Pub. 19 2020-2021 Issue 2

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E 2 | 2 0 2 0 20 new jersey auto retailer 5 Ways Mobility Will Look Different in a Post Coronavirus World BY JOE GEORGE COVID-19 has delivered a gut punch to the automotive industry, the likes of which we haven’t seen before, including mobility. And while there’s universal agreement the future is still fleets and ACES ( Autonomous and Aerial, Connect- ed, Electric and Shared ), the path will be different from what we projected even six months or a year ago. Here are the ways I believe mobility will change — or stay the same — in the next 12 to 18 months. Ride-hailing and car-sharing isn’t making a big comeback any time soon When’s the last time you got into a Lyft or an Uber? If you’re like me and most of America, it’s been months. Our April research indicated 31% of consumers planned to wait at least four months — or until a vaccine is available — before getting in a Lyft or Uber, with another 19% unsure. With cases ticking up again, I imagine current research would have similar findings. People are returning to work, which means business will start to pick up slightly for ride-hailing companies. To meet chang- ing consumer expectations, they’ll have to continue adjusting policies and procedures. I also expect to see more and deeper ride-hailing/public transit partnerships as that will likely help both parties reach commuters at scale. Even when virus fears subside, Lyft and Uber will continue to feel the impacts of many companies adopting generous, new work-from-home policies and of the tourism market having a long road to recovery. High volume of delivered goods will continue growing With more people working from home and nervous about the coronavirus, restaurant takeout, grocery deliveries and Amazon deliveries are soaring. “2020 is setting up to be an e-commerce inflection year as the combination of shelter-in-place, lower spend on experiences ( dining out, bars, travel, etc. ) and [ government ] stimulus have driven dollars online,” according to analysts at Morgan Stanley. What does all this mean for mobility? We’re going to continue to see declining personal vehicle use and increasing fleet vehicle use, whether those fleet vehicles are personally or commercially owned. And those fleet vehicles, as they incur more miles and wear and tear inside and out, are going to need to be serviced more frequently. Consumers will continue to demand sanitization and convenience Many of us are dousing our hands, phones and/or credit cards with sanitizer at least once a day. The idea of having a vendor in our homes or cars creates anxiety and uncertainty. This anxiety will be engrained in our subconscious for years to come, in a similar way to experts projecting less handshaking and hugging for the foreseeable future. Not surprisingly, via our 2020 Cox Automotive COVID-19 Consumer & Impact Study, we found 83% of U.S. consumers polled say it’s extremely/very important for the dealership to disinfect vehicle surfaces after a service or test drive. Beyond dealerships, automobile, bus, train and air fleet owners/ operators and ride-share providers also recognize the need to disinfect ( not just clean ) their vehicles and cabins regularly, espe- cially now. RideKleen and its PureProtect solution is positioned well to lead in the market. RideKleen-performed services and product solutions use an EPA-registered approved antimicrobial product that kills up to 99.9% of germs, bacteria, mold, mil- dew and emerging viruses. Moreover, PureProtect inhibits the growth of harmful germs, mold and mildew for up to 30 days post-treatment — keeping vehicles protected for an extended period of time. In addition to disinfecting vehicles, dealerships who implement “touchless interactions,” such as valet pickup and drop-off programs, drive sales and service revenue while safely meeting customers’ needs.