General Motors Expands Mobile Service Initiative
General Motors is taking its dealership mobile service program to the next level by expanding its MobileService+ initiative across the country. The automaker launched the expanded program in January, introducing new capabilities and a new electric vehicle – the Chevrolet BrightDrop 600 van.
The MobileService+ program was initially tested through a 15-month pilot with five Chevrolet dealers in San Jose, California, which concluded in April 2023. The pilot allowed participating dealers to perform software updates and recall campaigns on Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs using Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans. Following the successful pilot, the program rolled out to more dealerships nationwide starting in June 2024.
“To be able to go to the customer wherever they’re at — at their home, at their office — and provide that service, I think, is game-changing,” said Bob Krapes, GM’s director of retail innovation operations. The expanded program allows dealership technicians to perform a variety of services, including oil changes, tire rotations, and tire changes directly from the MobileService+ van. They can also provide rescue services for stranded electric vehicles, adding 15 miles of range within 24 minutes.
The program is available for all GM brands and models, regardless of propulsion type. As of January, MobileService+ operates in all states except Maryland and Hawaii due to state-level regulatory provisions.
How MobileService+ Works
New dealers joining the program will utilize the electric Chevrolet BrightDrop 600 van, replacing the previous Chevy Express and GMC Savana vans. The upfront cost for dealers to purchase and upfit the van is over $100,000. Customers can access the service through an optional MobileService+ subscription, which also includes pickup and delivery and loaner vehicles.
The subscription costs $599 for three years for Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC customers, while Cadillac customers pay $799 for four years due to the brand’s additional year of bumper-to-bumper coverage. Customers can include the service in their vehicle purchase or buy a subscription later, with customizable coverage from one to four years. Dealerships can also offer the service to non-subscribers with the option to charge a convenience fee.
The program creates revenue streams for dealerships through subscription costs and allowances. It also helps with customer retention and upsell opportunities. By handling routine maintenance through mobile service, dealerships can free up service bays for more complex repairs.
Amit Chandarana, CEO of software vendor Curbee, notes that mobile service “unlocks service capacity at the dealership, opening up more bays for more complicated — and higher-dollar — customer-pay repairs while vans are handling more routine maintenance.” Curbee’s software platform helps dealerships manage mobile service operations, from appointment scheduling to routing and revenue tracking.
Some dealerships are using the mobile service vans for evening shifts to service commercial fleets after hours, reducing downtime for these customers. McCluskey Chevrolet in Cincinnati sees significant potential in this approach for fleet repairs.
“When those drivers come back, their vehicles are maintained. They’re ready to roll. No downtime, no inconvenience,” Krapes said. “You’ve really seen dealers that have good relationships with their fleet customers are growing mobile service that way, as well.”
Jessup Auto Plaza, a California dealership group, has been participating in MobileService+ for about seven months. They currently use an upfitted Chevy Express van primarily for light maintenance work like software updates and trim work. The dealership has about 170 MobileService+ subscriptions and plans to offer the service as optional content on new vehicle purchases to increase customer awareness and adoption.
