LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -

Now dealerships that use HopDrive for concierge vehicle pickup and delivery when their customers want repairs or other services, stores also might be on a path toward getting a new piece of inventory, too.

On Monday, Black Book announced a new data integration with HopDrive. According to a news release, Black Book data is now being integrated with HopDrive’s services to offer dealers “next level” appraisals — right from consumer homes and driveways — with photos and accurate vehicle condition information included.

Here’s how this new integrated program is designed to function.

HopDrive picks up a customer’s vehicle, conducts a virtual walk around on-site and instantly outputs the Black Book-enabled appraisal. Dealer leads are generated right at the consumer’s location.

The company said a comprehensive vehicle appraisal, along with a 12-point pictorial, comes as a standard service with every vehicle HopDrive picks up or delivers.

Each detailed vehicle condition report is powered by Black Book’s Enhanced Vehicle Matching (EVM) VIN decoding capabilities to form a “superior” appraisal approach for a customer’s vehicle — in real-time, no matter where they are.

“Today’s new realities and subsequent changes to how consumers interact with dealers have resulted in a huge rise in demand for concierge services,” HopDrive co-founder Nick Mottas said in the news release. “The increase in the number of cars we physically touch, combined with a recent mass shortage of vehicle inventory, got our wheels turning on ways we can help our dealer partners.

“What we’ve created with Black Book is an ultra-accurate appraisal ready to be leveraged as an offer right then and there,” Mottas continued. “We’ve moved the lead generation process miles upstream right to the client’s driveway.”

Mottas went on to note that HopDrive’s new service was developed as a lead generator to aid dealers at a time when inventory levels have plummeted and digital retailers continue to capture market share.

Mottas added that HopDrive can help dealers give customers the convenience they expect today, driven primarily by the pandemic and skyrocketing demand for vehicle pick-up and delivery services, while helping dealers get the inventory they urgently need.

HopDrive currently operates in six markets in the eastern U.S. with plans for national expansion during the next 18 months.

Black Book executive vice president of revenue Jared Kalfus is upbeat about this new relationship with HopDrive.

“This partnership represents significant opportunities for dealers,” Kalfus said. “When you combine actual images of a vehicle’s condition with Black Book’s EVM data in real-time, you get a comprehensive report to help make smart inventory buying decisions. Our EVM data accurately decodes 17-digit VINS, pinpoints exact vehicle details and trim information, and outputs a precise value for each vehicle.

“This unique integration partnership with HopDrive serves as another excellent example of how Black Book innovates,” he continued. “Our ultimate goal is to incorporate industry-leading data into powerful business tools that benefit the automotive professionals and consumers.” 

For more information, visit www.hopdrive.com.