New Zealand’s rental car fleet is set for a $20 million boost following a new agreement between Auckland Airport and GO Rentals, the local franchisee of Enterprise Holdings – the world’s largest car rental business with more than 10,000 global branches.
An in-terminal branch will open inside the international arrival hall, while the company will significantly expand its local fleet size to accommodate a projected surge in demand from corporate travellers.
About half of the 55,000 vehicles in New Zealand’s rental fleet went to the secondhand market during the COVID-19 pandemic, and global supply chain disruptions have subsequently impacted the ability to rapidly rebuild the fleet size, so there are currently 18,000 fewer vehicles than before COVID, GO Rentals says.
More than $20 million will be invested in a further 500 new rental vehicles to operate under the Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Alamo and National Car Rental brands.
The additional vehicles are set to arrive before the end of the year and will make up 5% of the current shortfall in New Zealand’s national fleet, which is still recovering from the global supply chain challenges that have impacted new car availability, says GO Rentals.
The agreement with Auckland Airport will also see GO Rentals double its annual revenue within a year, says GO Rentals chief operating officer James Dalglish.
He says the multi-million-dollar fleet upgrade will cover up to nine different classes of vehicles ranging from passenger to commercial and will also include dozens of EVs.
Dalglish says their largest markets include North American and European corporates from the tech, education, and energy sectors visiting New Zealand to expand their local operations.
“The partnership with Auckland Airport is the sixth in-terminal presence we have established within airports around NZ, including Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown, Nelson, and Dunedin, and means we can now offer thousands of international corporate and leisure travellers a more seamless service model as they travel around the country.
“The move will also give us the chance to significantly build our brand equity and saliency in this segment through exposure to the hundreds of thousands of travellers that pass through the airport every month.”
Dalglish says Enterprise is growing its presence in the trans-Tasman market and there is a need for greater brand alignment across the two markets.
“The arrivals area of our airports is often the first impression that a traveller has of New Zealand,” he explains.
“From a brand perspective, it is critical that high-value North American and European corporate travellers have a comparable experience as they travel from market to market.
“The presence of companies they are familiar with operating in a country can even act as a tacit endorsement for the business environment in which they are entering,” he says.
“We started working with the Enterprise business model a year ago and have spent that time improving our operations and learning a new software platform.
“GO Rentals has an existing mobile application that allows customers to book, check-in online, and complete their agreement all before they pick up their keys.
“In the future, we will look to integrate that platform to work with Enterprise’s systems, and it will help to significantly expedite the transaction speed for customers.”
New Zealand staff numbers will increase 20% to more than 150, adds Dalglish.
“Globally, Enterprise has a number of services that could be adapted to the New Zealand market over time.
“One of the areas we are looking at in particular is a long-term rental product. This is a bridge between lease and rental, but not quite as formal and could operate as a multi-month subscription within this market,” he says.
View the full article: https://evsandbeyond.co.nz/dozens-of-evs-in-rental-car-expansion/
About GO Rentals:
GO Rentals is a Kiwi-owned and operated car rental company. As trusted local experts with 24 years of experience in the travel industry, their focus on technology, innovation, and visitor experience has seen them grow from a small family-owned business to a multi-award winning national brand.
GO Rentals currently has eight branches nationwide, Including Auckland (City and Airport), Waiheke, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Dunedin.
Kiwi consumers acknowledged GO Rentals as New Zealand’s favourite car rental provider in 2023. GO Rentals was the clear winner of Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers being the only company to earn a top 5-Star award for Overall Satisfaction.
