Similarly to how AVIS is managing and servicing Waymo’s fleet of self-driving cars, Apple is engaging Hertz in the same manner as reported by Bloomberg. The tech giant is leasing Lexus RX450h from Hertz’s Donlen leasing unit. Although the deal isn’t something huge it does give a glimpse on how the business may be modelled in the future.
Whilst some tech companies are focusing on just the technology to enable self-driving cars, they don’t have the expertise to manage a fleet as well as service the fleet. That is where car-for-hire companies such as Hertz and AVIS come in handy. These two companies have been facing increasing challenges in the market as well as new technologies such as self-driving cars have pushed their stocks lower than they have imagined.
It has been reported that Apple has around a dozen cars which are being tested in San Francisco without any drivers. With this, if the trend continues as more tech players may look to car rental firms for their self-driving fleet, it would prove to be a boon for the industry. More and more players are trying to jump on the bandwagon.
