AAPEX 2017 is bringing together the industry’s leading experts to discuss automotive technology and the biggest opportunities and challenges it presents for auto repair shops. AAPEX represents the $740 billion global automotive aftermarket industry and is held annually at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
Several AAPEX programs will address and spotlight automotive technology, including the new Mobility Park, the new Technology Intersection, AAPEXedu sessions, Let’s Tech presentations and a Service Professionals Summit.
Joe Register, director of emerging technologies for the Auto Care Association, will be among the experts to present during the AAPEXedu sessions at this year’s event. Register said, “One of the biggest opportunities is replacement and calibration services for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) devices, such as LIDAR, radar and image processing, which offer new revenue opportunities for progressive repair shops, provided they have the right equipment and properly trained technicians.”
He added, “A real game changer is the possibility of remote diagnosis enabled by vehicle telematics, which has the potential to move the industry from scheduled routine maintenance services, to predictive maintenance based on information obtained from on-board fault detection and isolation (FDI) systems.”
Brian Daugherty, chief technology officer, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), also will be among the expert speakers at AAPEX 2017. He said, “One exciting opportunity on the horizon is vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems – also known as V2V systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed that V2V safety warning systems be required on all new light vehicles. If that rulemaking is finalized, V2V will quickly become available in the aftermarket as well. These systems will require wiring, GPS and V2V antennas, electronic control units and display screens. Installing and maintaining these systems will become a rapidly growing business opportunity for aftermarket shops and repair facilities.”
“Along the same lines, the advanced sensors and increasingly complex nature of the new systems, such as ADAS, V2V, telematics, connectivity and automated driving, will require very skilled technicians,” said Daugherty. “Finding capable employees who can master the diagnosis and repair of these systems will be a challenge – especially employees who can really dig into a difficult-to-solve system failure.”
To attend AAPEX and learn more about the impact of automotive technology on auto repair and service, visit attendee registration here.
AAPEX 2017 is expected to feature 2,200 exhibiting companies, and will take place Tuesday, Oct. 31 through Thursday, Nov. 2. Approximately 158,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from more than 140 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX and the SEMA Show.
