PARSIPPANY, N.J. and
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avis Budget Group,
Inc. (NASDAQ: CAR) and Continental have teamed up to offer
travelers in the Kansas City area
a chance to be the first to test the future of car rental — a
completely mobile experience that features keyless entry and
ignition. Under the exclusive agreement, selected vehicles in the
Avis Car Rental fleet are enabled with Continental's
Key-as-a-Service (KaaS) technology that empowers Avis customers to
use the Avis mobile app to lock/unlock the car and start the
engine.
This new service debuts in the Kansas
City area as another aspect of Avis Budget Group's "Mobility
Lab" which comprises more than 20 Avis Car Rental locations in the
area and features a fleet of connected vehicles. These vehicles are
connected to the Company's fleet management platform and the Avis
mobile app, which provides customers with an end-to-end next
generation user experience that offers customization, convenience
and speed. The initiative also offers operational efficiencies,
serves as a test bed for future innovation, and positions the
Company for collaboration with municipalities around the globe as
they move forward with Smart City initiatives.
"Our partnership with Continental helps us deliver the
next generation of mobility solutions and lays the foundation for
entirely keyless car rental," said Larry De
Shon, president and chief executive officer, Avis Budget
Group. "Keyless car rental not only offers customers the ultimate
in convenience and personalization, but will also enable us to
accelerate our offerings into new markets as we continue to
innovate the overall car rental experience."
Continental's aftermarket Key-as-a-Service technology offers
scalability across car manufacturers, vehicle models and regions
and quicker time to market with no circuitry changes or
modifications in the vehicle architecture. It includes services and
hardware.
"In the evolving world of shared mobility, smartphones are fast
becoming the gateway to on-demand services," said Ralf Lenninger, head of intelligent
transportation systems business unit, Continental. "With our
Key-as-a-Service technology for connected cars, we are expanding
our offerings in the market and enabling a seamless mobile solution
for consumers. By partnering with Avis Budget Group, we are able to
bring this innovative technology, backed by the deep automotive
know-how of Continental, to new customers. We look forward to
working with Avis Budget Group to explore and further develop the
efficiencies and future possibilities that this solution
provides."
Avis Budget Group and Continental will demonstrate the solution
during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January
9-12, 2018.
About Avis Budget Group
Avis Budget Group, Inc. is a leading global provider of
mobility solutions, both through its Avis and Budget brands, which
have more than 11,000 rental locations in approximately
180 countries around the world, and through its Zipcar
brand, which is the world's leading car sharing network, with more
than one million members. Avis Budget Group operates most of its
car rental offices in North
America, Europe and
Australia directly, and operates
primarily through licensees in other parts of the world. Avis
Budget Group has approximately 30,000 employees and is
headquartered in Parsippany, N.J.
More information is available at www.avisbudgetgroup.com.
About Continental
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services
for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods.
Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient,
intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines,
traffic and transport. In 2016, Continental generated sales of
€40.5 billion and currently employs more than 230,000 people in 56
countries.
Information management in and beyond the vehicle is at the very
heart of the Interior division. The product portfolio for
different types of vehicles includes: instrument clusters,
multifunctional and head-up displays, control units, access control
and tire-information systems, radios, infotainment systems, input
devices, control panels, climate control units, software, cockpits
as well as services and solutions for telematics and Intelligent
Transportation Systems. The Interior division employs more than
43,000 people worldwide and generated sales of €8.3 billion in
2016.
The press release is available in the following languages:
English, German
Links
Press portal:
www.continental-press.com
Media database:
www.continental-mediacenter.com
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SOURCE Continental