Live From CES 2020: National Highlights the Future of Vehicle and Travel Tech

When time is money, providing the right transportation solutions and technologies becomes table stakes for companies hoping to win, and keep the loyalty of business travelers. In fact, research from the third annual National Car Rental State of Business Travel Survey* reveals that 90% of frequent business travelers prefer travel brands whose technology offerings make their travel experience better or easier. As part of its commitment to giving road warriors exceptional service through innovation, National Car Rental again partnered with Andru Edwards, founder and chief executive officer of Gear Live and host of Geekwire, to broadcast live on the brand’s Twitter channel from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 to discuss the future of vehicle and business travel technology. 

Use the slideshow below to watch each day’s broadcast.

“Auto manufacturers are leapfrogging themselves to introduce features that merge high-tech with a human touch, including voice command, self-driving assistance and AI learning,” said Edwards. “As CES becomes the go-to destination for auto manufacturers launching new vehicle technologies, National Car Rental has been there live to keep its customers in the know about the future of transportation and travel.”

With roughly 300,000-square feet of automotive exhibit space, CES has become one of the largest automotive shows in the U.S. Edwards reported live from the showroom floor with National’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners, including Ford, Nissan and Toyota, to highlight advancements and innovations such as vehicle connectivity, electrification, AI-powered entertainment systems and intelligent mobility that demonstrate the continued convergence of the automotive and tech industries.

Use the slideshow below to watch Andru Edwards’ CES 202 interviews with Ford, Nissan and Toyota.

“Technology continues to reshape our customers’ expectations, which is why National is laser-focused on offering innovative solutions to provide customers with a frictionless, enjoyable rental experience,” said Frank Thurman, vice president of marketing for National Car Rental. “As we work to ensure our fleet is equipped with the best, cutting-edge technology, we’re excited to team up with Andru and some of our top OEM partners to reveal the newest vehicle technologies from the CES showroom floor.”

In addition to its presence at CES, National, the premier car rental brand for frequent airport travelers, continues to evolve its service offerings for road warriors with innovative initiatives and platforms designed to create a best-in-class customer experience. For example, the brand’s award-winning mobile app provides business travelers with a single point of contact to manage all aspects of the rental journey. And National’s website was recently ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction for ease of navigation, overall appearance, range of services/activities, clarity of information provided and page load speed.

This customer-centric approach to bringing innovative technologies to life at scale represents a core strength of Enterprise Holdings, which owns and operates National along with the Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Alamo Rent A Car brands. During CES 2020, executives from Enterprise Holdings were featured speakers in Deloitte’s “Smart Future” program. The sessions explored how industries and people respond as “smart” tech becomes a global reality, and how this foundational change impacts how the world connects and operates. Enterprise’s Chief Executive Officer Chrissy Taylor gave the Jan. 6 keynote speech, focusing on strategies for delivering a superior human experience in an evolving mobility environment. Immediately following, Paul Reh, vice president of customer experience, joined a panel with leaders from Marriott International and Delta Air Lines to discuss how all humans – employees and customers – interface with mobility and travel.

National’s CES livestream broadcasts were produced by Chicago-based Intersport.

*The 2020 National Car Rental State of Business Travel Survey was conducted November 18-26, 2019, among 995 U.S. frequent business travelers in Lucid’s Federated Sample market research panel of U.S. consumers. At the time of the survey, participants had to have been 25 to 65 years of age, be currently employed or self-employed on a full-time (35+ hours a week) basis and traveled in the past 12 months for business purposes with a minimum of eight total nights.