Chrysler Creates Vehicle Information Apps

DETROIT - Chrysler Group is getting ready to debut a free smart phone application to give consumers mobile access to vehicle operation information typically contained in owner’s manuals, reported Automotive News.

The application will be available on June 19 for the automaker’s all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee scheduled to roll into dealerships this summer.

Pietro Gorlier, Mopar CEO, said the application will be downloadable on Apple iPhones first and on Blackberry and Android mobile devices in the near future.Applications will be available for “select” Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram Truck vehicles going forward, said Chrysler spokesman Bryan Zvibleman.

“In addition to providing general vehicle information, we are creating a new on-demand channel of communication with our customers to communicate about our brands, vehicles and customer service,” Gorlier said in a Web chat today.

The new application will provide access to vehicle operation, maintenance and warranty information. It also offers video demonstration of product features, connections to the brand’s social media sites, and access to customer assistance and 24-hour road-side assistance.

The application is only for new vehicles, but the company “will consider” applications for older vehicles, Gorlier said. Applications will be available only in the United States. Similar technology is being developed for the Canadian market.