AA technology that can helped predict and prevent breakdowns is to be rolled out to fleets later this year from the consumer sector.

The AA says Car Genie can predict up to a third of breakdowns

Trialled on more than 10,000 vehicles already, the Car Genie solution uses real-time data from a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port to provide fleets with information of fault codes that could lead to a breakdown and alert them if maintenance is needed.

Not only does this help with repair and maintenance scheduling, it can also negate the risk and associated costs of breakdowns. According to the AA, it can predict up to a third of breakdowns.

The device can be simply installed into a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port, from where it analyses the diagnostics in real time, with information then conveyed to the CarGenie app which is available on both iOS and Android.

Car Genie also provides more conventional telematics data such as driver behaviour, enabling businesses to identify areas for improvement, enhancing fleet safety while potentially leading to cost savings in areas such as fuel and tyres.

“Preventative maintenance systems are not new to the marketplace,” said Jennie Hill, director, business services at the AA. “However, we believe that what sets Car Genie apart is the rigorous product trials and testing we’ve undertaken to ensure the product is tailored to our business customers.

“Car Genie takes a significant burden away from fleet managers and allows them to focus on other aspects of their role. Not every fault code requires a vehicle to be taken off the road immediately – indeed some just go away by themselves – and the system has been designed to only alert customers when the fault is dangerous or likely to cause a breakdown.

“We’re confident in assuring our customers that our tool will predict up to a third of breakdowns, preventing the inevitable downtime and loss of revenue that come with taking a vehicle off the road for a day, or perhaps even longer.”