Avis Budget Group and Continental announced an expanded partnership, which will see Avis boost its fleet of connected cars in Europe and the U.S. by equipping 50,000 vehicles with Continental’s enhanced Key as a Service (KaaS) technology — 25,000 of which will be in Europe.

Continental’s enhanced KaaS solution allows for two-way data communication between a vehicle and Avis Budget Group’s cloud-based system and its Avis mobile app, which effectively “connects” the car. Connected vehicles empower Avis customers to manage their entire rental experience through the recently updated Avis mobile app.

In addition, Continental’s aftermarket solution eliminates the need for physical car keys and enables customers to use the Avis mobile app to unlock the car and start the engine. Until now, the KaaS solution only allowed for keyless entry and ignition and was only available in the Avis Budget Group “Mobility Lab” in Kansas City, Mo., which serves as a test bed for fully connected vehicles and operations.

Continental’s aftermarket KaaS technology offers scalability across car manufacturers, vehicle models and regions and quicker time to market with no circuitry changes or modifications in the vehicle architecture. It includes services and hardware.

Avis Budget Group and Continental will showcase the offering during the Consumer Electronics Show in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center on Jan. 8-11.