GM is hoping that technology can help speed up some of those time-consuming happenings at the dealer level. Rather than invest in more people, computers or software, however, The Verge reports that the company is hoping an A.I. startup will aid in faster and more thorough dealer vehicle inspections.
The General, through GM Ventures, has invested an undisclosed amount in an Israel-based startup called Uveye. The company makes a vehicle diagnostic drive-through system that, combined with A.I. and sensors can find vehicle defects, damage or other vehicle service issues. It kinda looks like a car wash.
According to Uveye, a combination of the A.I., sensors, machine learning, and HD cameras then uploads scans to create a detailed report that can tell you everything going on with the car right down to air pressures. The startup produces four different versions of vehicle scanners that all have names similar to NASA missions: Helios, Atlas, Atlas Lite, and Artimus.
Anyways, GM’s generous backing of Uveye’s technology is beneficial to the General, as it provides a way to give the tech to its dealer network. And when I say give, I really mean GM is going to of course sell this system to its dealers. No Freebies. In turn, GM will work with Uveye to develop more vehicle inspection technology for a number of different uses from vehicle auctions to sales.
If GM is successful, it hopes to have Uveye’s scanners in more than 4,000 of its dealerships across the country.
Uveye’s technology isn’t just a favourite or in the sights of only GM. In fact, the company just completed a series C round of funding, raising $US60 ($83) million from a group backed by Carmax. The company has also inked a deal with an unnamed dealer retail management system for use at over 15,000 dealers. Uveye’s site also lists automakers like Volvo, Kia, and Mitsubishi as manufacturers that are interested in using the tech or having backed the company.