Fixed Ops Journal - June 2017 - 28

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

'FITBIT
FOR
YOUR
CAR'
Meineke takes on automakers with new connectivity device



DALE BUSS

foj@autonews.com

n the car connectivity race, automakers,
aftermarket providers and tech companies
want to improve customer relations by sifting through vehicle diagnostic information and sharing the data with consumers.
Some of the biggest new developments in
this area involve the OBD-II port. Onboard diagnostic ports were installed as standard
equipment in most cars and trucks starting
more than 20 years ago to help automakers
monitor compliance with California air emissions standards.
Today, companies such
as Ford Motor Co. and
Meineke Car Care Centers
Inc. are harnessing the
OBD-II port for diagnostic
connectivity in new ways.
But another camp emphasizes the superiority of
hard-wired systems and
Rivera: Revvy is communications for man"bleeding edge" aging onboard diagnostics.
This camp includes General Motors, whose OnStar system has been in
its vehicles for two decades; Toyota, which is
expanding its Service Connect platform; and
Hyundai, with its Blue Link program.

Revvy-ing up
Meineke's new Revvy platform underscores
that the aftermarket service provider is getting more aggressive about trying to nudge
car brands aside and build its own relationships with vehicle owners (see related story,
Page 30).
Revvy connects a car's onboard diagnostic
tools with its owners. Plugging into the OBDII port, Revvy includes a smartphone app that
provides a wide range of digital data previously available only to service departments.
Such information includes what a "check
engine" indication on the instrument panel
might mean, as well as assessments of an individual's driving habits, including hard acceleration and braking.
Revvy also calculates fuel economy, provides service reminders, locates Meineke service centers and schedules appointments
with them, and gives consumers an in-car, 4G

PAGE 28

JUNE 2017

Meineke's Revvy platform uses
the OBD-II port to mine diagnostic data.

Diagnostic derby

Automakers and aftermarket brands
use the diagnostic data generated by
cars and trucks to build relations with
customers.
 Aftermarket competitors include
service brands such as Meineke as
well as telecom and insurance
companies that use the OBD-II port.
 Among car companies, Ford is
notably ramping up efforts to exploit
the OBD-II port.
 Other automakers, such as GM and
Toyota, insist that hard-wired
connections in the vehicle make
better use of diagnostic data.
 Some analysts say automakers have
a long-term strategic advantage in
this competition.

Wi-Fi hot spot.
Drivers also can download a daily report on
their performance. Some auto insurers use
OBD-II data to analyze owners' driving and
help set coverage rates.
"It's sort of like a Fitbit for your car," Danny
Rivera, president of Charlotte, N.C.-based
Meineke, says of Revvy. "Vehicles are most

people's second largest investments, and yet
they remain the only thing in the world of devices that aren't smart.
"You can connect yourself via smart technology to every part of your life but your car,
and if you were going to
connect to your car there's
only a subset of OEMs that
can help you," Rivera told
Fixed Ops Journal. "Right
now, [Revvy is] super bleeding edge. In five years, it will
be the norm."
Kristi Kanzig, Meineke's
vice president of marketing,
adds that vehicle owners
"are asking more questions
and want to have a better
understanding of how to
keep their cars. And people
are keeping their cars longer."
Kanzig says Revvy reflects Meineke's desire
to give customers "transparency" about how
their vehicles operate.
As of early June, about 160 Meineke customers had bought Revvy at a list price of $149. It is
available on Amazon for $100. There is no subscription fee.

Ford's new features
Ford was a leader in infotainment connectivity between smartphones and its vehicles.
But it arguably has trailed other automakers
in communicating onboard vehicle diagnostic data.
Beginning this summer, Ford and Lincoln
will offer SmartLink, an OBD-II-enabled device designed to give owners of 2010-16 models an array of diagnostic features.
It also will provide remote starting, locking
and unlocking, Wi-Fi access for as many as
eight devices and security and location alerts.
The Ford system will give owners and dealers proprietary information and functions
that an aftermarket company cannot provide,
company officials say.
SmartLink "will surprise and delight owners
of recent model-year vehicles by adding some
of today's most popular connectivity features," says Stephen Odell, Ford Motor's
see DIAGNOSTIC, Page 30

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - June 2017