How do used-car dealers get vehicles onto their lots? Either as a trade-in or from a car auction where used vehicle models strut their stuff up and down the runway.

The auction business has traditionally been hands-on and in person. But Covid-19 changed all that and the need to deploy technology that can streamline buying a car at a Mannheim or Adesa auction virtually has only grown.

Israeli startup UVeye has developed an AI-enhanced inspection technology for the automotive business incorporating sensors and high-speed cameras. CarMax, the largest retailer of used cars in the US, has been a strategic investor in UVeye since 2021.

Now, CarMax is implementing UVeye’s technology for its wholesale business operations. (During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2022, CarMax sold approximately 706,000 wholesale vehicles at its auctions, which moved online in 2020.)

CarMax says it will be using UVeye vehicle scans “to check vehicle exteriors, undercarriage components and tires to quickly produce online user-friendly reports that include high-resolution photos. Systems in use at CarMax also will have the ability to detect issues such as frame damage, missing parts and fluid leaks, as well as brake and exhaust-system problems.”

UVeye CEO Amir Hever commented that “it’s a true privilege to have CarMax on this journey with us, both as an investor and as a strategic customer.”

Amir and Ohad Hever cofounded UVeye in 2016 to promote a fully automated, drive-through approach to vehicle inspections of tires, underbody components and exteriors in less than 12 seconds. The technology was originally developed for the security industry to detect weapons and contraband.

In addition to CarMax, investors in UVeye include General Motors, Toyota, Volvo, Hyundai and several Israeli venture capital firms. The company won an Automotive News 2022 All-Star Award.