Welcome to another episode of our podcast, hosted by Emmanuel Scuto, the CEO and founder of WeYield, the leading revenue management company specializing in the car rental industry.
In this insightful episode Emmanuel engages with Julian Espiritu, Managing Director at Abrams Mobility, the premier consulting firm dedicated to the car rental industry for the last 40 years. They delve into the rapidly evolving landscape of car rental and mobility solutions, focusing on innovation and technological integration.
Discussion Highlights:
Innovation in Car Sharing: The pioneering model introduced by ZipCar, which reshaped urban mobility by offering cars reservable by the minute, hour, or day, demonstrating significant urban impact by reducing the number of cars on the road.
Impact of OEM Pressure: How Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are influencing rental strategies and what this means for the traditional car rental business.
Technological Transformation: The critical role of technology in modernizing the car rental process to meet new consumer expectations and competitive pressures.
About ZipCar:
Founded in 2000 by Antje Danielson and Robin Chase, ZipCar revolutionized car sharing by allowing members to reserve vehicles as needed without the long-term commitment of ownership. Acquired by Avis Budget Group in 2013, ZipCar's model demonstrated that a single shared vehicle could replace up to nine privately owned cars on city streets.
Future Projections:
OEM Influence: How car manufacturers are expected to impact the rental industry over the next 5-10 years.
Consumer Adaptation: How new generations will navigate the evolving constraints in the booking and rental process.
Technological Adoption: Why many traditional car rental operators fear losing ground in the rapidly advancing technological landscape.
Discover how the interplay of technology, consumer expectations, and industry pressures are reshaping the future of car rental in this enlightening episode.
📌 Here's a glimpse into the enriching discussion:
- 0:00:00 to 0:07:00 introduction of Julian Espiritu
- 0:07:00 to 0:15:45 amazing concept of ZipCar on a TV show late 90's
- 0:15:45 to 0:32:00 how pricing elasticity was used to optimize the demand in New York
- 0:32:10 to 0:40:08 ZipCar took off in 2007 before to be acquired by Avis for 500 million USD in 2009.
- 0:40:08 to 0:48:00 15yrs afterwards, where does the car sharing stand?
- 0:48:08 to 0:55:30 car rental will change under the pressure of OEM
- 0:55:30 to 1:08:55 will the legacy car rental operators lose the techno game?
- 1:08:55 to 1:17:10 how the new generation expects a Tesla-like customer service experience in car rentals
- 1:17:10 to end : Conclusion and final thoughts.