This fall, National Car Rental will launch a service in
China that provides both cars and drivers for travelers via a partnership with
Deem. National will provide the service through Shanghai-based car-and-driver
service provider eHi Car Services, which has locations in more than 200 cities.
On Oct. 1, eHi will begin providing cars and drivers under the National brand.
National parent company Enterprise Holdings is an investor in eHi.
Deem is enabling bookings for the service through its Deem
Work Fource app and via other platforms, including GetThere, Apollo, Sabre Red
App and Egencia.
Enterprise Holdings VP of business rental sales and corporate
global accounts Don Moore said the service addition sprung from conversations
with corporate customers. "We have customers that are flying into China,
but they don't have a [Chinese] driver's license so they can't drive in
China," he said.
Enterprise COO and EVP Christine Taylor said the company may
offer similar services in other markets. "We are open to all
possibilities, but baby steps first," she said. "This clearly was the
market that was right for it."
New Website
National this week also launched a new website, which Moore
said cuts down on the number of clicks required to reserve a vehicle. The site
also has new features for Emerald Club members, including account management
tools and messaging options.