As carmakers adapt to a new reality, it appears that Porsche already had a piece of technology in its service centers that is now coming in handy. As of a year ago, Porsche service centers have had the ability to use augmented reality to conduct a Porsche "Tech Live Look."

With Field Technical Experts currently unable to visit dealerships in person, Tech Live Looks allows the experts to communicate with local technicians using a "see what I see" feature. This feature is seen being used here to service a 2020 Porsche Panamera but could also be used to service classic vehicles that require additional expertise.

Porsche says the number of Tech Live Look sessions have tripled from February to March and are now being used at least once per day on average. It may be a while before global travel goes back to normal and in the meantime, Porsche has found a clever way to service cars safely.

"Tech Live Look has gained a new level of significance for us in the current situation," said Doug House, Manager, Technical Support for Porsche Cars North America. "It accelerates the service on the vehicle and, most importantly, helps ensure customers' mobility at a critical time."

Using the Tech Live Looks, Porsche says it can shorten service resolution times by up to 40 percent. In addition to the service's real-time video capability, the technical support team can also take screenshots and send technical bulletins while the service technician is working on a vehicle. Porsche has a US team of experts answering calls from Atlanta where the PCNA headquarters is located and for more complex issues, a team at the Porsche HQ in Germany is also available.