Brutal winter good for sales of remote starter systems

Just as programmable coffee makers are able to pre-perk your favorite brew and have it ready to sip when you roll out of bed, drivers are increasingly opting for remote-controlled ignition systems that have their vehicles up and running as they roll out the door.

And sales rise as the mercury drops. Memories of the discomforts felt during this past winter’s wrath are expected to drive solid sales throughout the summer. Demand is also up in hot climates where seat-induced “butt burn” can be a particularly sensitive condition.

A study released in March by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), entitled “The State of In-Vehicle Technologies,” reports that 12 percent of those surveyed intend to purchase remote starters within the next year; 16 percent say they already have one onboard, compared to just 7 percent in 2007.

“March and April have been very strong,” says Brian Markwalter, the CEA’s senior vice president of research and standards. “This is a little unusual and attributable to the worse than usual winter.”

About 80 percent of the category’s sales take place in cold climates, although “Southern markets are growing.” He says “there is increasing consumer awareness of the product, and consumers love the product once they have had one.”

DIFM has now become the channel of choice. “DIY for remote start is going away,” Markwalter says. “The technology in vehicles is too complex to properly integrate remote start systems for the average consumer. For example, the remote start system will need to interface with the vehicle immobilizer,” he explains.

Markwalter suggests that you consider enrolling in the CEA’s Mobile Electronics Certified Professional (MECP) training program. “MECP installers have the skill level necessary to properly install remote start kits.”

More than 35,000 people have been certified since the program’s inception in 1991. The certification segments cover Basic Installer, Advanced Installer, Master Installer and Mobile Product Specialist.

A 2013 survey of car dealers throughout the country by AddOnAuto (AOA) concludes that the overall category of alarms, remote starters and recovery devices outsold all other electronic products, netting a sweep of top sales volumes, revenues and profit margins. Backup cameras and sensors came in second.

“Strong vehicle sales – with truck sales up by double digits – and the increasing length of vehicle ownership were all key drivers of the popularity of accessories and aftermarket products that enhance convenience, increase utility, extend longevity and make it more enjoyable to drive for the long term,” says AOA President Sidney Haider. “These accessories sales trends and new software and technologies, as well as changes in consumer behavior, are leading to increased revenue and profits for those dealerships who listen to what today’s accessories consumer wants – and for those who are adopting new processes in line with their preferences.”

Setting sales records

“Starting your vehicle, unlocking your doors or popping the trunk from virtually any distance – or finding your car in a large garage after a sporting event or a trip to the mall – is now as easy as the click of a button or the tap of your finger,” says Tom Malone, president of Audiovox Electronics Corp.

Citing the now-fabled dipping Polar Vortex and a national contest conducted among installers, Malone reports that “the miserable winter that we experienced across the U.S. and the exciting Remote Start Promotion we ran throughout the season combined to deliver one of the best remote start seasons in our company’s history. We exceeded our sales projections and we received thousands of entries from hundreds of our retail partners, making this the best promotion we have ever run.”

Easing away from the dominant domain of car dealers, the category has delivered “one of the best seasons we’ve had in years,” concurs Shane Stevenson, manager of the Ziebart shop in Plainfield, Ind. The 15-location franchise chain specializes in affordable do-it-for-me installations of products deemed by buyers to be “just too expensive from the dealership.”

Stevenson didn’t have this year’s sales figures available, but he tells Aftermarket Business World that “in a typical season we do up to 15 a day – and that’s just one store.”

Ziebart’s carries several lines of remote starting systems; sales are usually hottest from October through March. “Remote starts in our area have become a big Christmas gift,” says Stevenson. “Generally it’s more in the winter, but the customers do discover that it works well in the summer for air conditioning.”

“No matter the weather, remote starters are convenient for all seasons,” according to Stevenson. “Warm up your car on those frigid winter days from your home or office and watch the snow and ice melt away. During that time you can be doing just about anything else while your car is warming itself and waiting for you. Studies have indicated that warming your vehicle’s engine prior to driving can promote longer engine life, especially in cooler climates,” he says.

“The same idea of convenience as a result of your remote car starter installation goes for those scorching summer days where the heat rises to unbearable temperatures inside your vehicle,” Stevenson continues. “Simply hit your keyless entry remote and with one touch of a button drive off in a cooled down car or truck.”

The variety of devices offered by the aftermarket accessories department at Toyota of Naperville tend to surpass the basic functions that come preinstalled from the factory, according to Tom Gregg, a divisional sales director at the Illinois dealership. “Units can have a programmable and changeable running time of 12, 24 or 60 minutes. Some will work from up to 2,000 feet away while others are controlled through a compatible smartphone, thus having a nearly unlimited range,” he says.

“A common concern with having remote starters installed on a vehicle is that it will make them susceptible to theft,” Gregg observes. “While there is no really perfect way to totally protect a car, truck or SUV from being stolen, adding a remote starter doesn’t really increase the risk at all. A potential thief cannot happen upon a vehicle that has been running after being started remotely and just drive off,” he notes. “When a vehicle has been started by remote, the driver must insert the key and go through a sequence to make the vehicle able to be driven. Each particular remote starter system has its own sequence.”

In April, Viper launched its SmartKey smartphone application that provides hands-free, keyless entry and exit from a vehicle using Bluetooth technology. It includes one-touch range programming for passive entry, interactive range display and an advanced system to manage automatic locking when a vehicle is being loaded or unloaded.

The technology “creates a wireless perimeter around a vehicle that responds to a smartphone without pushing any buttons or launching any apps through the cloud-connected technology of Viper SmartStart,” says product management director John Durbin. “Compatible with any Viper security or remote start system, the phone simply needs to be within a given range of a car when entering and exiting to unlock or lock the door.”

The company’s 5301 Responder LE 2-way Remote Start System features LED lights that indicate the vehicle’s temperature along with a programmable timer that automatically fires up the car while you’re finishing up breakfast. Two-way communication capability lets the driver know when the car starts and if the doors unlock or the trunk opens.

AutoZone, Pep Boys and other national aftermarket merchants are successfully stocking Bulldog Security’s Deluxe 500 Two-Way Remote Starter with LCD Remote, which has the ability to function on vehicles with manual transmissions.

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