– I have 17 deliveries just today. And has not come to what is called the season yet, says Kåre Johnsen on the phone to news. Johnsen owns the company Rent a Car Lofoten, and notices that many are planning a Norwegian holiday this summer as well. He has around 100 cars in his portfolio. Today, between 60 and 70 cars are rented. news spoke with Johnsen on Monday, and then he could tell that the progress is great. There is also a lot going on elsewhere in the country. Long weekend with rent from the airport at Evenes or Svolvær in week 29 (Thursday to Sunday) quickly costs 10,000 kroner if you rent from the larger chains (such as Avis, Hertz or Sixt). In Bodø it costs around 7,000, and in Tromsø 5,000 for the same period. It is somewhat cheaper in Oslo (less than 3,000), Trondheim (approx. 4,000) and Bergen (around 4,500). Where it is still reasonable, the situation may change when demand rises. The advice from the industry is as follows: You may want to hurry, if a rental car is part of the holiday plans. Vegard Robertsen in Avis in Svolvær remarks: – We experience, as I think most people in our industry do, great demand for rental cars for the summer months. What makes it extra challenging this year is that the industry has had to reduce its car fleet through the pandemic. This is to adapt to a situation with very low demand and great uncertainty about what the travel pattern would look like after the pandemic. – This, combined with long delivery times for new cars, means that there are even fewer rental cars on the market than it would have been a normal summer, says Robertsen in Avis. Svolvær is located in Vågan municipality. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news High demand Marketing and Communications Director Hallvard Nerbøvik in Hertz says that the demand for rental cars this summer (June-August) is «very high». Both in the Norwegian and the international market. Hallvard Nerbøvik in Hertz. Photo: Hertz – With the large increase in demand, there may be some challenges in obtaining a rental car if you have not already booked, and the selection and availability of different car groups can also be perceived as somewhat narrower than expected. – As usual, there is a very large demand for the largest and most popular regions and destinations in Norway. It is popular for many to go north during the period, and the selection and availability of rental cars is under pressure. They are also experiencing great demand in, for example, Oslo and Bergen, and especially at the airports during the period, and the same also applies to some of the other large cities. Supply and demand control prices, and when the pressure increases, prices can go up. – Evenly, demand and reservation revenue is rising sharply throughout Norway for the period. Increased demand in the market and some material shortages are also driving prices up, but we do our best to provide a rental car for as many people as possible. Are you planning to rent a car this summer? Yes No Unsure Have already booked a rental car Show result Local variations At the same time, it can be money saving to check what opportunities exist outside the big chains. Kåre Johnsen in Rent a Car Lofoten has settled on a different price level than the larger players. It is possible, partly because he runs an older car fleet. For example, it provides cheaper insurance. Where the large rental car chains charge 10,000 kroner for a long weekend in Lofoten during the joint holiday, Johnsen charges around 3,000 kroner. He uses the opportunity to give a small kick to the larger players: – It is good that the market rules, but I do not feel it will be right. But it is clear; they have few cars after the pandemic. Then they have such prices. Johnsen owns the company alone and is not affiliated with any chain. Kåre Johnsen owns Rent a Car Lofoten. Photo: Private – I am concerned that people should not be skinned when they rent a car in Lofoten. Now I drive used cars, but there are used nice cars. – There is a lot going on, so then you could earn more? – Yes, but dear. I’ll look customers in the eye. I do not have the gut feeling to say that a car costs 3000 kroner a day. It does not work. I can not do that. – It’s good that you can make money there and then. But that it should cost more to rent a car than it costs to live, I do not think is right. Big challenge Vegard Robertsen in Avis in Svolvær says the extreme peak that occurs this summer in Lofoten is about great demand. – It has always been a great challenge to have enough cars to take away the demand just when it’s on. – Then it is the case that our prices are affected by supply and demand, and in periods of very high demand, prices will be higher than normal. For those who have the opportunity to take a holiday outside the high season, there is a lot to save, says Robertsen. Renting a car with room for five from them for a long weekend during the Lofoten holiday costs 10,821 at the time of writing from Hertz, 10,714 from Avis and Sixt with 11,152. Head of branding at Sixt, Ingvild Torp Pedersen, says: – There are generally smaller rental cars in the market, due to delays in the production of new cars. This means that prices can be higher than usual. – This applies throughout the world, and is not unique in Norway. In Lofoten, there is always a high demand in the summer, and you should be out early when you book a rental car for your holiday. The example here is a rental car at Hertz from 28 to 31 July. Photo: Screenshot
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Car rental company Kåre is NOK 7,000 cheaper than the major players in Lofoten – news Nordland
