New Delhi, Dec 26 (FN Bureau) India has witnessed a massive shift towards sustainable tourism, with about 87 percent of travelers seeking sustainable travel options. “Today, people are more aware of climate change and its contribution to the alarming pollution levels, thus becoming environmentally conscious by ensuring that their activities don’t exhaust natural resources or cause any harm to nature. This transition in the thought process has a direct impact on their travelling habits, making sustainable tourism one of the latest and most compelling travel trends so far,” Greg Moran, CEO and CoFounder of Zoomcar said.
“Owning a car, which once was a matter of prestige, is today seen only as an added commitment. Car ownership comes with its fair share of recurring costs such as EMIs, insurance, repairs and maintenance, and the annual depreciation value. Thus, millennials are now preferring instant gratification without long-term commitment weighing them down,” he said. “The very business model of Zoomcar is centred on reducing the burden of increasing vehicles on the infrastructure and the environment, the data shows that a car shared takes 20 other cars off the road. People are now looking for shorter-term mobility access as opposed to long-term investment. The notion of owning a car amidst such an intensifying emphasis on social distance may have taken the backseat,” said Mr Moran. “Still, the necessity of a mobility service remains as relevant as before. As people would avoid public transport to keep themselves safe from contracting the virus, the need for rental cars will only go up.
Zoomcar seeks to transform idle vehicle capacity by leasing private vehicles to create better utilization and dramatically reduce on-road congestion and urban air pollution in cities,” he shared. With car rentals, it has become easier for users to find the right vehicle based on their requirements. Whether one needs a car for a vacation, attending a business meeting, or simply travelling to another city with family, car rental services are offering a wide range of vehicles suiting an individual’s needs just at the click of a button. Renting a car allows users to save a great deal of money while enjoying hassle-free services without any long-term commitments. “Electric Vehicles (EVs) have become sought after for a variety of reasons, including their environment-friendly nature and long-term cost savings offered to users. In fact, India’s EV market, despite being at a nascent stage overall, has been witnessing steady growth in recent years, with an increasing number of consumers taking the EV route and the government introducing policies to facilitate an EV-conducive environment,” he further said. Technological innovations have also become an integral part of the automotive industry. Besides hardware and software, business models are evolving at a rapid pace as there is also a huge shift in preference toward usage, particularly shared mobility, over vehicle ownership.
Today’s customers are much more interested in mobility-on-demand, cost-effectiveness, and convenience and the sooner industry players can adapt to the changing requirements, the better. The automotive industry is moving towards the concept of ‘connected vehicles’ where vehicles become connected to each other, to different technologies, and to people. More and more will come with built-in applications based on automotive telematics, telecommunication, and informatics. “Climate change is real, and it’s high time for all of us to work actively on reducing our carbon footprint in whatever ways possible. Integration of comprehensive technology along with safety measures in car rental services has further ensured businesses to expand their services on a wide user spectrum and improve the overall user experience. The rental car industry is poised for explosive growth over the next few years and is certainly a sustainable model,” he added.