Chevrolet is introducing a predictive technology that enables a vehicle to warn the owner about a potential maintenance need before it occurs by continually monitoring the health of the vehicle’s starter motor, fuel pump, and battery.
“With Proactive Alerts, we now can offer customers even greater peace-of-mind by taking the guesswork out of when to service their vehicle,” says Steve Holland, chief technologist for vehicle health management at General Motors. “We will be able to inform dealer service departments so they can spend less time testing for a condition we have already diagnosed. They can replace the necessary part quicker and minimize the amount of time a customer’s vehicle is at the dealership.”
Holland says the technology behind Proactive Alerts is similar to that on the Boeing 787, which can send in-flight messages to ground crews alerting them of parts needing inspection before the plane arrives. Proactive Alerts works by collecting a small batch of data each time the vehicle is started and monitors it on an ongoing basis.
The technology then analyzes and refines billions of pieces of data accumulated across a fleet of vehicles. Holland says if the data indicates a particular vehicle’s component is not performing as expected, the system will automatically send the driver a message through an in-vehicle notification, either by an email or text message.
The service is now available for OnStar subscribers who own a 2016 Chevy Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette, and Equinox. Holland says in the future, Proactive Alerts will monitor additional vehicle components and expand to other Chevy models.
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Chevy also announced today the launch of ChevySmallCars.com, a new lifestyle-oriented website focused on its small car offerings, including the Spark, Sonic, and Trax. The main feature of the website is Small Talk, which offers three short episodes produced by Funny or Die and hosted by comedian Al Madrigal.
“The Spark, Sonic and Trax all target a younger, more socially savvy buyer,” says Steve Majoros, director of cars and crossovers at Chevy. “By aligning these products we can be more strategic and create more engaging, sharable content that speaks directly to this audience.”
Majoros says the website will also feature content including a video with a performance by Kickstand Band in a Sonic; a car customizer in which website visitors can choose from a variety of whimsical features to add to their car; a podcast with John Hodgman, an author and actor known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily; and a “Mini Mix Tape” with three up-and-coming artists, among other offerings.
