When we think of the next generation of fleet operations, most attention is given to the concept of autonomous vehicles.

Tesla founder, Elon Musk, famously claimed that the company’s cars would be “fully autonomous” by 2017 (a fact which has yet to pass), but that year, one of the motor industry’s main proponents of autonomous vehicle technology said that “true autonomous cars will not happen within the next decade.”

As a result, it is more productive for future-looking fleet managers to consider the cutting-edge technology which can help fleet-based operations compete now, instead of replacing the concept of a human driver.

Today’s emergent fleet technologies are, for the most part, focused instead on empowering drivers and fleet managers to work more efficiently.

Computer processing through algorithms or machine learning, along with data storage advances, have opened up possibilities that seemed unimaginable even just a few years ago.

This ability to collect, analyse and process huge volumes of data has spawned on demand services that enable us to watch TV, stream music, order a taxi, or book a hotel room on our phones or online almost instantly – and it has increased expectations of what should be possible for both consumers and mobile workers.

For anyone still yearning for one of the quirky sedan/coupe/hatchback mashups, time is running short.

BMW noted in its full-range 2020 model year update last week that the 3 Series GT and 6 Series GT will not return.

The end of the 6 Series variants comes as no surprise as the 8 Series takes over flagship duties.

The German automaker telegraphed its intentions this past March when it noted the 3 Series GT would not receive a replacement.

Looking at the company's breadwinner models, the X3, X4, X5 and X6 are all slated to enter production this month before they start trickling into dealers across the US.

Each also costs at least $500 more than the 2019 model each replaces.