Change Lane: The Uber of Oil Change
Because of my job, I always need to have a pulse on what’s happening in the enterprise and consumer technology spaces. To that extent, I spend a good amount of time reading news and analyses or listening to dedicated podcasts. Actually, the real reason I do all that is because I’m a full-on nerd but that’s a topic for a different conversation.
This week, my tech news-reading obsession led me to discover [Change Lane](https://www.changelane.com/). Maybe you’ve heard of it, but if you haven’t, Change Line is sort of the Uber of oil change. From my point of view, and the one of many savvier observers, the automotive industry is more than ever ripe for disruption. At the moment Google, Tesla or Uber are making the headlines but Change Lane might be the next player to use a combination of technologies to make our lives easier when it comes to maintaining our cars.
Here is how [PandoDaily](http://pando.com/2014/09/19/crazy-or-crazy-brilliant-change-lane-looks-to-uber-ify-oil-changes/) describes the service:
So how about this for a crazy idea: take the automotive maintenance industry, pack it into a series of Optimus Prime-looking trailers, and make it entirely mobile, offering on-demand service at homes and offices around the country. That’s exactly the vision laid out by Minneapolis’ Change Lane, which earlier this week debuted the first prototype of its service trailer to a crowd of 40,000 people, at the same time launching its pilot service in the Twin-Cities area. The company also signed its first enterprise contract, with an unnamed local employer reserving the trailer one day per week as an employee perk.
Like most startups the company is starting small (i.e. $1 million series A funding, limited geographic reach) but it plans to significantly grow operations starting in 2015 with their “Oasis Car Clubs”:
Initially, Change Lane will offer basic services like oil changes, fluid flushes, tire rotations, and simple inspections. But the company also plans to build out a network of regional brick-and-mortar mega-service centers called Oasis Car Clubs, where it will complete more involved repairs. Keeping with the on-demand and low friction theme, Change Lane plans to pick up vehicles from their owners’ home or office, while at the same time dropping off a loaner vehicle.
Well, yes, this is not very innovative but don’t tl;dr on me just yet. The software part of Change Lane’s offering is the most interesting bit in my opinion:
But the company’s biggest innovation may not be these vehicles, Harig says. Rather, its the proprietary software that will deliver automated service instructions to Change Lane’s mechanics based on vehicle type and history. The company will also introduce a consumer mobile app that will include the Uber-like ordering functionality, but will also help vehicle owners monitor their service needs – think of it like the 21st century version of the classic oil change window sticker.
So what do you think? Will Change Lane help drivers save time and (finally) gain transparency on their car repairs? Let us know in the comment section below.
PS: For those who never used Uber before – and you should really give it a try – here is a [$30 coupon](https://www.uber.com/invite/gsh02).
<p>First things first, I’m the service manager at a MINI dealership. The reason for my response is that I just read through this post and watched the video, and feel someone needs to speak up to remind people of the importance of having trained eyes reviewing your car on a regular basis. I’m not ignorant to the fact that there are good and bad shops, and that plenty of people have soiled the image of this industry. The voices of the video speak on their frustration with being told they need extra work. They miss the importance of staying on top of maintenance. It takes more than just oil changes to keep a car running well for many years. Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree, though, as every single person in the video has also exceeded the interval for the most basic and important services, the oil change.</p>
<p>When your MINI is in for its annual (or sometimes slightly more frequent) oil change we’re also checking it over to see if it has developed any maintenance or repair needs. Seeing as the readers of this site are likely to be a bit more car-focused than the average consumer, I would assume most would understand these concepts. It’s not just about “selling you” on repairs. It’s about keeping your car safe, running well, and lasting for years to come. That doesn’t happen when oil changes are done by quick-lube shops, or when vital maintenance is ignored.</p>
<p>I can’t speak for everyone, but we’ve made changes over the years to become as helpful as possible for our customers with busy schedules. We’re open 60+ hours a week, including Saturday. We offer free MINI loaner vehicles whenever needed or available (pretty much any time requested), and even offer free concierge loaner car delivery for people who can’t make it in for service. You get more when you service your car than what these people think. Beyond keeping your car safe and running well, you get car washes, free loaner cars, and plenty of other perks.</p>
<p>Sorry if this seems like a bit of a rant. Try to imagine going to work every day in a career that you love, only to have everyone think you’re just there to scam them out of their money. The ones that realize you’re an honest person who has their best interest in mind make it worth it, but seeing misguided expectations or perceptions of the industry like these are difficult to stomach. I guess they can all get their oil changed on time now. I just wonder who they’ll complain about when they wreck due to bald tires, can’t see because they’ve never changed their wipers, or have to spend thousands on repairs because their car has been neglected.</p>
<p>Well said and written Drew M. There are advantages of dealing with your MINI agent – it’s called goodwill, a necessary part of any business relationship. Especially so when it comes to out-of-warranty repairs. It may pay to read the warranty terms and conditions to see what your obligations are before heading elsewhere.
If your MINI has a factory servicing plan it will require the tester interrogation to analyse the fault codes and memories. The drawback is the factory will not entertain servicing claims before or after the due date.
Will ChangeLane use the designated oil and grade? How about genuine filters?
However having said all that, many owners abandon dealership servicing after the warranty period expires. Some even abandon preventative maintenance fullstop.
There are many companies offering a similar service – Jiffy Lube, Midas, and tyre shops. All are looking for the up-sell.
Will local city and county authorities allow servicing at the kerbside?</p>
<p>I can’t agree more. I would never let anyone other than a MINI dealer touch my car. I’ve got 100k miles on it now and it runs awesome. But I’ve always brought it in to the dealer whenever it’s due.</p>
<p>I cannot picture this growing into a successful business. It’s based on a generic concept of “Let’s mobilize this business segment”, as though it’s a silver bullet. I’m skeptical that there is enough market demand to support them in a competitive, low profit industry.</p>