Photo courtesy of money.cnn.com
There was a time not too long ago when people could only imagine getting behind the wheel of car. Now, people can imagine a day when they won’t have to. As advancements in the technology behind self-driving cars continue to be made, several key players in the rental industry are taking notice.
Considered by many as one of the big three rental companies, Enterprise has over 5,500 offices within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population and controls 75 percent of the neighborhood market. The company, according to a recent story in Auto News, has long embraced an urban strategy and its leaders believe Enterprise is set up well for a future with autonomous vehicles.
According to industry experts, self-driving cars would eliminate the need of sending rental agents out for a pick-up or asking consumers to stop by the rental office. The vehicles would make rental companies more accessible, especially for those with disabilities, and also pave the way for future partnerships.
Of course, rental companies aren’t the only businesses that could benefit from self-driving cars. Autonomous vehicles could also allow car-sharing companies such as Zipcar to serve multiple people at once with one vehicle or offer smartphone-enabled on-demand pick-up services.
Although the possibilities are exciting, there are some experts who recommend we pump the brakes on our excitement a bit. It has been estimated that the concept of self-driving vehicles picking individuals up is more than two decades away from reality. Additionally, potential liability issues associated with the use of autonomous vehicles need to be considered, according to experts.
Sure, self-driving cars aren’t going to hit the market next year and yes, there are some issues that will need to be ironed out, but could you imagine taking a road trip across country without ever having to take a turn driving? Man, that would be sweet.
Do you think exotic cars like the Lamborghini. Ferrari, or Maserati will ever have this feature? Would you rent an exotic car if it was self-driven? What about a limosine? Would you rent a limousine that was on auto pilot?
Wondering, does a driver need insurance if the car is doing the driving? And who is responsible for an accident if the car gets a wreck if no one is driving it? And if you think about it, the first guy pulled over for a DUI will be giving the cop an interesting story lol.