DriveWise

Inspiration

Oftentimes, managing a car is not a pleasant experience with long wait time, slow response rates, and little transparency on the finances. As the demand for car ownership increase proportional to the increasing global population, the need for a scalable, reliable, and accessible vehicle management platform greatens; ultimately bridging the gap between car buyers and dealerships.

DriveWise is inspired by the need for a seamless, modern platform that makes the vehicle purchasing and management process more transparent, interactive, and efficient — empowering users to make informed financial decisions while simplifying dealership workflows. Think of this as the simplicity user experience of Uber but for car ownership and management. By creating an automated, conversational, and data-driven experience, DriveWise eliminates the traditional pain points of car buying — from opaque pricing and lengthy negotiations to confusing financing options and fragmented post-purchase support — replacing them with an intuitive platform that guides users from initial research through purchase, financing, and ongoing vehicle management in one unified ecosystem.

What it does

DriveWise is a web platform that helps users browse vehicles, book appointments, and manage their profiles effortlessly.

Dealership employees get a dedicated dashboard where they can:

Track potential clients and view appointments
Access client notes and downloadable PDFs
Manage inventory with real-time updates and interest tracking

This dual experience ensures both buyers and dealers can connect, communicate, and close deals more effectively. Key Features: Automated Financial Assist: users will receive personalized financial advice when deciding which vehicle to purchase based on their current financial assets, determined through Capital One's Nessie API. Speech to Text **: To allow users to naturally speak to the chat bots by having Twilio call the user's phone number, simulating talking to a representative. **Communicate between Dealers and Consumers: Users can directly contact nearby dealers for any inquiries or services on their vehicles.

How we built it

We built DriveWise using Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS for the frontend.
For the backend, we used Firebase Auth and Firestore for authentication and real-time data storage.

Key technical features include:

Modular, reusable components for scalability
Role-based navigation and access control
Real-time updates using Firestore listeners
PDF generation for client appointment summaries

Challenges we ran into

Implementing role-based authentication and conditional navigation
Maintaining data consistency between user and dealership records
Designing intuitive interfaces for both customers and employees
Integrating dynamic PDF generation and download features
-Git commits and merge files between collaborators

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

Built a unified platform serving both customers and dealerships
Developed editable user profiles with validation and required fields
Created real-time inventory and interest tracking systems
Designed a seamless appointment booking and management dashboard
-Utilizing several API calls in one platform