In an industry first, Avis Car Rental is spearheading a transformation of its fleet in support of its commitment to provide mobility solutions to customers.

This initiative will result in 50,000 more vehicles becoming fully connected cars by early 2018, more than doubling the number of connected vehicles in the Avis fleet, according to the company.

In turn, it will provide travelers with increased control and convenience over their rental experience while also delivering operational efficiencies.

"This investment will bring the total of connected cars in the Avis fleet to nearly 100,000," said Arthur Orduña, chief innovation officer, Avis Budget Group. "It will also ensure that we remain at the forefront of our industry and will bring us one step closer to realizing what we believe is the future of car rental for our customers."

According to the company, connected cars enable an expedited rental experience for customers during pick-up and drop-off by providing Avis with real-time access to vehicle information, including:

- The vehicles' maintenance needs so that they are addressed promptly and prior to vehicles being rented.

- Fuel consumption measured to the tenth of a gallon for more precise customer billing.

- Mileage readings at the start and end of each rental for a faster experience.

In addition, customers renting a connected vehicle benefit from one-touch returns and instant email receipts. Customers also get the convenience of locking and unlocking the car's doors and flashing the vehicle's headlights from the Avis mobile app to assist in locating their rental vehicle.