Car rental companies have been struggling against two disruptive waves over the last five years, first from ride hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft and then the autonomous revolution that is still admittedly in its infancy. These two threats are converging into one, as the likes of Uber recruit autonomous driving to their cause to slash costs and increase flexibility further. This has left the big car rental firms like Hertz and Avis having to break free quickly from their traditional conservatism if they are to survive and avoid autonomous driving ushering in their “Kodak” or “Blockbuster” or moment. They have relatively little time to reinvent themselves for a new age of the automobile that is also a great…