The traditional car rental via an app - it's here
April 25, 2022
min. read
Although the younger generation uses mobile technology for everything, most car rentals still operate the same way as they did 20 years ago - there are counters, employees who will issue keys, sign the papers, check the documents, process the payment, and then walk around the car together with the person, who rents in order to make sure they’re on the same page as far as the existing damages go. This process is time-consuming, and when the flight arrives, car rental booths have queues up to the gates.
However, some car rentals have already introduced a fully automated mobile-first experience to get rid of the issues that a traditional approach faces. If you operate a car rental business, you'll discover the solution below.
Would moving online solve the issues?
The previous example explained the pain points of airport car rentals. Most in-city car rentals do not have the kind of rush hours that their airport branches do. Some car rentals have even set up a fully online reservation system that will allow you to book the car, verify your identity, pay in advance, and then wait until an employee brings the car to your doorstep.
However, even in the scenario mentioned above, there are the same people working behind the scenes to make all this happen. The difference is that they are not sitting in the booth and communicating with the customer face-to-face. They are sitting in the office and dealing with all of that remotely. And when the car is delivered, the handoff processes are still in-person.
Is there a better way?
While a fully online experience solves some of the problems that the traditional car rental model faces, is this really the way people want to rent cars? While website designs and user interfaces are improving every day, navigating and booking processes are still often painful experiences for the users.
It takes a lot of resources to build a mobile-friendly browser-based booking system, such as AirBnB or Booking.com. However, if you are using a phone when browsing their site, even they are naturally guiding you to download their app for a better user experience.
The younger generation manages all their day-to-day errands from their phone, so naturally, they would do the same when renting their car. And it would be even better if they don’t have to see another human in the process of getting and returning their car - doesn’t that sound familiar and quite like AirBnB’s standard self-check-in model?
Why not mobile apps?
If apps deliver a better user experience on mobile, then why not allow your customers to rent cars via your mobile app?
Development costs - so far the main obstacle has been the fact that car rental companies do not want to become software developers, and hiring a company to build the apps that actually work would end up being too expensive to deliver ROI in the near future. That’s why it would be easier to stick with the status quo.
Technical limitations - another reason why apps haven’t become a popular medium for car rentals is that apps have technical limitations, and human interaction is still required to issue keys, sign the documents, and make sure the car is in good condition when returned.
We see a huge trend in app usage for on-demand car-sharing, which is a different business model entirely. Since the car-sharing industry is relatively young, the companies are not restricted by the bureaucracy and procedures that traditional car rentals are facing. While car-sharing apps may take the business of short-distance trips away from traditional car rentals, they won’t threaten the bread and butter of long-term rental businesses just yet.
Tech to the rescue
How could a traditional car rental business step into the 21st century and automate the whole rental process without spending a fortune on app development while making sure to still leverage its standard operating procedures and current risk management practices?
With a proper technology suite that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg - https://atommobility.com/products-rent
ATOM Mobility has been offering white-label software solutions for the mobility industry since 2019. With customers in more than 40 countries and 140 cities worldwide, any car rental business will be in good company.
An ideal car rental flow - with ATOM Mobility, a car rental would get its own apps for IOS and Android, where users would go through the following (simplified) journey:
Download the app and register.
Upload a driver’s license that will be verified by artificial intelligence (AI).
Choose dates, location, and the model.
Pay in advance.
Unlock the car with the app.
Enjoy the rental car.
Return and complete a standard walk-around-the-car handoff inspection powered by FocalX that automatically recognizes and reports any scratches.
The whole process is automated, and the information for each rental transaction will be available in the back-end for car rental businesses.
The freedom that this new mobile-first flow provides for both users and rental businesses is a great example of how technology can help to provide a better service. Opening up a new location is as simple as driving the cars to a new parking lot.
If you operate a car rental business, we’d be happy to chat - https://atommobility.com/demo
Interested in launching your own mobility platform?
Click below to learn more or request a demo.
Blog
ATOM Connect 2026: Bringing the shared micromobility industry together
The micromobility industry doesn’t need another generic mobility conference. 🚫🎤 It needs real conversations between operators who are actually in the field. ⚙️ That’s exactly what ATOM Connect 2026 is built for. 🎯🤝
February 25, 2026
min. read
The shared mobility industry is evolving rapidly. Operators are navigating scaling challenges, regulatory complexity, hardware decisions, fleet optimization, and new integration models, all while aiming for sustainable growth.
That’s exactly why ATOM Mobility is organizing ATOM Connect 2026.
Our previous edition of ATOM Connect brought together professionals from the car sharing and rental industry for focused, high-quality discussions and networking. This year, we are narrowing the focus and dedicating the entire event to one fast-moving segment of the industry: shared micromobility.
ATOM Connect 2026 is designed specifically for operators, partners, and decision-makers working in shared micromobility. It is not a broad mobility conference or a public exhibition. It is a curated space for industry professionals to exchange practical experience, insights, and lessons learned.
On May 14th, 2026 in Riga, we will once again bring the community together, this time with a clear focus on micromobility.
What to expect
This year’s agenda will address the real operational and strategic questions shaping shared micromobility today:
- Scaling fleets sustainably
- Multi-vehicle operations beyond scooters
- Regulatory cooperation and long-term city partnerships
- Data-driven fleet optimization
- MaaS integration and ecosystem collaboration
- Marketing and automation for growth
As usual, we aim to host both local and international operators from smaller, fast-growing fleets to established large-scale players alongside hardware providers and ecosystem partners.
On stage, you’ll hear from leading shared mobility companies - including Segway on hardware partnerships, Umob on MaaS integration, Anadue on data-driven fleet intelligence, Elerent on multi-vehicle operational realities and more insightful discussions.
The goal is simple: meaningful discussions with people who understand the operational realities of the industry.
A curated, industry-focused event
ATOM Connect is free to attend, but participation is industry-focused (each submission is manually reviewed and verified). We are intentionally keeping the audience relevant and aligned to ensure high-quality conversations and valuable networking.
If you work in shared micromobility and would like to join the event, you can find the full agenda and register here:
👉 https://www.atommobility.com/atom-connect-2026
In the coming weeks, we will be revealing more speakers and additional agenda updates. We look forward to bringing the industry together again.
Blog
Unmet demand heatmap: Turn missed searches into measurable revenue growth
📉 Every unmet search is lost revenue. The unmet demand heatmap shows where users actively searched for vehicles but none were available - giving operators clear, search-based demand signals to rebalance fleets 🚚, improve conversions 📈, and grow smarter 🧠.
February 17, 2026
min. read
Fleet operators don’t lose revenue because of lack of demand - they lose it because demand appears in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s exactly the problem the Unmet demand heatmap solves.
This new analytics layer from ATOM Mobility shows where users actively searched for vehicles but couldn’t find any within reach. Not guesses. Not assumptions. Real, proven demand currently left on the table.
What is the unmet demand heatmap?
The unmet demand heatmap highlights locations where:
- A user opened the app
- Actively searched for available vehicles
- No vehicle was found within the defined search radius
In other words: high-intent users who wanted to ride, but couldn’t. Unlike generic “app open” data, unmet demand is recorded only when a real vehicle search happens, making this one of the most actionable datasets for operators.
Why unmet demand is more valuable than app opens
Many analytics tools track where users open the app (ATOM Mobility provides this data too). That’s useful - but incomplete. Unmet demand answers a much stronger question:
Where did users try to ride and failed? That difference matters.
Unmet demand data is:
✅ Intent-driven (search-based, not passive)
✅ Directly tied to lost revenue
✅ Immediately actionable for rebalancing and expansion
✅ Credible for discussions with cities and partners
How it works
Here’s how the logic is implemented under the hood:
1. Search-based trigger. Unmet demand is recorded only when a user performs a vehicle search. No search = no data point.
2. Distance threshold. If no vehicle is available within 1,000 meters, unmet demand is logged.
- The radius can be customized per operator
- Adaptable for dense cities vs. suburban or rural areas
3. Shared + private fleet support. The feature tracks unmet demand for:
- Shared fleets
- Private / restricted fleets (e.g. corporate, residential, campus)
This gives operators a full picture across all use cases.
4. GPS validation. Data is collected only when:
- GPS is enabled
- Location data is successfully received
This ensures accuracy and avoids noise.
Smart data optimization (no inflated demand)
To prevent multiple searches from the same user artificially inflating demand, the system applies intelligent filtering:
- After a location is stored, a 30-minute cooldown is activated
- If the same user searches again within 30 minutes And within 100 meters of the previous location → the record is skipped
- After 30 minutes, a new record is stored - even if the location is unchanged
Result: clean, realistic demand signals, not spammy heatmaps.
Why this matters for operators
📈 Increase revenue
Unmet demand shows exactly where vehicles are missing allowing you to:
- Rebalance fleets faster
- Expand into proven demand zones
- Reduce failed searches and lost rides
🚚 Smarter rebalancing
Instead of guessing where to move vehicles, teams can prioritize:
- High-intent demand hotspots
- Time-based demand patterns
- Areas with repeated unmet searches
🏙 Stronger city conversations
Unmet demand heatmaps are powerful evidence for:
- Permit negotiations
- Zone expansions
- Infrastructure requests
- Data-backed urban planning discussions
📊 Higher conversion rates
Placing vehicles where users actually search improves:
- Search → ride conversion
- User satisfaction
- Retention over time
Built for real operational use
The new unmet demand heatmap is designed to work alongside other analytics layers, including:
- Popular routes heatmap
- Open app heatmap
- Start & end locations heatmap
Operators can also:
- Toggle zone visibility across heatmaps
- Adjust time periods (performance-optimized)
- Combine insights for strategic fleet planning
From missed demand to competitive advantage
Every unmet search is a signal. Every signal is a potential ride. Every ride is revenue. With the unmet demand heatmap, operators stop guessing and start placing vehicles exactly where demand already exists.
👉 If you want to see how unmet demand can unlock growth for your fleet, book a demo with ATOM Mobility and explore how advanced heatmaps turn data into decisions.
Driver App demo credentials - Email: test@atom.com, Password: driver
