Company launches "Car Care That Comes to You," deploys Mobile Crew to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael
Icahn Automotive Group LLC (Icahn Automotive) has announced its latest offering for vehicle owners: Pep Boys Mobile Crew, a state-of-the-art traveling trailer and service bay that will provide on-location preventative maintenance and repair services. The Mobile Crew rig – equipped with mobile lifts, the latest diagnostic tools and equipment, and staffed by ASE-certified automotive technicians – has officially hit the road.
Developed to ensure maximum convenience for consumers who want to keep their vehicles in safe, reliable operating condition, Pep Boys Mobile Crew offers “Check Engine” diagnostics; tire repair, replacement, rotation and balancing; brake, shock and strut maintenance; belt and hose replacement; and heating, air conditioning and cooling system maintenance. Services such as battery, wiper blade and headlamp checks and replacement; and oil and other fluid changes are also available.
In the days following Hurricane Michael, Pep Boys Mobile Crew was deployed to the hardest hit cities in Florida to help with the high demand for automotive service. The Crew Pros are performing emergency repairs and providing residents with complimentary vehicle checks from storm damage.
“We know our customers balance extraordinary demands in their lives and on their time,” said Brian Kaner, president of service for Icahn Automotive. “Pep Boys Mobile Crew is a natural extension of our ongoing investment in customer convenience and value, and the first comprehensive mobile automotive maintenance provider to be affiliated with a national service network.”
The Mobile Crew team will coordinate with corporate human resources departments, office managers and fleet representatives to bring the service rig to their locations. Once a visit is scheduled, vehicle owners can book service appointments online. They then simply park their vehicles at work, leave the keys in the onsite Mobile Crew drop box, and pick them up when the services are completed. Car care couldn’t be more convenient than when it’s offered right outside a workplace, where the vehicle is typically sitting unused anyway.
The Auto Care Association reports that last year just 40 percent of motorists performed their vehicles’ manufacturer-recommended scheduled maintenance. This translates to more than 75 million passenger vehicles on the road with unperformed maintenance. Of the drivers who delay auto repairs, more than 20 percent cited lack of a convenient time. Additionally, nearly 16 percent of vehicle owners reported choosing a repair provider based on its location.
According to Kaner, early feedback on Pep Boys Mobile Crew has been positive, “Vehicle owners are impressed by how convenient Pep Boys is making car care and the extensive range of services our Pros are able to perform through the Mobile Crew trailer.”
Said one customer, “Service was extremely convenient. I have been trying for months to get my regular maintenance done, and this made it very easy to get my car serviced.” Another applauded the Mobile Crew by saying, “Having car service available at my work location is brilliant. It was simple to get an appointment scheduled and I enjoyed not having to wait and being able to put in a full day of work.”
The launch of Pep Boys Mobile Crew caps a second year of investment and expansion for Icahn Automotive, one of the nation’s largest providers of automotive service, parts, tires and accessories. In 2017 and 2018 the Company has made investments in its local footprint in key markets by acquiring both franchised and owned service centers, remodeling of existing Pep Boys parts and service locations, and increasing local parts inventory and availability. In addition, the company continues to invest in people, programs, technical training and technology to ensure a superior customer experience at each location.
About Icahn Automotive Icahn Automotive Group LLC (Icahn Automotive) was formed by its parent, Icahn Enterprises L.P. (NASDAQ: IEP), to invest in and operate businesses involved in aftermarket parts distribution and service. Our businesses have a singular focus: provide premium automotive parts and services at a great value. Icahn Automotive today consists of Pep Boys® automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, Auto Plus® automotive aftermarket parts distributor, Precision Tune Auto Care® owned and franchised automotive service centers, and AAMCO Total Auto Care franchised service centers. The businesses of Icahn Automotive total over 22,000 employees, over 2,000 company-owned and franchise locations, and 25 distribution centers throughout the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit IcahnAutomotive.com.CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “seeks”, “estimates”, “will” or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
