Custom software for automotive dealerships, fleet operators, vehicle marketplaces, and mobility businesses who need operational systems built for how automotive businesses actually work.
Generic field service and marketplace software handles common patterns. Automotive businesses have specific workflows around vehicle data, VIN management, telematics, and multi-channel inventory that require purpose-built systems.
Dealer management systems with inventory, CRM, and service workflows in one system
Fleet management with real-time telematics, maintenance scheduling, and driver management
Vehicle marketplaces and listing platforms with VIN data, specifications, and condition reporting
Automotive AI for pricing optimisation, demand forecasting, and predictive maintenance
Summary
RaftLabs builds custom automotive software for dealerships, fleet operators, vehicle marketplaces, and mobility companies. We develop dealer management systems, fleet management and telematics platforms, vehicle marketplace and listing software, workshop management systems, automotive AI features, and mobility applications. Our automotive software is built around the operational workflows of automotive businesses rather than generic field-service or marketplace templates.
US, UK, GCCAutomotive markets served
·VIN + telematicsVehicle data integration
·100+Software products shipped
·FixedCost delivery
Automotive software that handles automotive complexity
VIN management, vehicle history, condition grading, multi-source inventory feeds, telematics data, and service history -- automotive operations generate data types that generic business software wasn't designed to handle.
We build software that treats automotive complexity as a first-class design requirement.
What we build
Dealer management systems
Integrated dealer management covering inventory management (new, used, fleet), CRM for sales pipeline and customer relationships, F&I (finance and insurance) workflow, service department management, and parts inventory. VIN-based vehicle records with full history, specification data, and condition reporting. Multi-location support for dealer groups. Integration with automotive data providers (Experian AutoCheck, Carfax, Cox Automotive) and manufacturer systems. The operational backbone of a modern automotive dealership.
Fleet management platforms
Fleet management for commercial fleets, rental companies, and corporate vehicle programmes: real-time GPS tracking, telematics data (fuel, engine diagnostics, driver behaviour), maintenance scheduling based on mileage and time, driver assignment and management, and utilisation reporting. Integration with telematics hardware providers. Automated maintenance alerts and service scheduling. Cost-per-vehicle and cost-per-mile analytics. The operational visibility that manual fleet management with spreadsheets can't provide.
Vehicle marketplaces and listing platforms
Online vehicle marketplaces and listing platforms: inventory aggregation from multiple dealer feeds, VIN-based specification population, condition report integration, search and filtering by make, model, year, price, location, and specification. Lead capture and CRM integration. Dealer portals for inventory management and lead management. Consumer-facing search and comparison tools. Private seller listing capability. AI-powered pricing recommendations based on market data. Built for the buyer and seller workflows of automotive marketplaces.
Workshop and service management
Service department and workshop management: job card creation, technician assignment, parts ordering and allocation, labour time tracking, customer communication (estimates, approvals, completion notifications), and invoice generation. Vehicle history recording at every service visit. Warranty claim management. Multi-bay scheduling for optimised workshop utilisation. Customer-facing service booking and status tracking. Integration with parts supplier catalogues for real-time parts pricing and availability.
Mobility and on-demand platforms
Mobility applications: car-sharing platforms, ride-hailing apps, vehicle subscription services, and chauffeur dispatch systems. Real-time vehicle availability, booking management, driver assignment, and payment processing. Customer-facing mobile apps for booking, access, and support. Vehicle access control integration for keyless entry. Utilisation analytics for fleet optimisation. We've built on-demand platforms across transportation verticals -- see our On-Demand App Development page.
Automotive AI and analytics
AI-powered automotive features: dynamic pricing models that adjust vehicle prices based on demand, seasonality, days-on-lot, and market data; predictive maintenance models that flag likely failures before breakdown based on telematics data; demand forecasting for inventory planning; personalised vehicle recommendations for marketplace users; and computer vision for vehicle condition assessment from photos. AI features that operate on your operational data rather than requiring a separate analytics infrastructure.
Problems we solve in automotive
Vehicle inventory data scattered across manufacturer feeds, classified listings, and dealer systems
Automotive inventory data arrives from manufacturer portals, auction feeds, classified platforms, and DMS exports -- each in a different format with different update frequencies. Staff spend hours reconciling stock across systems instead of selling. We build a unified inventory data layer that ingests all feeds, normalises by VIN, and keeps one accurate record across every channel.
Fleet telematics data collected but not connected to maintenance scheduling decisions
Telematics units broadcast OBD-II fault codes, mileage, and engine hours continuously. Most fleets store this data but never connect it to the maintenance calendar. Vehicles go in for service on a fixed schedule regardless of actual condition, or miss service because nobody watched the counter. We connect telematics signals directly to maintenance triggers so the system schedules work based on what the vehicle is telling you.
Dealer management system too generic for VIN-based automotive data requirements
Generic CRM and ERP platforms were not built around a VIN as the central identifier. Spec lookup, history queries, and F&I workflows all require VIN-native data structures that generic platforms bolt on as an afterthought. We build DMS modules with VIN at the core -- linked to specification databases, service history, and condition reports from the start, not via workarounds.
Workshop job cards still on paper with no digital service history against vehicle records
Paper job cards mean service history lives in a filing cabinet, not in the vehicle record. Technicians can't see what was done at the last visit. Service advisors can't pull up history when a customer calls. We digitise workshop job management and attach every job card, parts record, and labour entry to the vehicle's VIN-linked history, accessible by any authorised user instantly.
Vehicle marketplace search and filtering not meeting buyer expectations set by large platforms
Buyers arrive from AutoTrader and Cars.com with expectations around faceted filtering, spec comparison, and dealer proximity search. Smaller marketplaces built on basic listing platforms can't match this. We build marketplace search and filtering that handles make, model, year, trim, mileage, location radius, and price range -- with VIN-linked spec data so filters return accurate results rather than whatever the dealer typed.
Parts inventory per location not visible across a dealer group, causing ordering inefficiencies
In a multi-location dealer group, each workshop orders parts independently. The same part sits idle at one location while another branch waits three days for a supplier delivery. We build parts inventory management with cross-location visibility, minimum stock alerts, and inter-branch transfer workflows so the group buys smarter and fills orders faster.
How we work with automotive companies
We spend the first two weeks understanding your specific workflows -- how vehicles move through your inventory, how job cards are created, how telematics data is currently used (or not used), and what your current software landscape looks like. Automotive operations vary significantly between a single-site independent dealer and a multi-brand dealer group. We document the current state before proposing anything.
Based on discovery, we define exactly what we'll build -- which modules, which integrations (telematics provider, data providers, DMS APIs), which user roles, and which platforms. You receive a fixed cost and delivery schedule before development starts. No hourly rates. No open-ended engagement.
Development starts with the data model -- VIN-linked records, telematics ingestion, feed normalisation -- before building the application layer on top. Getting automotive data structures right at the start prevents the technical debt that comes from adding VIN-native requirements to a generic data model later.
Telematics integrations, OEM data feeds, and third-party data provider connections are tested against real data volumes. Fleet tracking, inventory sync, and parts catalogue integrations all require testing against the actual data formats and volumes your operation generates -- not just synthetic test data.
We deliver the platform with your team trained on the admin and operational workflows. Documentation covers API connections, data mappings, and the operational processes the software supports. You own the source code and can extend the platform with your own development team or with us.
What to ask any automotive software team
Vehicle data handling
Does the platform use VIN as the primary identifier for all vehicle records?
Can it ingest inventory feeds from multiple sources and resolve duplicates automatically?
Does it integrate with specification databases (Chrome Data, Motor Information Systems) for automatic spec population?
Is service history attached to the VIN record and accessible across departments?
Telematics and fleet
Which telematics hardware providers does the platform integrate with natively?
Can maintenance triggers be set from OBD-II signals and engine hour counts, not just calendar dates?
Does the system handle offline data buffering when vehicle connectivity drops?
Delivery and ownership
Is the cost fixed before development starts, or billed hourly?
Do you receive full source code ownership on delivery?
What is the delivery timeline for an initial production-ready version?
Automotive software development cost
Scope
Estimated range
Timeline
Fleet management platform
Fleet management platform
$35,000–$70,000
10–14 weeks
Vehicle marketplace
Vehicle marketplace
$50,000–$90,000
12–18 weeks
Dealer management system
Dealer management system
$80,000–$160,000
16–24 weeks
Full automotive platform
Full automotive platform
$150,000–$300,000+
9–18 months
Frequently asked questions
Automotive software development is the creation of custom software for automotive industry operations -- dealerships, fleet operators, mobility companies, vehicle marketplaces, and manufacturers' digital channels. The automotive industry has specific data requirements (VIN management, vehicle specifications, service history, telematics) and operational workflows (dealer inventory management, F&I, workshop scheduling) that generic business software wasn't designed to handle well. Custom automotive software is justified when your operational workflows or data requirements are specific enough that generic platforms create more friction than they remove.
Yes. Common automotive data integrations we've built: vehicle data providers (Experian AutoCheck, Carfax for history data), specification databases (Chrome Data, VIN Solutions, Motor Information Systems), market pricing data (Black Book, Manheim Market Report, JD Power), telematics providers (Samsara, Verizon Connect, Geotab), and manufacturer dealer systems. The integration approach depends on what each provider exposes -- most have documented APIs; some require file-based exchange.
Yes. Telematics software collects data from vehicles via OBD-II devices, factory-installed telematics units, or dedicated hardware. We build the data ingestion pipeline (handling the volume and frequency of telematics data), storage optimised for time-series vehicle data, analytics for fleet performance and driver behaviour, alerting for maintenance thresholds and exceptions, and the dashboards and mobile apps that surface the data to fleet managers and drivers. Telematics data volume is significant -- the data architecture matters as much as the application.
A focused automotive product -- a dealer inventory management module, a fleet tracking dashboard, or a vehicle listing platform -- typically delivers in 10-14 weeks. More complex builds, such as a full dealer management system or a fleet platform with telematics integration, run longer depending on integration scope. We scope the project during discovery and give you a fixed cost and delivery schedule before development starts.
