AutoLeap, a division of Leoch Motors, has announced that they have teamed up with Daimler-Chrysler to take another step forward in the evolution of onboard diagnostics systems for vehicles. This alliance is intended to improve on the existing systems that many car repair shops have been using for decades. The problem with many systems is that they have not been updated to reflect modern standards and computer hardware. Most diagnostic equipment required for vehicle repair has not been updated to conform to current standards. The result is that many problems that could be resolved simply by troubleshooting can now be more expensive than the cost of the repairs. This can mean big trouble for customers who’ve invested in the auto parts that need repairs.
AutoLeap’s alliance with Daimler-Chrysler allows car repair shops to use the most up-to-date system for on-board diagnostics, or CAD for short. AutoLeap’s CAD system is an extremely sophisticated diagnostic software package that allows repairs to be quickly and easily done, and the customer satisfaction rate to be very high. Many auto mechanics cannot afford to keep up with technology and it shows in their work. Customers notice this in auto mechanic service departments everywhere as repairs take forever, even when a simple part is a problem.
Car repair shops that use this equipment will be able to update their equipment in real-time to accommodate any future updates to computer hardware. They will have access to an online database that stores all of the necessary information for each specific make and model. The system will also allow shops to search through all cars in the database to look for specific problems, parts, and more. This will make it much easier for them to offer their customer the best service possible because if a car needs repair and a particular part is not available, the technician can simply order it online, have it shipped right to his shop, and have it waiting for him when he arrives.
AutoLeap’s repair shops will also be able to purchase their equipment from the company. There are currently no plans to sell cars to individual customers in the near future. The capital required to buy and outfit all of these different repair shops will have to come from somewhere, and AutoLeap looks set to deliver the equipment they need to many different car repair shops.
In order to use this new CAD/CAM equipment, however, it is going to cost them some money. AutoLeap bases its prices on the value of the equipment itself, but they do expect that yearly maintenance fees on newer pieces of the system will eventually drive them to incur some capital gains. It is too soon to tell how their new system will affect their bottom line, but they have several hundred thousand customers already who are on board and looking forward to using the new technology. There aren’t any current plans to expand the AutoLeap system beyond a few select cities, but the hope is that other systems will follow suit in the near future.
In fact, the auto repair industry is not the only industry that has taken a close look at the new CAD/CAM technology. Many small specialty shops also wish they had access to this new technology. Even though the car repair industry as a whole may not use the new system directly, smaller shops are sure to look into the technology as more of them learn about it.
It’s easy to see why AutoLeap is driving this new technology to succeed. The system can cut costs and shorten turnaround times in just about every way possible. When combined with their state-of-the-art equipment, this new system is sure to become a success for all of their clients.
It will be interesting to see how this new system affects the other manufacturers in the auto repair industry. If other companies embrace similar systems, the ability to save money and streamline operations may just become a standard in all car repair shops. In fact, many believe that the advent of the new CAD/CAM technology could help Apple Computers and others create new market segments. This is just one of the growing trends involving CAD/CAM and AutoLeap. It’s clear that there will be plenty of time for this brand new technology to make its way into more car repair shops with new capital thanks to the innovative business minds of AutoLeap.
