The Covid-19 brought hell to car rental companies, when tourists and professionals suddenly stopped traveling. The figures for reservations, in 2020, plummeted to -95% (compared to 2019) at the height of the confinements. "Hertz in the United States, Europcar in Europe: many players have been bankrupt," indicates Olivier Hanoulle, automotive specialist and partner at Roland Berger, a consulting firm. Rental professionals have a lot of airport activity, the fall in air traffic has hit them hard, but in general all their underlying assets have suffered. They had no other solution than to limit their fleet… ”To reduce costs, the large agencies have sold their cars en masse and given up on new purchases. Europcar, for example,reduced its fleet by a third in Europe. Avis did the same in the United States.
Fewer cars then, but just as suddenly as they had disappeared, more travelers! Against the backdrop of the vaccination campaign and the gradual lifting of restrictions, the vast majority of our compatriots have in fact planned to travel through France this summer. "Car rental may be an ultra-seasonal business, in 2021, rental companies were unable to predict the tourist season," explains Olivier Hanoulle. They no longer have the fleets to meet demand. And since vacationers are the least profitable customers, I'm not sure they will come first. "
In fact, on major sites - Hertz, Europcar, Avis, etc. - prices are soaring (the more resourceful can try to reduce the bill a little, for example by refusing to buy back the excess if you pay with a premium card, which includes specific insurance). The study conducted by the car rental comparator Carigami, which analyzed the rates for a week in France, between June 1 and August 31, 2021, notes this overall increase. The average cost, all models combined, now stands at 352 euros, or + 35% compared to 2019. The rating varies from one city to another: if the cost has increased by up to + 87% in Corsica (Figari), other destinations show a more reasonable increase: + 9% in Lille, + 6% in Toulouse, + 7% in Marseille.
Red alert for those who have not yet booked?
Jean-Philippe Doyen, president of the rental business at the National Council of Automotive Professions, is reassuring in terms of availability: “There are still rental cars left for this summer.
Even if the fleets have been reduced, the profession is prepared to welcome customers in greater proportions than in the previous months ”.
However, book as early as possible, especially since it is risk-free.
“Many players have taken uncertainty into account in their trade policies.
The cancellation conditions are made easier.
"
Success of rental sites between individuals
The pressure on the demand for rental vehicles is accentuated by the deficit of new cars. In addition to the Covid, which has led factories to idle, several production lines have indeed been stopped in recent weeks, due to the shortage of semiconductors. In total, more than a million vehicles in Europe were not produced in this first quarter.
In this new context, vacationers are looking for their salvation on rental sites… between individuals.
Today, this sector represents around 6% of the market.
“The modes of car rental in
pear to pear
are in full development, underlines Olivier Hanoulle, like the American Getaround which bought the French site Drivy”.
Many other sites exist, for example OuiCar, one of the French leaders.
Benoît Sineau, the CEO, has a smile: “In June 2021, we are growing by 80% compared to June 2020, which was already exceptional since it was the end of the first confinement.
"
Read also Car rental between individuals, the big winner of the summer?
Of course, OuiCar benefits fully from the tensions in the traditional rental market and the summer vacation effect. But not only. “We are also recording a telework phenomenon, underlines Benoît Sineau, with people who go to telework in places where traditional rental is not present. The Avis network, for example, has 500 agencies, but France has 3,200 stations, and second homes in tens of thousands of small villages ”. OuiCar now offers 35,000 active cars on its site and claims 2.3 million members. The company argues that customers pay the rental 30% to 50% less than at a traditional rental company. Rental platforms between individuals make it possible to choose a category of vehicle, but sometimes also a specific model.Be careful, however, of unforeseen events (if the car breaks down before your rental, you will not have a replacement car) and other unpleasant surprises (condition of the car).