+, now through Dec. 14, the company explained that customers can participate in The Hertz+ Sweepstakes. When they rent a vehicle or book a Hertz+ experience, customers will have the chance to win the grand prize Hertz 100th Anniversary Edition Corvette Z06. With only 100 cars in existence, the company highlighted that the winner will own an iconic piece of Hertz history.
The Hertz 100th Anniversary Edition Corvette Z06 is outfitted in a classic Hertz color scheme of yellow and black, and features special Hertz 100th anniversary interior badging. And, to ensure a supercharged driving experience, the vehicle is equipped with a powerful 6.2-liter V8 engine with 650 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft of torque.
In addition to the grand prize, the company noted weekly winners will receive a $250 voucher for Hertz+. Some of the exciting experiences available to book on Hertz+ include:
— A private guided sunset hike through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
— A behind-the-scenes tour of a famed Hollywood movie studio.
— A whale watching and wildlife sightseeing cruise in Alaska.
— A VIP jazz concert series in the heart of New Orleans' historic French Quarter.
— An off-roading adventure exploring Kauai's beautiful waterfalls in Hawaii.
— A guided tour of Windsor Castle, Oxford and Stonehenge in London, England.
— A private gourmet pasta-making class in Rome, Italy.
On Hertz+, the company added customers also will have access to special promotions and one-of-a-kind opportunities from exclusive Hertz partners, which includes some leading travel, sports and entertainment brands.
“We’re thrilled to launch Hertz+ and ramp up the excitement with The Hertz+ Sweepstakes,” Hertz senior vice president of brand Jayesh Patel said. “Hertz is dedicated to providing excellent service and helping our customers create memorable experiences wherever they go.
“We’re proud to strengthen that commitment by giving our customers unparalleled access to more than 130,000 amazing experiences on Hertz+,” Patel went on to say.
To learn more about Hertz+ and The Hertz+ Sweepstakes, visit Hertz.com/Plus.
Hertz Global Holdings has named Jamere Jackson from Nielsen Holdings to replace outgoing company chief financial officer Thomas Kennedy.
The company announced Monday that after four-plus years with the company, Kennedy has resigned. And Hertz's senior vice president and chief accounting officer Robin Kramer will assume the additional role of acting CFO in the interim period ahead of Jackson’s arrival.
According to Hertz, Jackson, who mostly recently served as CFO of Nielsen Holdings, will be in charge of all financial aspects of the company.
“We are delighted to have Jamere join our team. He is a strategic, results-oriented financial leader with a proven track record of operational excellence,” Hertz president and chief executive officer Kathryn Marinello said in a news release. “Additionally, his collaborative leadership style coupled with an extensive and varied background, including in the consumer products and services arena, will serve Hertz well as we execute our growth strategy in a dynamic environment.”
Prior to joining Nielsen in March 2014, Jackson served as VP and CFO of General Electric Co.’s Oil & Gas – Drilling and Surface.
It was in 2004 that Jackson first joined GE. Before taking on his role as CFO at GE Oil & Gas, he held leadership roles in GE Global Business Services, GE Corporate and GE Aviation.
“It’s an exciting time to be joining Hertz as it leverages its rich history, brand strength and legacy of innovation to address an evolving marketplace,” Jackson said. “I look forward to becoming part of the team that is leading the company through its next phase of transformation.”
In addition to his time spent at GE, Jackson has also held past roles in finance, mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning at The Procter & Gamble Company, Yum! Brands, First Data Corp. and Total System Services.
Since partnering with Princeton University to make the Enterprise CarShare service readily available to commuters who are interested in on-demand transportation, popularity for the service has tripled in size since its inception, the company announced recently.
At a time when Princeton is looking to cut down on the amount of single-occupancy vehicles driven around campus, Enterprise CarShare provides an automated way for commuters to rent a vehicle by the hour, the day or even overnight.
“CarShare is a smart way for us to help Princeton achieve its traffic reduction goals on campus while simultaneously offering a unique on-demand transportation option for students, staff and faculty – when and where they need it,” corporate rental manager, Kyle Sabie, who oversees CarShare at Enterprise, said in a news release. “We value our longstanding partnership with Princeton and have evolved our program with them over the years to serve their needs.”
The university’s Revise Your Ride program that was implemented just last year now includes automatic enrollment in the Enterprise CarShare service and other sustainability incentives. Sustainability goals at the university include a commitment to reduce commuter car numbers by 15 percent before the year 2020, according to Enterprise.
The Enterprise CarShare partnership with Princeton Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) currently provides 17 vehicles that are consistently available for rent at any hour at a total of nine locations on Princeton’s 500-acre-size campus.
“CarShare is a huge piece of our programming and becoming more popular every year because fewer students are bringing cars to Princeton,” said Kim Jackson, director of TPS at Princeton. “It has enabled the university to commit to our sustainability objectives by reducing the number of vehicles coming on campus.”
“We even have a CarShare pickup truck available now because graduate students who move a lot requested it, and Enterprise delivered," Jackson continued. "I can't say enough good things about how Enterprise has worked with us to find transportation solutions throughout the years.”
Additionally, in more than 35 states, Enterprise CarShare serves more than 125 university campuses and hundreds of business and government agencies, according to Enterprise.
The company said that its most served cities include Atlanta, Hoboken, N.J., Honolulu, Houston, Louisville, Ky., New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Tampa, Fla.
Furthermore, not far from Princeton, Enterprise also said that it has recently joined a new carsharing pilot program at the New York City mayor's office, and became a fleet management partner of Silicon Valley’s autonomous driving startup Voyage.
Hertz Global Holdings has announced that Allstate’s Opal Perry will serve as the company’s new executive vice president and chief information officer.
Perry, a global technology leader who brings over 25 years of experience, was most recently VP of technology and strategic ventures at Allstate. During her time at the insurance company, she worked to boost customer satisfaction for auto claims using cloud-native applications and microservices, according to Hertz.
“As we transform our business for the future, it's critical that we leverage our information technology and capitalize on data insights to accelerate our growth around the world,” Hertz president and chief executive officer Kathryn Marinello said in a news release. “Opal is a seasoned global business leader, a strong collaborator and a proven partner in driving innovation, simplification and efficiency to create value for customers and, importantly, to create a better experience for our employees.”
In her new role, along with leading Hertz's information technology strategy, Perry has been tasked with overseeing the prioritization and delivery of its cloud-based systems' transformation, the company said.
“I’m privileged to be joining Hertz, an industry leader with iconic brands and a rich history,” said Perry. “The company's forward-looking philosophy and commitment to innovation and growth mirror my own ideals. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together for our employees and customers in the years ahead.”
Prior to joining Allstate in 2011, Hertz said that Perry previously led technology teams concentrated on transformation, innovation and data delivery for Wells Fargo, SPL Worldgroup and Spear Technologies.
