Chevy’s Industry-First Predictive Tech Warns Drivers Of Potential Maintenance Needs

Called OnStar Proactive Alerts, this system is similar in concept to how a Boeing 787 can send in-flight messages to ground crews alerting them of any parts that might need inspecting upon landing.

Chevy drivers who will opt for this service will have their car continuously monitored and will be alerted in case there are any anomalies regarding the vehicle’s starter motor, fuel pump and 12-volt battery.

Currently, the service is only available for OnStar subscribers who own either a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, a Tahoe, Suburban, Equinox or a Corvette.

“Chevrolet is already the most awarded car brand in the industry, and Silverado is the most dependable longest lasting full-size pickup on the road,” said Steve Holland, GM’s chief technologist for Vehicle Health Management. “With Proactive Alerts, we now can offer customers even greater piece-of-mind by taking the guesswork out of when to service their vehicle.”

Every time one of the previously mentioned Chevy vehicles is started, Proactive Alerts collects a small batch of data and monitors it on a continuous basis. What follows is a rather sophisticated system analysis of billions of pieces of data – accumulated across the fleet of vehicles.

If the data indicates that a particular vehicle’s component isn’t performing as it should, the system will automatically notify the driver with a message sent through an in-vehicle notification – but also through either e-mail or text message if the customer so chooses.

One example of how clever this technology is, would be the fact that it can distinguish between a low state of charge (easily fixable) and high electrical resistance, which might require that the battery needs replacement.

“Accuracy is the key to our prediction algorithms,” added Holland. “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.”

Proactive Alerts will expand to monitor additional vehicle components in the future, on other Chevrolet models.