Using Bluelink data to provide safety driving scores

Service also covers maintenance history and EV battery diagnostics

Hyundai Motor on Monday launched an expanded certified used car service that discloses previous owners' safety driving scores, official service network inspection records and electric vehicle battery diagnostic information. Shown is a promotional image for the new service. [Hyundai Motor]
Hyundai Motor on Monday launched an expanded certified used car service that discloses previous owners' safety driving scores, official service network inspection records and electric vehicle battery diagnostic information. Shown is a promotional image for the new service. [Hyundai Motor]

Hyundai Motor will now disclose previous owners' driving habits and maintenance records to used car buyers — information that has traditionally been difficult to verify in the secondhand market. For electric vehicles, the company is also expanding the scope of battery data beyond residual performance to include charge and discharge history and individual cell conditions.

The automaker announced Monday the launch of a new service that draws on manufacturer-held vehicle data to provide more detailed information on the past usage and current condition of certified used cars.

The core of the service is giving buyers access to vehicle operation and maintenance data that has long been unavailable in conventional used car transactions. Hyundai Motor said it is leveraging data accumulated through its connected car service Bluelink and its official service centers to let buyers assess how a vehicle was driven and maintained.

For vehicles whose previous owners have consented to data sharing, Hyundai Motor will disclose a "safety driving score." The score is calculated based on driving over 1,000 kilometers within the most recent 90-day period, analyzing factors such as sudden acceleration, hard braking, abrupt starts and the frequency of late-night driving.

This allows buyers to gauge not only a vehicle's mileage and accident history but also how the previous driver operated it on a day-to-day basis. However, the information will not be available for all vehicles — only those for which the previous owner has given consent.

Records of inspections and consumable replacements carried out through Hyundai Motor's official service network will also be added. Buyers will be able to review Blue Handscheck inspection histories conducted at Bluehands and Hi-Tech Center locations, as well as records of engine oil, air conditioning filter and coolant replacements.

The feature is designed to let buyers assess how consistently a previous owner maintained the vehicle. Separately from providing this historical maintenance data, Hyundai Motor also replaces key consumables before selling a certified used car.

Detailed diagnostic information on a vehicle's current condition will also be provided. Using proprietary digital diagnostic equipment, Hyundai Motor inspects 272 items for Hyundai-brand vehicles and 287 items for Genesis models, with results compiled into a report for buyers.

For electric vehicles, battery condition data will become considerably more granular. Where the service previously centered on state of health — a measure of residual battery performance — buyers will now also be able to check voltage and temperature deviations between individual battery cells, as well as cumulative charge and discharge records.

State of health indicates how much of a new battery's performance a vehicle's current battery retains. Adding cell-level voltage and temperature differentials alongside charge and discharge records is expected to give buyers a more comprehensive picture of overall battery condition.

Battery condition is a particularly important factor in used EV purchases, as the state of the high-voltage battery affects both the vehicle's value and future maintenance costs. Hyundai Motor said it plans to include this information in a dedicated EV inspection report provided to buyers.

Since entering the certified used car market in October 2023, Hyundai Motor has progressively expanded its vehicle inspection standards, quality controls and information disclosures. The latest service is part of the company's broader effort to use manufacturer-held vehicle data in used car transactions to narrow the information gap between sellers and buyers.

"Since launching the certified used car business in October 2023, we have consistently worked to strengthen vehicle information disclosure in order to raise trust in the used car market and create an environment where customers can choose a vehicle with confidence," a Hyundai Motor official said. "Going forward, as the manufacturer that built these vehicles and knows them best, we will continue to provide more accurate and comprehensive vehicle information tailored to the needs of used car buyers."


kwater@heraldcorp.com