Car rental customer survey 2015

Document summary

Building on research in 2012, this report describes the results from a survey of 1,691 personal car rental customers undertaken in 2015. As previously, it is clear that the rental appeals to a wide variety of people, and is used for a diverse range of reasons. As well as convenience and flexibility, reasons cited for using rental include transport of bulky luggage, complex trip patterns, faster journey times and the ability to transport people who are elderlt or have a disability. Use of rental vehicles is relatively efficient compared with use of private cars: on average rental cars are newer and cleaner than the private car fleet; over 70% of rentals involve two or more people sharing the vehicle; and 75% of rentals are of small or medium sized car, Private rental customers are also favourably disposed towards hybrid and electric vehicles – 65% would consider using them for a future rental of less than 50 miles if they cost the same as a conventional vehicle. For about a quarter of rentals, respondents said they used the rental car to help them link with trains, planes or ferries as part of a longer journey, and 12% of rental customers owned a public transport season ticket. As a result of rental opportunities, some customers reported that they had previously bought a vehicle later, owned fewer vehicles or owned a smaller or more efficient vehicle; and that they were less likely to buy a vehicle in the future (with the numbers being grater than those reporting opposite effects).