Vehicle Data

There is much to debate about how and when fully autonomous vehicles will be significantly deployed. Regardless, Enterprise Holdings believes that connected and fully autonomous vehicles not only are inevitable, but they also will be transformative.

For example, any commercial truck renter can utilize Enterprise Telematics. Powered by Geotab, a global leader in telematics, Enterprise Telematics provides real-time tracking data for monitoring vehicle and driver performance, increasing opportunities for improving vehicle safety and reducing costs.

Meanwhile, decisions are being made about how the connected flow of such data will enable these vehicles to function. Consider that an Auto Care Association (ACA) survey recently found that more than eight in 10 U.S. vehicle owners and lessees believe car owners should have full access to and control of their vehicle's data, including maintenance and repair information. Specifically, 86 percent of consumers surveyed said vehicle owners should have access to driver and vehicle data and 88 percent of consumers also believe a vehicle's owner should decide who has access to this data.

In some places around the world, those decisions are being made with the influence of government. In other places, decisions are mostly dominated by interested parties. As a result, our focus remains on how the competitive landscape – today’s connected cars, auto manufacturers and suppliers, and the entire ecosystem of mobility service companies – could be impacted by policies deciding who has access to, and ultimately controls, the data.

Competitive Mobility

The global car rental industry continues to play a significant role in providing competitive mobility options. However, if steps are not taken to ensure a robust, competitive mobility market, businesses and consumers alike may be detrimentally affected long term.

We believe in drawing attention to some of the potential threats to competition that not only could negatively impact consumers, but also all future mobility-related industries, including autonomous fleets. For example:

The Canadian Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications published a report – “Driving Change: Technology and the Future of the Automated Vehicle” – at the request of the Minister of Transport. More than 78 witnesses, including Enterprise, provided testimony as the Committee focused on regulatory and technical issues related to the deployment of automated and connected vehicles. Enterprise Holdings also submitted a brief. The report featured 16 specific recommendations, including “monitoring the impact of automated and connected vehicle technology on competition between the various sectors of the automotive and mobility industries, in order to ensure that sectors such as the aftermarket and car rental companies continue to have access to the data they need to offer their services.”
The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA), of which Enterprise is a member, published a blog:“Canadian Innovation Leadership or Not in the Automotive Sector: Should Just the Automakers Control Access To Data from Autonomous Vehicles?” CATA also developed, in partnership with Enterprise, a video outlining the importance of open access to autonomous vehicle data, including perspectives from the European Economic Community and U.S. markets.
CATA published a video interview with the Automotive Industry Association of Canada (AIA) regarding the value of open data policies in Canada. AIA encouraged an open data ecosystem to drive innovation within the automobile industry.
At the 2018 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) conference in Las Vegas, Enterprise Holdings participated in a panel discussion – "The Future Impact of Telematics, Technology, Transportation and the Collision Industry" – and stressed that collaboration, transparency and technology-neutral standards across the automotive industry are essential ingredients for maximizing the potential benefits of connected vehicles. To that end, open, secure access to data not only is the best way to protect the rights of vehicle owners and consumers, but also to ensure third-party suppliers have every opportunity to collaborate and compete.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) published a study, “The Automotive Digital Transformation And The Economic Impacts Of Existing Data Access Models,” which discusses connected and autonomous driving, and the issue of access to in-vehicle data. The study highlights the fact that Enterprise Holdings “submitted a clear and comprehensive proposal for key principles in the discussion about access to in-vehicle data, which is in line with the views expressed by FIA and AFCAR. As providers of clean and affordable pay-as-you-go road transport, vehicle rental operators will play a key role in any integrated mobility as a service platform and transport policymakers need to engage with them.”
The U.S. Vehicle Data Access Coalition, which includes the American Car Rental Association, believes Congress should have the lead role in establishing standards for open access to all data generated, collected and stored by vehicles. The Coalition supports bi-partisan, bi-cameral legislative efforts to establish a framework for securing the continued rights of vehicle owners – and entities that secure the express permission of vehicle owners – to control and access vehicle-generated data on a real-time, secure and competitive basis.

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