Modern vehicles generate, store, and transmit large volumes of data about vehicle systems and operations. This data is vital for ensuring optimal performance and safety for both individual vehicle owners and fleet operators.
Photo: Martin Romjue / Bobit Business Media
The American Vehicle Owners Alliance (AVOA) launched on Feb. 25 to ensure vehicle owners — not just manufacturers — have full access and control over the data generated by their vehicles.
AVOA will advocate for policies protecting consumers’ property rights, fostering competition, and preventing unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on owner’s access to vehicle-generated data.
AVOA has eight founding members: the American Car Rental Association (ACRA), the National Consumers League, the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA), Enterprise Mobility, the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA), Safelite, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), and Hertz.
Richard Ward will serve as its first executive director.
“When you purchase a vehicle — whether as an individual or a business — you own it, just as you would any other property,” Ward said in a news release. “The same should be true of your vehicle’s data. Manufacturers should not be able to lock owners out of that data or charge them extra fees to access what is rightfully theirs.”
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) added, “Vehicle ownership should come with the right to control your personal information, No one should have to choose between convenience and privacy. The American Vehicle Owners Association is a critically necessary effort to ensure vehicle owners can protect their sensitive data from exploitation. I applaud this coalition’s mission to empower American drivers.”
Rep Eric Burlison, R-Missouri, who represents the 7th District, said, “It’s time to end the unchecked data collection and restore transparency to a system that has long left consumers in the dark. Whether they’re hauling cargo, commuting long distances, or simply enjoying a road trip, AVOA will stand up for everyday Americans who want to know that their personal data is secure and used only with their sign-off.”
Modern vehicles, especially electric vehicles, generate, store, and transmit large volumes of data about vehicle systems and operations. This data is vital for ensuring optimal performance and safety for both individual vehicle owners and fleet operators.
However, many manufacturers impose restrictive terms and fees that limit owners’ ability to access and control their vehicle data.
AVOA will work with Congress and the Trump administration to ensure vehicle owners own and manage their vehicles’ data. This ownership model increases cybersecurity, upholds privacy, protects consumers, reinforces our fundamental understanding of property rights, and makes vehicles and drivers safer.
AVOA Members Outline Agenda, Goals
AVOA member trade groups offered the following comments:
- “Rental car operators rely on this data to enhance the customer experience and improve vehicle safety,” said Don Lefeve, executive director of the American Car Rental Association (ACRA), in the news release. “Giving vehicle owners — including rental car companies — full access to their own data is essential for a competitive and consumer-friendly rental market.”
- “Open access to vehicle data allows renting and leasing companies to perform in-house repairs and timely improvements, manage operations more effectively, and protect the safety and privacy of their customers,” said Jake Jacoby, President and CEO at the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA).
- “When fleet owners own their vehicle data, they can use it to develop intelligent transportation systems, map more efficient routes, and even reduce traffic congestion,” said Michael Taylor, public policy lead of the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA). “It’s smart policy for a smarter, more sustainable transportation network.”
- “Vehicle ownership should mean more than just owning the physical vehicle,” said Bob Passmore, department vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA). “We fully support AVOA’s advocacy to ensure that when an individual or fleet management company purchases a vehicle, they own that vehicle and the data and can choose to share that data with their insurer or other third parties for their benefit.”
