Automatic Tire Unveils $4,900-a-Month SmartBay Robot for Tire Changes as Shops Face Technician Shortages
Updated
Updated · CarScoops · May 17
Automatic Tire Unveils $4,900-a-Month SmartBay Robot for Tire Changes as Shops Face Technician Shortages
9 articles · Updated · CarScoops · May 17
$4,900 a month is the lease price for SmartBay, an AI tire-changing system that removes and mounts tires without taking wheels off the car, then balances them in the bay.
Automatic Tire says one operator can oversee two or three units processing about 24 tires an hour, versus roughly four tires in 75 minutes with current shop workflows.
The company later said SmartBay is designed for 14- to 24-inch tires, excluding niche fitments such as extreme off-road 33- or 35-inch setups and specialized supercar applications.
Cost and reliability remain open questions: the nearly $59,000 annual lease can exceed many tire-tech wages, and concentrating three bays under one worker could magnify downtime if that operator is absent.
The launch targets a labor-starved tire-service market, but ATI has withheld details on balancing and vehicle-positioning, leaving shops to weigh efficiency gains against safety and operational unknowns.
If one technician runs three AI bays, does a single sick day shut down the entire tire operation?
Is a $59,000 AI robot truly more cost-effective than a human technician once hidden costs are revealed?
Will AI elevate auto technicians into higher-skilled roles, or is this the beginning of the end for their profession?