Automotive Business Magazine – Q3 2026 – Digital edition - Flipbook - Page 79
OPINION
FL E E T
Will connected rental
data reshape fleet?
→ Gerry McCaig is chief operating officer at Nexus Rental
O
ver the next five years,
connected data is set to
become one of the defining
factors shaping the fleet
industry. The conversation
will move beyond simply
tracking vehicles across
owned and rental fleets,
as connected data enables
the industry to fundamentally reshape
relationships between fleet operators,
rental providers and more. The result
will be a more collaborative ecosystem,
where decisions are driven by real-time
insights rather than reflective reporting.
As of now, fleet operators are focused
on vehicle utilisation and cost control,
rental providers prioritise supply and
demand, and insurers typically only
become involved when they need to. As a
result, data remains fragmented across
multiple systems.
The idea of a connected ecosystem
is, quite simply, providing a better
understanding of trends and demand.
Capacity and location allocation can be
planned more efficiently, and customers
can make better long-term decisions.
Claims and compliance also become
simpler and more transparent, and costs
become easier to control and predict.
Over the next five years, connected
fleet tech will become more widely
available and increasingly expected
across the industry. This will enable the
consolidation of operational, utilisation,
maintenance and performance data
across various sectors.
Greater transparency between fleets,
providers and other stakeholders will
become not only possible, but essential.
In addition, combining owned vehicle
telematics with real time market insights
will lead to a more fluid remarketing
strategy to deliver optimal results.
This will translate into how operators
gain an understanding around vehicle
usage across owned and rental fleets.
The ability to better predict demand,
optimise allocation and support
customers will be a game changer.
On an even deeper scale, it will mean a
better understanding of how vehicles are
being utilised, whether driver behaviour is
impacting condition or performance, and
from an insurer's perspective, incidents
and accidents.
Sustainability data is going to become
just as important as financial or
utilisation data, especially as businesses
and the wider country continue
progressing towards net zero targets.
The fleet industry is under increasing
pressure to show measurable
environmental progress. Businesses will
need data covering fuel consumption,
EV utilisation, emissions outputs, idle
vehicle times, lifecycle performances
and charging behaviours to make better
informed decisions around sustainability.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to
play an increasingly important role. It
has already started to establish itself
in the fleet landscape, and the industry
is starting to understand where the
true value lies. It isn’t about simply
embedding it for innovation's sake, it’s
about helping to streamline processes
and free up the wider team to play a
more strategic role. The next five years
will show those who have embedded
it correctly, bringing together human
judgement with technology, rather than
just relying on automation.
Connected data means that the
entire fleet industry will be able to
work in a more collaborative way.
Fleet management will focus less on
accessing vehicles and more on how
they play a role in wider operational and
environmental strategies.
Data only holds value when it is shared
consistently across the ecosystem. The
foundations to achieve this are there
now, the challenge is whether businesses
are prepared to work collaboratively
to make this connected ecosystem a
realistic five-year goal.
Q3 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
7979
