Jennifer Funkhouser, President & CEO of CarCheckup recently sat down with Gerry Dick from Inside Indiana Business to discuss the CarCheckup System.  Jennifer and Gerry discussed how CarCheckup got it’s start, as well as some of the systems important features like business mileage tracking, monitoring teen driving, and finding our why your check engine light is on.

Click on the embedded video to see the whole interview!

Transcription

Gerry Dick: Well, in the Business Spotlight now, an interesting new Indiana company is trying to bring peace-of-mind to parents with teen drivers with a brand new high-tech device. Carmel-based Car Check Up is behind the product that can easily connect to a car to monitor extreme accelerations, braking, and high speeds. It also has applications for businesses as well. Here now with more is the President and Co-founder of Car Check Up, Jennifer Funkhouser. Jennifer, welcome to the program.

Jennifer Funkhouser: Thank you for having me.

Gerry Dick: This is the product and before we talk about it, interesting how it all got started, because you’re at the University of Indianapolis and Scott Jones, who is my partner with our company, really kind of sparked your interest…how did it all start?

Jennifer Funkhouser: Well, I was fortunate enough to take a class at IU, and it was a Business Meets Technology class, and we had to come up with a new way that technology that could be useful for consumers. And then we had to write a business plan and prove its viability, and my husband and I, we and a couple friends, we came up with Car Check Up and Scott said, this is fantastic, run with it, and we have.

Gerry Dick: Alright, let’s talk how it works, the small device, this actually plugs into the vehicle essentially right under the steering wheel.

Jennifer Funkhouser: Uh-huh, right under the steering wheel. It’s mandated to be within driver’s reach without any tools so usually you can find it right along, right underneath the steering wheel column.

Gerry Dick: And what does this track, because I know there are a number of applications, a lot of parents with teen drivers, I know this could be a big thing for them.

Jennifer Funkhouser: Well, it’s really good because it can track their speed and RPM, and you can know their duration of the trip, when the car started, when it ended, if they unplugged it for any trips that were unauthorized.

Gerry Dick: So fast erratic driving and all those kinds of things…

Jennifer Funkhouser: Absolutely, extreme acceleration, braking, it will give you a summary of each of the trips so that way you can really quickly see what’s going on, how your teen’s driving. We like to think of it more of as a tool to work with your teens. It’s not spying, it’s to prove responsibility.

Gerry Dick: Right, now, there’s also business applications, right?

Gerry Dick: If you’ve got a business fleet, I know there’s interest from companies.

Jennifer Funkhouser: Sure, there is. Yes, yes, you can track your business mileage, you can go in and assign it to one of the different categories, and you can put notes on there saying what the trip was for, and then print it out at the end of the year, and you’ve got your documentation that the I.R.S. will approve.

Gerry Dick: So this is for a 1996 models and newer, plugs under the steering wheel, it also then right into your computer. You’re selling the product now, what’s the interest, how’s the interest?

Jennifer Funkhouser: And newer, uh-huh. Yes, it’s been great, we’re really excited, it’s been really great, people can get it on www.carcheckup.com

Gerry Dick: Very good, new technology developed right here in Indiana…Jennifer Funkhouser, Car Check Up, thank you very much, good luck going forward.

Jennifer Funkhouser: Great, thank you very much.

Gerry Dick: Well, coming up, an Indianapolis company has secured a major deal for next year’s Super Bowl. Bill [Binter] has the exclusive details coming up next.