PitPro Deploys First Tire-Changing Robot in Canada at Calgary Kal Tire Shop

PitPro is among a number of startups trying to change parts of the car ownership experience. Founder and CEO Jeremy Conrad told TechCrunch that while he ultimately wants to move into other kinds of automated maintenance, he sees a large near-term opportunity around tires. Changing tires is “backbreaking” work, he said, and tire shops are facing a major labor shortage. Even when shops can find workers, he said, those employees often leave within a few months to a year. Conrad recalled one shop manager telling him that the business had to get special permission to pay more because a Panda Express opened across the street and took about half its employees.

PitPro’s system is designed to slide into existing maintenance bays. It uses two boxy robots, each roughly the size of an oven, that combine sensors and a robotic arm to locate and loosen the lug nuts. The robots store the lug nuts, remove each wheel and replace it with a new or rotated tire. Conrad said PitPro has so far mainly discussed deploying its tire-changing robots with commercial fleets and remains focused on that business. The startup has former Ford Pro executive Ted Cannis as an adviser. Conrad said Cannis has relationships with nearly every major fleet in the United States and has been helpful in making introductions.

Conrad also believes tire chains are a major opportunity, citing the labor shortage and steady demand for tire changes, especially in Canada where most car owners switch to and from winter tires each year. PitPro is focusing on chains rather than smaller shops because chains tend to have standardized layouts and greater potential for wider deployment, he said. Mechanics can still use the bay occupied by PitPro’s technology for other maintenance, which Conrad said increases the chance that shops will be willing to try it.

The move into real-world deployment has brought challenges. Tire shops often operate with bay doors open, exposing PitPro’s robots to dust, debris and weather. The startup had to account for those conditions to keep the system robust and to ensure the sensors maintain an accurate view of the tires. Conrad shared a photo from the Calgary installation showing the robots almost completely covered in an unexpected substance: dandelion seeds. “We looked into it, and it’s not going to be a problem for us,” Conrad laughed. “But it’s just like… I had never thought about that we might need to deal with a dust cloud of dandelions.”