What is the hype behind Vehicle as a Service (VaaS) and what does it mean for the mobility industry? An increasing number of both individual and corporate customers perceive owning a vehicle as a cumbersome responsibility. The once-prevalent notion of cars as status symbols has diminished. Vehicle ownership entails commitments and duties that many people are now unwilling to shoulder. Consequently, there is a discernible shift in the automotive landscape, with a growing preference for usage-based models over traditional ownership. Bearing this in mind, both OEM-s and mobility service providers are looking into digital solutions that give people access to vehicles on a needs basis.
As a travel tech company, Car Rental Gateway’s mission is to connect people to sustainable mobility. We develop technology that helps to tap into the full potential of VaaS, and enjoy all the benefits it has compared to traditional vehicle ownership. However, for VaaS to be truly welcomed by the customers, the user journey needs to be seamless throughout the whole usage period: from the moment the need for using a vehicle rises to the moment the vehicle is returned. It is precisely this why a holistic digital product stack compatible with the full range of VaaS private mobility models has been the focus of Car Rental Gateway’s product R&D in recent years.
VaaS advocates for vehicle usage on a needs basis. The catch being that the needs of people vary quite a lot. In urban areas, one might need to drive a vehicle only for relatively short periods of time without prior scheduling (e.g. when it rains, one has heavy shopping bags etc.). A construction company operating in different locations might on the other hand need to provide its project managers with freedom to move at erratic times for a longer period of time (e.g. until the project is finished). Car Rental Gateway has designed its products to be compatible with vehicle usage demands from 1 hour to 24 months - covering both the on-demand, scheduled rental and vehicle subscription spectrum of the VaaS model.
The scales of customer preference are turning from vehicle ownership to VaaS. And it is happening fast. Embracing the transition from the “traditional” rental to the multimodal digital private mobility domain, is the key for businesses to remain successful. Car Rental Gateway’s comprehensive product covers all the crucial aspects of vehicle usage service: booking the vehicle, accessing the vehicle, fleet management & vehicle data tracking. Trusting us with the technology allows you to concentrate on the business side, and enjoy the fruits of digital mobility service.
