Equus Products, Inc. announces that the company has reached the 500,000th-piece sale of its INNOVA 3100 CanOBD2 Diagnostic Tool.
This product, which quickly took the industry by storm when it debuted in 2002, is believed to be the single best selling on-board diagnostic 2nd generation (OBD2) tool of all time. The company is now focusing its attention on the total solution, by offering both the tools and information needed to help its customers fix their vehicles properly.
“Back in the late 1990s, our product development team had a vision to help drivers of all levels diagnose their high-tech vehicles as easily as they check their fluid levels,” said Ieon C. Chen, CEO of Equus Products, Inc. “We are pleased to have been able to help a half million people solve their stubborn engine-related problems. Thanks to easy-to-use products such as ours, repairing today’s high-tech vehicles is actually becoming possible, affordable and even fun again.”
The INNOVA 3100 single item alone is believed to account for as much as 20 percent of all OBD2 tool sales in the U.S., according to industry and internal calculations. Equus Products, Inc. has also doubled its retail customer base and tripled its sales numbers over the past six years, adding a mix of mass merchandise, online, catalog and tool distributors. While the company credits its success and growth to a consistently high-quality product offering, Sales Manager Scott Gompper admits the 3100’s success has helped get the company into the door of many new accounts.
Thanks in large part to the 3100; the company has also diversified its end-user base. In 2002, nearly 100 percent of Equus’ customers considered themselves Do-it-Yourselfers (DIY). Today, nearly 30 percent are professional automotive technicians. One Amazon.com customer review says, “I am a professional technician. This little handy dandy tool is fast, easy, and gets to the point of the problem with little to no issues. Self powered, and can tell you current codes, pending codes, as well as what monitors have been run… I’ve had mine for a few years now; it’s far easier to use then most ‘top dollar’ scan tools.”
Gompper credits the success of this tool to its practical design application, ease of use and affordability, which are notions seconded by tool owners. In a recent survey of over 6,000 INNOVA OBD2 tool owners, the top three reasons for their purchase are price, superior features and excellent tech support. He adds, the 3100 was designed by ASE Certified technicians with substantial input from end users. Innova’s technical department supervisor owned his own shop for 25 years, so he knows what do-it-yourselfers and technicians need and want in a tool. Innova offers its customers toll-free telephone support for all of its products by all-ASE Certified Technicians based in the U.S.A.
While Equus Products is pleased with the 3100’s success, the company is dedicated to continuous improvements to this tool as well as its entire family of on-board diagnostic products and scantools. Since launching the 3100, the company has made several improvements to it, passing these enhancements along to customers without increasing the costs. Some key enhancements include the addition of CAN (Controller Area Network), USB connectivity, trilingual on-screen definitions, MY2010 compliance; as well as several Internet flash-updateable software updates.
Recently, the company debuted its www.CanOBD2.com website with RepairSolutions. Now, owners of any INNOVA OBD tool, including the 3100, have online access to a complete repair solution by simply plugging their tool into the vehicle then connecting the tool to their PC. Without the need for training, any user can now gain access to most likely VIN specific fix; parts needed and repair procedures of how-tos.
“We’ve sold a half million pieces of our INNOVA 3100 tools and counting, but our goal is to make INNOVA a household name among consumers, DIYers and pros alike,” says Chen. “There are 160 million vehicles on the road in the U.S. alone that can benefit from this tool and technology, and over 16 million of these vehicles with a ‘check engine’ problem at any given time. We won’t rest until we’ve helped reduce the number of ‘check engine’ lights on the road.”
About Equus Products, Inc.
Fountain Valley, CA-based Equus Products, Inc., is an ISO 9001: 2000 certified company, and a leading manufacturer and distributor of test equipment, gauges and tachometers for the automotive aftermarket. Founded in 1982, the company markets and distributes its line under the EQUUS brand to major retail and WD accounts throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In 1990, Innova Electronics Corporation was acquired for research, design and product development. Products developed under this division carry the INNOVA brand and are designed to provide customers with easy-to-use products for servicing the vehicles of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit www.Equus.com.
