The more technology that is built into the vehicles, the more likely those vehicle owners will go to an auto repair and service facility for help, according to a head of an analytics company.
Renee Stephens, vice president of We Predict, a UK-based predictive analytics company, explained the growing need for repairs that more technologically advanced vehicles will need. She shared her thoughts in a post for SME, a non-profit association of professionals, educators and students for the manufacturing industry.
She noted that staying up to date on repair trends will be of vital importance in the future. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on motoring, for example, 2020 model year vehicles are projected to have a 5 percent increase in repair frequency in the first three years of ownership compared to 2019 models, according to data from the company’s Deepview report.
Electrical repairs are the main reason for this – 2020 models undergo 21 percent more electrical repairs in the first three years of ownership than 2019 versions. Repairs to the exterior and body structure are expected to increase by 7 and 3 percent, respectively, over the same period.
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“On the other hand, the chassis, powertrain, interior, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) areas have seen fewer repairs overall, which has shown signs of improvement over the past six years,” noted Stephens.
But the more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that are added to vehicles, the more likely a vehicle will come in for repair, We Predict noted. ADAS technology repairs on 2020 model year vehicles are forecast to increase 181 percent compared to 2019.
Stephens also reported that there was an increase in repairs in mature segments. For example, windshield wiper repairs increased by 22 percent. Exterior light repairs are up 24 percent on 2020 models and are expected to increase 188 percent on 2021 models.
“While these trends are important, the big question that many people ask is: will electric cars have fewer repairs than vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs)?” Asked Stephens.
“There are fewer parts that fail. Sure, some components are still the same, but service facilities should expect to see these vehicles less often. For maintenance and as over-the-air updates are used more frequently, EV owners should expect fewer visits to their local service center. “
