Evolution of rent-a-car vs. the collaborative economy

Although in Spain the so-called collaborative economy has emerged and developed with the crisis, as a result of the scarcity of resources and the awareness of seeking new ways of saving, in recent years we are witnessing its consolidation. Electronic platforms, mobile applications and social networks have made new ways of exchanging products and services more than ever integrated into our cultural patterns, especially among young people.

Like any other form of mobility, these new forms of collaboration have an impact on the rent-a-car business, although not with the same intensity as they do in other sectors. At least they do not affect in an important way the consolidated companies, those that offer a specialized and quality service, since we respond to a type of needs that would be difficult to cover from these platforms.

And the type of services demanded by its users are closer to scenarios linked to cab and public transport than to driving your own car. Not only because of the economic conditioning factor, but also because of the particularities of the trip: it is not the same for a business client who lands at an airport and has a tight schedule with commitments in different parts of a city, than for a student who travels on the weekend to spend a few days of leisure in another destination.

Other rent-a-car customers, such as the replacement customer, with replacement car coverage, or the family renting a minivan to enjoy a week at the beach or in the mountains, require high levels of autonomy, safety and flexibility, which are differently achievable

by these new forms of mobility.

Thus, the car rental sector and collaborative vehicles not only coexist in harmony today, but will continue to do so in the coming years, just as has always been the case with other forms of mobility.