ACV and DriveCentric Transform Service Visits Into Sales Opportunities
ACV Auctions a leading digital automotive marketplace and data services provider for dealerships and commercial automotive partners, has announced a strategic integration with DriveCentric, an AI-powered customer engagement platform for automotive retailers. The partnership is designed to help dealerships transform everyday service visits into opportunities to acquire used-vehicle inventory while also creating additional revenue opportunities for their fixed operations departments.
The collaboration brings together ACV’s vehicle pricing, inspection, valuation and acquisition technologies with DriveCentric’s Service Engagement Hub, a customer relationship management platform specifically designed for dealership fixed operations. By connecting these technologies, dealerships can gain actionable information throughout the customer journey, from the moment a vehicle arrives in the service lane through inspection, maintenance recommendations, valuation and potential trade or acquisition discussions.
The companies say the integration reflects a broader shift within the automotive retail industry toward connected technology ecosystems. Rather than forcing dealerships to replace their existing technology platforms, ACV is expanding integrations with service-drive software and dealer management system providers. The goal is to help dealers access ACV’s data and acquisition capabilities regardless of the technology partners already operating within their stores.
Turning the Service Lane Into an Inventory Source
For many dealerships, the service department represents one of the most frequent points of contact with existing vehicle owners. Customers regularly bring their vehicles to dealerships for routine maintenance, repairs, inspections and other services. However, these interactions have traditionally been viewed primarily as fixed-operations opportunities rather than potential sources of used-vehicle inventory.
ACV and DriveCentric are aiming to change that approach.
Every customer who enters a dealership’s service lane represents a potential opportunity to identify a vehicle that could eventually become part of the dealership’s used-vehicle inventory. A customer may be considering a newer vehicle, may have reached a point where repair costs are becoming significant, or may simply be interested in understanding the current value of their vehicle.
With the new integration, dealership teams can use vehicle data, digital inspections and valuation tools to identify those opportunities earlier in the service process.
The result is intended to create a more connected process in which service interactions can support multiple dealership objectives. A single visit could potentially generate service revenue, improve customer retention and create an opportunity for the dealership to acquire the customer’s vehicle.
Combining ACV’s Technology With DriveCentric’s Service Platform
At the center of the integration are several ACV technologies, including its ClearCar pricing engine and VIPER platform.
ClearCar provides pricing capabilities designed to help dealerships understand vehicle values and market conditions. VIPER, meanwhile, combines artificial intelligence-powered vehicle inspection and valuation technology with an acquisition workflow.
DriveCentric contributes its newly launched Service Engagement Hub. The company describes the platform as a modern CRM built specifically for fixed operations. It is designed to give Service Advisors and Service Business Development Center teams customer engagement capabilities supported by artificial intelligence.
By connecting the two technology environments, dealership employees can access relevant information during key stages of the service experience.
When a vehicle arrives at the dealership, teams can begin identifying relevant information about the vehicle and customer. During the inspection process, digital tools can help standardize the evaluation. The resulting information can then support service recommendations, valuation discussions and potential vehicle acquisition opportunities.
This connected approach can reduce the need for dealership employees to work across disconnected systems.
Creating More Inventory Opportunities
Used-vehicle inventory remains an important component of dealership profitability and customer satisfaction. Dealers need a steady supply of desirable vehicles to meet consumer demand, but sourcing inventory can be challenging.
Traditional acquisition channels include auctions, trade-ins, online marketplaces and direct purchases from consumers. Service departments provide another potential source because dealerships already have physical access to customers and their vehicles.
The ACV and DriveCentric integration is intended to make that opportunity easier to identify and manage.
Instead of waiting for a service customer to proactively express interest in selling or trading a vehicle, dealership personnel can use vehicle information and inspection results to identify customers who may represent potential acquisition opportunities.
A vehicle arriving for routine maintenance could therefore become more than a service transaction. It could also become an opportunity to discuss the vehicle’s current market value, possible trade options or an upgrade into another vehicle.
For dealerships, this could create a more consistent process for sourcing used inventory directly from existing customers.
Standardizing Digital Multi-Point Inspections
Another major element of the integration is the use of standardized digital multi-point inspections, or MPIs.
Service inspections are already an important part of the dealership customer experience. They allow technicians and service teams to identify maintenance and repair needs while giving customers information about their vehicles.
By incorporating ACV’s inspection technology, dealerships can potentially create a more consistent digital inspection process.
Digital inspections can help organize vehicle information and make inspection results easier to communicate. Instead of relying solely on manual processes or inconsistent documentation, dealership teams can use standardized digital information when discussing vehicle condition with customers.
This can also support transparency.
Customers can receive clearer information about their vehicle, while dealership personnel can use the same information when discussing maintenance needs, repair recommendations or potential trade and acquisition opportunities.
Increasing Fixed Operations Revenue
The partnership is not focused exclusively on used-vehicle acquisition.
The companies also expect the integration to help dealerships identify additional fixed-operations revenue opportunities.
During a vehicle inspection, dealership teams may discover maintenance or replacement needs involving tires, brakes, batteries and other components. When those opportunities are identified efficiently and communicated clearly to customers, dealerships can potentially increase repair-order revenue.
For example, a vehicle that arrives for routine service may require tire replacement. A digital inspection can help document that condition and provide the service team with information that can be used during the customer conversation.
This creates an opportunity to connect vehicle ownership needs with relevant dealership services.
The broader objective is to help dealerships make every service interaction more productive without turning the customer experience into a series of disconnected sales pitches.
Improving the Customer Experience
While inventory acquisition and revenue generation are important dealership objectives, the integration is also designed around customer engagement.
Consumers increasingly expect automotive transactions to be convenient, transparent and personalized. Customers want to understand what is happening with their vehicles, what services are required and what options they have when it comes time to replace their vehicle.
The combined ACV and DriveCentric solution is intended to provide dealership employees with real vehicle information that can support those conversations.
A customer visiting the service department could receive personalized recommendations based on the condition and value of the vehicle. If the customer is considering an upgrade, the dealership could also provide information about trade or purchase possibilities.
This approach allows service interactions to become more useful to both the dealership and the consumer.
Rather than treating service and vehicle sales as completely separate functions, dealerships can use technology to create a more connected ownership experience.
CEO Highlights Connected Automotive Ecosystems
George Chamoun, CEO of ACV Auctions, said dealerships receive hundreds of service-lane visits each day, representing a significant potential source of retail inventory.
According to Chamoun, the integration of VIPER with DriveCentric is intended to help dealers identify acquisition opportunities, standardize inspections and improve the ownership experience while operating within their existing workflows.
He also emphasized the importance of collaboration between automotive technology companies as the industry moves toward increasingly connected ecosystems.
The partnership represents an example of how specialized technology providers can combine their capabilities rather than attempting to operate independently. ACV brings vehicle data, inspection and acquisition technology, while DriveCentric contributes customer engagement capabilities focused on fixed operations.
Together, those capabilities can give dealerships a broader technology solution without requiring them to abandon the systems they already use.
DriveCentric Sees the Service Drive as an Underserved Opportunity
Joe Hampton, Head of Corporate Development and Partnerships at DriveCentric, described the service drive as one of the most frequently visited areas of a dealership but also one of the least-developed areas from a customer engagement perspective.
The company believes the partnership can help dealerships make greater use of those customer interactions.
By combining service-lane engagement with inspection information and vehicle acquisition capabilities, dealerships can potentially uncover opportunities that might otherwise remain hidden.
The approach also reflects a growing emphasis on using artificial intelligence and data to help dealership employees make faster and more informed decisions.
Rather than replacing dealership employees, these technologies are intended to provide them with better information at the right moment.
Supporting a More Connected Dealership Workflow
One of the most important aspects of the integration is the connection between different dealership functions.
Traditionally, service, sales, inventory acquisition and customer relationship management can operate as separate parts of a dealership. This can create information gaps and require employees to manually transfer information between systems.
The integrated ACV and DriveCentric approach is designed to reduce those barriers.
Vehicle arrival, inspection information, service recommendations, valuation and acquisition opportunities can be incorporated into a more unified workflow. That can potentially reduce administrative work and allow dealership employees to spend more time interacting with customers.
For dealership operators, the long-term value could come from making existing customer traffic more productive.
Instead of focusing on a single transaction, the dealership can evaluate the broader potential of each customer interaction.
A Broader Strategy for ACV
The DriveCentric integration is also part of ACV’s larger strategy to expand its connections across dealership technology systems.
The company plans to pursue additional partnerships with service-drive software providers and dealer management system companies. These integrations are intended to make ACV’s data, inspection technology and acquisition workflows accessible across a wider range of dealership technology environments.
That strategy could become increasingly important as dealerships adopt more specialized software solutions.
Dealers often rely on multiple technology providers for customer relationship management, inventory management, service operations, vehicle inspections, valuations and sales processes. Connecting those systems can help dealerships reduce fragmentation and improve operational efficiency.
ACV’s approach is therefore focused not only on providing individual technology products but also on becoming part of a broader connected automotive technology ecosystem.
Availability Begins in September 2026
The integrated ACV and DriveCentric solution is expected to become available to mutual dealership customers beginning in September 2026.
For dealerships, the integration offers the potential to rethink the role of the service department. A service appointment does not have to end when the repair order is completed. It can also provide valuable information about the customer, the vehicle and potential future transactions.
By bringing together digital inspections, pricing data, vehicle valuation, customer engagement and acquisition workflows, ACV and DriveCentric aim to give dealership teams a more complete view of each service interaction.
The companies believe this can help dealers improve service revenue, strengthen customer relationships, source additional used inventory and create more efficient workflows.
As automotive retail technology continues to evolve, dealerships are increasingly looking for ways to connect previously separate operations. The service lane is emerging as an important part of that transformation because it combines frequent customer interactions with direct access to vehicle condition and ownership information.
The ACV and DriveCentric integration seeks to capitalize on that opportunity by making service visits more actionable for dealership employees while providing customers with more personalized information and choices.
Ultimately, the partnership demonstrates how connected technology can expand the value of existing dealership operations. By turning service-lane data into actionable insights, dealers may be able to create opportunities across fixed operations, customer retention and used-vehicle acquisition—all within a workflow designed to fit the way their dealerships already operate.
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