May 2023 Midwest Edition

EPA’s Strongest Emissions Standards Ever May Boost EV Sales

By Steven Loveday InsideEVs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan on April 12 announced proposed key gas car regulations that could promote EV adoption and save Americans money.

The new standards aim to be some of the most stringent ever, to further limit tailpipe pollution. These proposed changes are not final, which means there will likely be many modifications over the coming weeks and months before heading to a final approval stage.

Under the new plan, electric cars, trucks and SUVs could comprise some 67% of all new light-duty passenger vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2032. Moreover, sales of medium-duty EVs could climb to an impressive 46% of all vehicles sold by 2032.

The standards would become stricter as time goes on. The end goal is to reach a U.S. fleetwide average of 82 grams per mile of carbon dioxide for light-duty vehicles and 275 grams for mediumduty vehicles by model year 2032.

The current rules aim for a fleetwide goal of 161 grams of carbon dioxide

Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show On Track For Exceptional Experience

By Abby Andrews Autobody

News

The 2023 Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show, set for May 19-20 at the Overland Park Convention Center outside Kansas City, KS,

will bring together the collision repair industry for two days of networking, product demos and education.

The show is doubling in size after its successful inaugural run in 2022.

As proposed, the emissions regulations would be phased in from 2027 through 2032. The EPA expects such measures to reduce emissions by a minimum of 40% by 2030 and save car owners $12,000 over the course of ownership, so long as they own a car that complies with the new rules.

per mile by model year 2026, for both light- and medium-duty vehicles.

According to the EPA, the proposed standards could decrease emissions by as much as 56% compared to the existing standards.

It’s important to note the proposed EPA emissions standards do not

l CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

REGIONAL NEWS

Michigan’s Auto Insurance Reform Law Reducing Costs, Paper Finds

Michigan’s personal auto insurers are paying out less in claims and drivers are paying less in premiums since changes were made to the state’s no-fault system in 2020 and policyholders are benefiting, two non-resident scholars at the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) have found.

“Our initial evaluation of the likely effects of the reform legislation indicates that it is significantly reducing the costs of auto insurance for many

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Michigan drivers. How much these reductions will be for any given driver will depend on the PIP [personal injury protection] option they choose among other factors,” said No-Fault Auto Insurance Reform in Michigan: An Initial Assessment, a paper co-authored by  Patricia Born , Ph.D., of Florida State University and  Robert Klein , Ph.D., of Temple University.

“Based on recent data available from the Fast Track Monitoring

l CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Columnist Mike Anderson: Are You Giving Your Estimators the Time and Training Needed to Succeed? 17

Columnist Ed Attanasio: AirPro Diagnostics Helps Every Shop Repair All 550 of Today’s Models

Columnist Stacey Phillips: CCC Crash Course Report Shows Macrotrends Having Profound Impact

Columnist John Yoswick: Mike Anderson’s ‘Spartans’ Group Offers Shops Coaching, Comparison, Camaraderie

COLUMNISTS

Index of Advertisers

NATIONAL NEWS

AirPro Diagnostics Helps Every Shop Repair All 550 of Today’s Vehicle Models

By Ed Attanasio Autobody News

I am amazed at all the new features in today’s vehicles, these rolling computer networks with lines of code numbering in the hundreds of millions, and often wonder how successfully shops are servicing these complex systems.

Q: How does AirPro get the right person on the right job?

MQ: First I think we all need to be honest with ourselves—this includes insurers— that shops have their hands full with multiple surfaces, joining methods and refinish challenges, let alone servicing electronics and safety systems. Pooling brand specialists for the benefit of the industry at large is a practical solution.

Only AirPro has skillsbased routing, so when a shop makes a request for service it is automatically routed to a brand specialist. Further, we can have multiple technicians log into the same vehicle and collaborate when the repair may need elevated support.

Q: How does AirPro help shops perform ADAS calibrations in-house?

MQ: We equip, train and coach shops to properly service and calibrate the vehicle brands they work on, whether it be blind spot, front radar or forward-facing camera recalibrations. We walk them through set-up procedures on each and every vehicle model, referencing the OEM service information. We have very cost-effective pricing strategies and pride ourselves on building custom tailored pricing solutions for shops.

rate of 97.7%. Because we stick with the vehicle for even the most difficult issues. We’re there to help the shop, repair the vehicle. We’re not there just to pull a code or claim a calibration was done and then send it on. We make sure to solve the problem quickly and precisely.

Q: It’s not a good idea for shops to purchase equipment to do their ADAS themselves?

I found the answer in the recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) report, which revealed more than half of surveyed owners of ADAS-equipped vehicles reported problems with those features after a repair, more so if it was due to collision damage or a windshield replacement.

I set out to find the cause and possible solutions, leading me to sit down with AirPro Diagnostics founder and CEO Lonnie Margol and President Michael Quinn to get their thoughts on this big problem.

It comes down to two simple words: “brand specialists.” AirPro employs dealer-trained brand specialists, then trains them on collision dynamics and has them focus specifically on the vehicle brands they specialize in.

Margol is no stranger to solving these complex problems; his credits include being awarded the first patent in 2010 for inventing asTech.

Q: Why are shops struggling with these systems?

LM: We believe it is an unreasonable expectation that shops can safely service these complex networks and safety systems unique to each brand. A scan tool is only as good as the technician using it. Unless shops have the volume and financing to hire specialists to cover 45 brands, the safe solution is having AirPro lend its brand specialists to your shop on-demand.

We have a 97.7% success rate in all services requested. We take pride in staying with the shop and getting the car completed safely. This saves on untold cycle time and higher sublet expense.

Q: How complex are these systems?

LM: Right now, the industry as a whole can’t bridge this huge gap created by rapidly advancing technology, especially with so many of these very sophisticated systems and not enough knowledgeable skilled technicians to know how to perform diagnostics and the calibrations. There are so many nuances in these various different model vehicles, even by brand, that it really needs the attention of technicians who are doing this on a daily basis.

Q: When did you start AirPro Diagnostics?

LM: I started AirPro Diagnostics back in April 2016 and launched a totally different tool approach. The AirPro tool utilizes OEM-licensed software and multi-brand diagnostic applications resident and directly connected to the vehicle. In other words, the software and hardware are all connected at the vehicle, which is very different than the other remote providers.

They use the streaming method, which I invented, but it wasn’t designed for doing these types of sophisticated calibrations and other services back and forth across the internet.

Q: How do shops know AirPro techs are up on the newest technology?

LM: Most of our brand specialists come out of dealerships and have been trained on how to diagnose crash events. This is much different than simply pulling codes. And because AirPro brand specialists are diagnosing and calibrating mostly late model collision-damaged vehicles every day, we believe they possess greater skills than someone doing warranty work or servicing fuel injection systems. They do multiple calibrations every day to where it becomes second nature.

We take 40,000 calls every month and from all of the requests we get, we have been successful in servicing 97.7% of them across all manufacturers. We also have a 10-minute response pledge, and we guard that very closely because we know when the shops need service, they need it right away. We did almost half a million services last year and our on-tool response time was one minute and 32 seconds on average.

LM: We have had hundreds of shops tell us they purchased all the equipment and they don’t have the expertise on a given brand so they engage us. As mentioned earlier we can equip, train and assist shops to cost-effectively perform ADAS calibrations. It doesn’t make sense for shops to have tools and software for makes they don’t repair. We custom-tailor equipment solutions based on the shop’s historical workload.

Q: Do you document every service as well, for purposes of accountability and transparency?

MQ: Yes, we record each and every screen session during the service, whether it’s a scan, diagnostics or calibrations. We store all this in the cloud, if anyone ever questions what was performed, what version of the OE software was used, it’s available to our shops.

Q: Have you been able to trim cycle time for your customers?

MQ: Absolutely. If you’ve been following industry reports, national average cycle time has almost doubled to almost 20 days. There are certainly some supply chain issues, but the acceleration of technology and the limited skills of shop technicians is contributing to cycle in a significant way. We have techs with 25-30 years’ experience on one brand. These types of specialists are not growing on trees. Shops can go it alone or utilize our remote services. AirPro shops enjoy on average two days less cycle time when pre-/post-scanning every vehicle.

MQ:

I’ll reiterate, in case we do run into an anomaly with a particular vehicle, we can bring other technicians in to assist in and actually figure it out as a team, another reason for our high success

The question is, do you have the ability to serve 45 brands and 550 models, which we are able to do? And when technology advances---which it does every year---how do you get the training? And then what do you do if you have a guy who is highly skilled and he quits, goes on vacation or is out sick? What do you do? Your whole operation can grind to a halt.

AirPro Diagnostics founder and CEO Lonnie Margol, left, and President Michael Quinn, right.

“We take 40,000 calls every month and from all of the requests we get, we have been successful in servicing 97.7% of them across all manufacturers.”

LONNIE MARGOL FOUNDER AND CEO, AIRPRO DIAGNOSTICS

More coverage in every can.

Unlike other basecoats that can require up to six coats, Cromax® XP delivers full coverage in as few as two coats. It’s easy to learn, use, and even repair—if ever needed. Cromax® XP is the ideal solventborne system for those who value quality and simplicity.

Experience the difference. axalta.us/xp

Small Kansas College Will Show Car At Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

A vision 10 years in the making has come true for students, alumni and employees of the McPherson College Automotive Restoration program— the only four-year bachelor’s degree program for automotive restoration in the nation.

The 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet, entirely restored by students, has been accepted by the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and will be shown there Aug. 20.

“Congratulations to the McPherson College students for having their car accepted to Pebble Beach,” said comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno Leno’s support 20 years ago was the turning point for the program when it pivoted from an associate’s to a bachelor’s degree.

“I am proud to be associated with the college,” Leno said. “Much like art historians who clean and repair the works of the renaissance era, the young men and women at McPherson College are doing it with automobiles, recreating abilities and techniques long forgotten, and they’ll make a good living doing it. Our hobby and heritage are safe in their hands.”

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the oldest Concours in the U.S. and one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings of rare and antique automobiles. Prized collector cars compete each year for Best of Show, the most coveted award in the automotive industry. The Concours Selection Committee spends weeks vetting each entry, narrowing its selection down to the top classic cars in the world, which are invited to show.

“We set a bold vision 10 years ago to show a car at Pebble Beach, and I was confident our students and staff could attain it,” said Amanda Gutierrez, provost and vice president of automotive restoration. “The goal was to get invited to compete at Pebble Beach, but there is a significant process that makes that happen, especially at a small college with students working outside of class hours. This project has been a valuable learning experience for our students as they study toward their bachelor’s degree in automotive restoration. It was intense work requiring exceptional commitment, and I am extremely proud of them.”

After an exhaustive search for the

right car, work on the project began and has incorporated classroom curricula, expert guest lectures and senior capstone experiences. The restoration was completed by teams of student interns who worked over the course of the restoration. Brian Martin, director of automotive restoration projects, supervised the student team.

said McPherson College President Michael Schneider. “Since the project began, nearly every student in the auto restoration program has been exposed to the restoration through classes, workshops or as part of an internship team. For some of them, getting a chance to work on this project was why they decided to attend McPherson College. This

Brian Martin, who helped mentor our students through this process,” Schneider continued. “Our friends at Paul Russell and Company as well as the Mercedes Benz Classic Center were excellent advisors on the project. I also thank Jay Leno, whose early and consistent support over the years has helped us flourish and reach Pebble Beach.”

“When we set out to do this, we knew it was going to be a long-term commitment,” Martin said. “It is a complete, frame-off, top-to-bottom restoration by students. We planned for it to become the cornerstone of our program and an example of the skills our students develop while they are here.”

McPherson College has a long history of student participation at Pebble Beach, dating back to 2008 when the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Pebble Beach Company Foundation established scholarships honoring Formula 1 world champion and famed restorer Phil Hill. Over the years, more than 25 McPherson College students have earned college scholarships from Pebble Beach.

Pebble Beach Company Foundation scholarship recipients not only attend the event and shadow the judges, they also have been part of panel discussions, prepared and presented cars for the field, and attended numerous additional events during the week. However, this August will mark the first time the college will show a classic vehicle fully restored by its students.

“It’s a remarkable accomplishment,”

achievement will positively impact our students and program for years.

“Managing this project was an enormous undertaking, and I commend the individuals, especially

Members of the student team, the Pebble Beach Scholars, college staff and alumni will accompany the car to Pebble Beach in August. A recognition of their efforts will be celebrated during the CARS Club Motoring Festival at 2 p.m. May 6 at McPherson College before the awards ceremony. Showing a student-restored car at Pebble Beach is another example of McPherson College achieving what many consider impossible. In November, the college announced a historic $500 million matching gift. To date, the college has raised more than $170 million of the $250 million needed to secure the $500 million, including generous gifts from car enthusiasts Melanie and Richard Lundquist, the Rob Walton Foundation and Dave Kinney

Source: McPherson College

SATA Spring Promotion

Begins shipping April 11th – while supplies last

SATAjet X 5500 + BBQ Kit: Awaken the Grill Master within!

Leap into spring with the SATA BBQ promotion and get yourself a stylish, strong and functional BBQ apron as well as solid, innovative and multifunctional BBQ tongs in stainless steel. Whether at the next family gathering or at the camp site - with the SATA BBQ Kit you are perfectly set.

Beginning April 11, 2023, all SATA customers will get the limited edition BBQ Kit along with the purchase of SATAjet X 5500 (any technologies or versions) as a gift. Available only from your local authorized participating SATA dealers – only while supplies last.

‘Top 10 Influences’ on the Collision Repair Industry Among the Discussion At CIC

By John Yoswick Autobody News

Frank Terlep kicked off his first Collision Industry Conference as chairman this year by sharing what he sees as the “Top 10 influences” most likely “to affect our industry.” They include continued employee shortages, parts challenges and economic uncertainties. Consolidation also won’t slow down any time soon, he said.

“I predict you’re going to see a couple of the ‘mid-market’ consolidators come together,” Terlep said at the meeting held in Palm Springs, CA.

He said independent collision repairers will “continue to become part of something bigger,” whether that’s a franchise, network or 20 Group, or growing from one store to two or more.

designed for ADAS calibrations and services.”

In terms of parts-related challenges, Terlep said, “I think it’s going to get a little easier, but I don’t think it’s going to go away. I think we’re still going to have parts challenges through 2023.”

He said he sees OEM certifications becoming increasingly important this year.

Tools, and a variety of hand tools, including screwdriver and socket sets, vise grips, combination wrench set and a 24-inch pry bar, donated by Toby Chess. Other individuals contributing were Jordan Hendler, Barry Dorn, Jeff Hendler and Dale Matsumoto

“The major consolidators will continue to move more toward a greenfield model than a brownfield model,” he said. And the “ton” of continued consolidation among newcar dealers “is also going to drive bigger, larger dealer-based collision repair groups.”

Terlep called ADAS calibration work “the biggest business opportunity this industry has seen in the last 20 years,” but said it’s also “the biggest opportunity to fail.”

“Because ADAS and calibrations affect steering, braking, acceleration. We can’t bury our heads in the sand and not do this work right,” Terlep said. “It’s critical, and it’s the biggest opportunity in years.”

Terlep predicts more and more smaller multi-shop operators will open up their own ADAS and calibration centers.

“You’re also going to continue to see the big consolidators buy local and regional ADAS and calibration companies,” he said. “You’re going to see, in my opinion, a couple regional or national players get into the business of ADAS calibrations. And you’re going to see some new software in the market specifically

“Whether we like it or not, I think we’re going to hear more parts restrictions occurring by manufacturers,” he said. “And I also think from an OEM certification perspective, the OEM networks are going to want more data about what’s going on with cars. They want to know if the cars are being repaired correctly.”

Terlep said he foresees vehicle build data having increased importance for repairs and claims. “Because build data is such a critical piece to understand what’s on the vehicle, I think you’ll see a lot more of that being integrated in the thirdparty applications,” he said.

Lastly, watch for new ways to validate proper restoration of vehicles’ safety systems, “because if you’re doing ADAS repairs or calibrations, you must document this stuff as if you’re going to court tomorrow.”

Terlep’s presentation slides are available on the CIC website at ciclink. com/meeting-presentations/

Students Receive Tool Donations

Also during CIC in Palm Springs, three auto body and paint students from the Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Salem, OR, received tool boxes and tools courtesy of the March Taylor Memorial Fund.

Daniel Mendoza, Eddie Ceja and Jullian Moran each received Dewalt 20-volt drills donated by Kent Automotive, plastic dent repair kits donated by DentFix Equipment, Keco Tabs donated by that company, a 6-inch DA sander donated by Astro

Oregon shop owner Ron Reichen, who participates on the CTEC industry advisory board even though his shops are more than 40 miles away from the school, paid for airline tickets for the three students and their instructor, Alex Crays, to attend the CIC meeting for a presentation of the donations. The March Taylor Memorial Fund was established to benefit collision repair technicians. March Taylor was a shop owner in Hawaii who lived and worked in the trade; his life embodied the work done on the collision facility floor. The fund in his memory was established after his death in 2007.

companies are moving away from drug policies they previously had, sometimes citing widespread use of marijuana as making it too difficult to maintain the workforce they need. But King said that may or may not be true for shops, and urged them to discuss with their legal counsel the level of risk they are willing to accept.

“You’ve had me come here for 23 years to give you ways to protect your shops, whether you’re a single shop or a multi-shop owner, whatever you are,” he said. “You have, for the most part, your own personal interests, your retirement, tied up in your company. A different set of rules may apply to you. I can’t give you a blanket policy anymore. But there are things we can do to protect you…[but they will be] specific to you.”

FRANK

Time to Review Company Drug Policies

Employment law attorney Cory King, who has regularly offered presentations for employers at CIC, said changes in the legalization of marijuana in many states makes it prudent for shops to review their company’s drug policy and employment screening practices. A blanket policy valid in all jurisdictions is no longer possible, he said at the most recent CIC.

“I still want you to be prepared to drug test in a way your state will allow to happen. I still want you to do pre-employment screening, but we’re going to have to look at your state and your jurisdiction to make sure you’re doing it in a legal manner,” King said.

He acknowledged some large

Analog In, Digital Out

During another CIC panel discussion, Marty Ellingsworth of J.D. Power’s property and casualty insurance intelligence group said one auto insurance company’s experience with digital interaction with its customers could be of interest to the industry. While vehicle telematics will eventually help change first notice of loss and other aspects of the claims process for drivers of vehicles equipped with such technology, Ellingsworth said, that doesn’t mean other drivers don’t also want a shift to more digital interaction.

“There’s one [insurance] company in particular that serves a nonstandard insurance population and [insures] many older cars, [yet] was a top performer in digital improvement,” Ellingsworth said. “I called them to ask what they did. They said: ‘When we clear our voicemail at night, we text people the answer.’ So analog in, digital out, with a text. The people were so much happier just getting an update digitally, and having another channel to communicate. It’s a blinding flash of the obvious, but it’s a nontraditional way to innovate.”

Oregon shop owner Ron Reichen, far right, flew Career Technical Education Center instructor Alex Crays, far left, and three of his students to CIC to receive tool donations from the March Taylor Memorial fund. Pictured second through fourth from left are Daniel Mendoza, Eddie Ceja and Jullian Moran.

Frank Terlep kicked off his first meeting as CIC chairman by summarizing what he sees as the “Top 10 influences” on the industry.

Marty Ellingsworth of J.D. Power said one insurer improved its digital engagement with customers by texting responses to questions left on voicemail during off-hours.

“Because ADAS and calibrations affect steering, braking, acceleration. We can’t bury our heads in the sand and not do this work right.”

TERLEP CIC CHAIRMAN

ONLY

ONE THING LASTS LONGER THAN OUR COATINGS. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU.

As the world leader in coatings, our long-term commitment to our customers is reflected in the numbers.

3,500,000+ COLOR FORMULA GLOBAL DATABASE

38,000+ NORTH AMERICAN CUSTOMERS USING PPG REFINISH PAINT

15,000+ TECHNICIANS TRAINED EACH YEAR

10,000+ SHOPS USING MVP BUSINESS TEACHINGS

2,500+ U.S. AND CANADIAN DISTRIBUTORS

120+ YEARS OF INNOVATION IN REFINISH COATINGS

1 COMPANY DELIVERS ALL OF THIS

Bottom line? As long as there are vehicles to paint, PPG will be there to help you paint them.

www.ppgrefinish.com

TechForce Receives $1M Donation from Ford Fund, Dealers

Ford Motor Company Fund, the company’s philanthropic arm, is joining Ford dealers across four U.S. regions—Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix—to provide a million dollars in scholarship funding to help students pursue careers as automotive technicians.

The auto industry has long faced a shortage of technicians due to fewer students entering and graduating from postsecondary programs, according to TechForce Foundation. Despite annual demand for 258,000 new technicians, there are only 48,000 graduates from technician programs each year nationwide.

The gap is likely to widen over the next decade without new graduates as there are projected growth rates of 14% in Arizona, 10% in Texas, 7% in Georgia and 3% in Illinois for this career field respectively.

“As we move toward an electrified future, these career opportunities are exciting and require skilled technicians who are proficient in STEM-related study,” said Elena Ford, chief customer experience officer. “Working

together with the Ford Fund and our dealers to offer this scholarship program means we will welcome a new generation of diverse students to the industry, and hopefully into our Ford family, to help us better serve our customers.”

student’s school tuition account and may be used for all cost of attendance, including tuition, tools, living expenses and transportation.

“These scholarships will go a long way in engaging students, particularly those from underresourced communities, to consider careers in automotive technology and service,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO, TechForce Foundation. “We’re excited about working with the Ford Fund and Ford dealer partners to help create a path to careers students may not have considered before.”

and expertise of the essential skills required to build a diverse pipeline of auto technicians.

This program supports Ford’s greater mission to prepare, empower and grow the future workforce needed to service vehicles and customers to prepare for an electrified future including:

A focus on STEM-based curriculum in combination with hands-on learning

Reaching students early and reinforcing the opportunities available for upward professional and economic advancement

Collaboration with dealers through their involvement in participating schools, career fairs, shadowing days, mentoring and internships

The Ford Auto Tech Scholarship is open to current and future students who are enrolled in postsecondary auto or auto and diesel technician training programs in the Greater Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix areas. This needbased scholarship is applied to a

Scholarships will be administered by TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit supporting students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. Ford is proud to partner with TechForce given their deep understanding

For more information and to apply for the Ford Auto Tech Scholarship opportunity, students can visit www.TechForce.org/ FordFund.

Applications are due by June 30, and applicants will be notified of the results on a rolling basis throughout the spring and summer.

Source: TechForce Foundation

Honda Prepares U.S. Manufacturing Plants For EV Production

By Mark Kane InsideEVs

Honda announced several crucial steps to establish an EV Hub in Ohio, where the company intends to produce its next-generation allelectric cars.

The Japanese manufacturer intends to invest some $700 million to re-tool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants in the state, to support the introduction of EVs based on the new Honda e:Architecture, scheduled for 2026.

The main focus of the plan is the Marysville Auto Plant (MAP), where Honda began auto production in America in 1982, which will be Honda’s first auto plant in the U.S. to transition to making EVs.

The transformation will concern also the East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP) and Anna Engine Plant (AEP), as well as plants outside Ohio.

Marysville Auto Plant (MAP)

MAP will consolidate assembly

lines for internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid electric (HEV) vehicles into one line, and retool them for the production of

Honda engine plant in Alabama. In effect, the plant will be able to prepare for the production of battery cases for all-electric cars.

models will be produced near Jeffersonville, OH, by a joint venture between Honda and LG Energy Solution. The plant will have an annual output of 40 gigawatt-hours (kWh) annually, while the production is expected to begin in 2025.

Transmission Plant – Georgia (TMP-G)

EVs and EV components.

Preparations will start in 2024 so the factory will be ready for allelectric car production in 2026.

Production of the Honda Accord, currently at MAP, will be transferred to the Indiana Auto Plant (IAP) in 2025, so the production volume of this model will be maintained.

East Liberty Auto Plant (ELP)

ELP in Ohio will also produce all-electric cars, but there are no details yet.

Anna Engine Plant (AEP)

AEP in Ohio will shift production of some engine components to the

“AEP will transfer component production for two different generations of engines to the engine plant at the Alabama Auto Plant (AAP),” Honda said. “Machining of the engine head, which ended at AEP in February, for the existing V6 engine that powers many Honda light trucks will be added to existing AAP operations beginning in March 2023. Engine block casting for the all-new V6 engine just introduced in the all-new 2023 Honda Pilot, will begin at AAP in August 2023. These two moves will allow AEP to re-allocate space for future IPU Case production.”

Let’s recall that lithium-ion battery modules for the nextgeneration Honda and Acura

The TMP-G plant, as part of a partnership between Honda and a supplier, will install a new line to build e-axles (electric motor, gearing components and power electronics) for all-electric cars.

According to the press release, the undisclosed supplier will install, own and operate the new e-axle line in the space currently occupied by a transmission production line not in operation.

Overall, Honda intends to maintain production of the ICE and HEV vehicles in the U.S. “to meet anticipated strong customer demand through 2030 and beyond” and maintain stable employment during the transformation to EVs.

Ed Attanasio

— Day Job/Night

When technician Justin Brockner isn’t fixing cars, he and his wife, Candice, run a 17-acre farm that has quickly become an attraction for people in Brook Park, MN, and the surrounding area. They call it Holistic Homestead and six years ago, this couple added farming to the growing list of amazing things they do—including parenting three boys with a girl on the way, homeschooling, physique competitions, Candice’s line of healthy products and Justin working at local body shops to pay the bills.

Justin’s career in collision repair goes back more than two decades.

“I have been working on cars pretty much my entire life,” Justin said. “My dad was a self-employed mechanic who did a lot of restorations and had his own car collections. I kind of grew up around cars and in the automotive repair industry.

supplies, games and an entire room dedicated to children and babies.

The Brockners have always had big plans for their farm and boutique.

animals; we wanted to get into dairy goats. We wanted the land and we wanted to use the barn for animals, but we also had this house sitting there

Now the homestead holds events for the community during the year.

“We do a Summer Solstice Festival in June and then we did another festival in August, like an end of summer festival,” Candice said. “And then all through October, we are open every weekend. We created a lot of little activities for families and we invite people to hang out here, with picnic tables set up all over the property.”

The couple is into competitive-level fitness in addition to running their farm and boutique, Justin said.

“We entered physique competitions there for a little while, and we did other coaching,” he said. “I have a health and wellness coaching certificate; Candice is a certified holistic nutritionist and we try to motivate people to pursue their goals and dreams, and coaching them is a big part of it.”

“I worked in a service station in high school, doing oil changes and wheel alignments,” Justin continued. “I went to body school for a two-year degree and I have been working in collision repair since then. I did my first restoration when I was probably 12 or 13, and I took it to the state fair. It was a 1948 International pickup.”

The family’s farm began in 2017 with flowers, and now the family raises chickens, rabbits, goats and ducks, and grows a wide range of organic produce and bulk herbs.

“We would always just plant flowers to pollinate our gardens,” Candice said. “Then it turned into selling those flowers and into selling extra vegetables and eggs, as well as raising pastured poultry for our family and community.”

In October 2021, the couple opened the Holistic Homestead Farm Boutique, an “occasional boutique” open most weekends, offering a variety of unique items, including a line of handcrafted herbal remedies, kitchenware, pantry staples, home decor, many gift options, apparel, books, seeds, gardening

“The business has evolved naturally,” Candice said. “Everything we make and grow is first for our family and then the rest is for the community. At the beginning, we just wanted to have a space where people could gather and where we could share what we have here. Families love this place because it’s a beautiful spot and they can come here and unwind.”

The farm is in their DNA, Candice said.

“Well, I suppose it was kind of our way of living and being self-sufficient,” she said. “We’ve been gardening since our early 20s, canning food for our family. But it was about, I would say, six years ago when we launched the business initially with our herbal remedies. It all kind of just started as a way of life. You know, things that we use, and make ourselves and wanted to share them with other people. Over the years, that just evolved into wanting to have a space to offer to the community, for just a space for people to gather.”

When opportunity knocked to expand the farm, the Brockners answered the call, Justin said.

“The farm next to our homestead is about 710 acres and it went up for sale in the summer of 2021,” he said. “We were always talking to a neighbor about wanting to get some of that land from him. So, when it went up for sale, we thought this is our chance to expand. There’s a very nice barn on the property which would enable us to have more

and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to offer our products to the community through this outlet.”

It all ties into what the Brockners are doing at Holistic Homestead—pursuing their passion and teaching people a new and healthier way of living along the way.

Visit their website at www. holistichomesteadmn.com.

“Everything we make or grow is first for our family and then the rest is for the community. At the beginning, we just wanted to have a space where people could gather and where we could share what we have here.”

CANDICE BROCKNER  HOLISTIC HOMESTEAD

CCC Crash Course Report Shows Macrotrends Having Profound Impact on Collision Industry

By Stacey Phillips Autobody News

A shift in consumer driving behaviors since the pandemic, the rise of AI and labor shortages are some macroeconomic trends impacting the collision industry, according to the 28th edition of CCC Intelligent Solutions’ Crash Course Report, “ignite EXPERIENCE.” Meanwhile, there are advancements in vehicle technology, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and electric vehicles (EVs), said Jason Verlen, CCC’s vice president, product marketing.

force looks like. These have clear, demonstrable and profound impacts on the claims repair ecosystem. The ramifications are deep, and from my perspective, I don’t think these issues are going anywhere anytime soon. There is generally less congestion on roadways since the pandemic and peak driving volume is occurring on different days and times. In the top 10 U.S. cities, miles traveled are roughly the same. It may even be up a bit, but downtown, it is 27% below the usual. This is due to more of a balance between hybrid work and going to the office, and more people living in rural areas and driving during

to complexity. When you look at a diagram of a front bumper from 10 years ago, it might have three or four obvious pieces. A front bumper today is double or triple that. It begins to add up when you have more parts to assemble and the growing need for diagnostic scans and performing a calibration to ensure everything is repaired correctly.

There are also more supplements. Roughly 60% of claims now have a supplement. If you look at data from 20 years ago, I believe it was 20%. As unbelievable as it sounds, about 5% of claims have four or more supplements. The cost of the supplements has almost doubled over the last five years from $500 to $900.

Another shift is the mechanical labor required. About 40% of claims on new vehicles require more expensive mechanical labor, which is double than five years ago.

With the amount of digital technology in new vehicles, we’re seeing a diagnostic scan included in the initial estimate. We wouldn’t have seen that years ago, but the computer systems in cars today need special tools to identify and diagnose damage.

Insurers and repair facilities are becoming more creative in figuring out how to handle the situation. We are seeing carriers being more flexible in hiring people who are not necessarily in the areas where they have their offices and working remotely. Repair shops, especially MSOs, are becoming more aggressive in setting up training programs to bring people on board.

Additionally, the rise of AI is making the claims process more efficient. The use of photo estimating, for example, has increased since the pandemic. About 27% of repairable vehicles go through the photo estimating process; indeed 150 carriers send CCC photos and approximately 100 apply AI to those photos. Over 14 million claims have used this technology since it was deployed.

One advantage of using AI is the superior process. If a carrier sends photos to a repair facility, it can apply AI to build an initial estimate and repair plan for the repair professional to review. AI also aids employees coming into the industry who have less experience than their predecessors.

“The macrotrends are having effects on how the industry functions,” said Verlen. “The industry is changing quickly.”

Subtitled “The Era of Experience,” Crash Course 2023 includes data from 260 million claims-related transactions, 50 billion miles of driving data, and millions of auto physical damage and auto bodily injury and personal injury protection (PIP)/medical payments (MedPay) casualty claims data and analysis. Verlen shared learnings from the report and the impact to the industry and consumers.

Q:

How are the findings different than prior years?

A: The transition is more profound in terms of what’s happening with repairs and claim times. This is not the usual market change. In addition, it’s what repair facilities and insurers are doing in the face of these shifts that readers will find interesting.

Q:

What are some macrotrends discovered?

A: The macrotrends include where people live, what cars they drive, how they drive and how technology like AI is changing their experience with vehicle ownership, insurance claims and repairs. Another macrotrend is what the labor

non-peak hours.

People are also driving differently. They are driving faster and are more distracted. This can be attributed to texting, as well as cannabis and alcohol use.

This affects Delta-V, which is the change in velocity between pre-collision and post-collision trajectories of a vehicle and indicates accidents are getting more severe.

New vehicles are not just bigger, but heavier and have more horsepower. We found people are driving more trucks with an average of more than 300 horsepower. The average internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle has 1,500 semiconductors, whereas an EV is double that. When they are in accidents, there are definite ramifications.

Q:

What is taking place with repairs?

A: Costs continue to climb. Over the last five years, they have increased from an average of $3,000 per claim to $4,000. This is partly due to new technology. More parts and labor are on the average claim. Typically, parts consist of varying materials and many incorporate digital technology, which makes them more expensive to buy and repair.

The average number of parts on a claim five years ago was nine; in 2022, it was 13. It comes down

There are more situations where parts are replaced that would have

Q:How are these changes impacting consumers?

A:They affect customers because they affect cycle time. We have complicated vehicles that are expensive to repair. They require more steps, diagnostics and calibrations and there is less labor to do it. This impacts customers getting their cars into a repair shop. Many facilities have a waiting list of over a month. There’s no magic to shrinking those backlogs but there are steps shops can take, like getting more labor on board, getting more comfortable repairing these vehicles and transparency with customers.

been repaired previously due to the electronics inside. In some cases, there are more OEM parts with sophisticated electronics. That increases costs and repair time.

Q: How are these changes impacting labor?

A: The labor shortage, both for carriers and shops, is a huge challenge at the wrong time because of the dynamics of the vehicles themselves combined with how people drive.

There’s a big difference between a consumer waiting for a car that’s not functioning correctly and one that’s getting messages about the status of how the repair is progressing.

If a repair isn’t done transparently and there are delays and supplements, that’s frustrating for a customer. If the repair process is transparent, even in a challenging environment, a consumer is more likely to give the repair shop the benefit of the doubt.

To read the report, visit cccis.com/ crash-course.

THE YEAR OF THE TECHNICIAN

Join us for the Second Annual Midwest Collision Industry Trade Show and Conference celebrating ”The Year Of The Technician”. The Trade Show offers new technology, product demonstrations, and information you will not get anywhere else in the Midwest. World Class Education will cover all facets of our industry; owners, managers, technicians, everyone is welcome. This year’s event will take over the entire Overland Park Convention floor in Overland Park, Kansas. This will be an exciting, positive, and educational event for all!

PARTICIPATE IN THE TOP GUN TECHNICIAN COMPETITION!

Presenting Sponsor: Platinum Sponsors:

Insurance Reform Law

System, we see sharp reductions in average liability premiums and PIP average loss costs in 2022,” the paper continued. “These data also indicate that the severity of PIP claims has fallen considerably as the medical cost controls have taken effect. These statistics suggest that the new law is providing considerable premium savings, at least for some Michigan drivers.”

PIP covers the treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder’s car in a no-fault auto insurance system. Michigan is one of 12 no-fault states in the U.S. These systems allow policyholders to file claims with their own insurer after an accident, regardless of who caused the accident. No-fault states restrict lawsuits to serious cases and promote faster claim payouts.

Before the state’s no-fault auto insurance system reform law took effect in July 2020, Michigan had consistently ranked as one of the costliest states in the U.S. for personal auto insurance coverage. This was the case largely because it was the only state to offer unlimited medical benefits through the PIP portion of an auto insurance policy,

the paper said. Insurers also were severely constrained in controlling the medical costs arising from PIP claims.

Given the high cost of coverage, more than one in four drivers (26%) on Michigan’s roadways were uninsured in 2019, the Insurance Research Council (IRC) estimated, twice the national average (13%) in that year. Like Triple-I, IRC is an affiliate of The Institutes.

The 2020 reform law’s enactment allowed for:

Reducing auto insurer payouts of high PIP medical benefits

Instituting medical cost controls

Broadening the state’s authority to regulate personal auto insurance rate filings

Creating a Fraud Investigation Unit within the Department of Insurance and Financial Services

Restricting auto insurer use of “non-driving” rating factors (e.g., credit-based insurance scores)

The paper reported the average Michigan policyholder paid

$2,611 annually for personal auto insurance coverage in 2019 and $2,133 in 2022, an 18%, Insure.com determined.

“Hence, the data lend support to the contention that Michigan’s unlimited PIP medical benefits and its lack of a medical fee schedule, uncontrolled utilization and substantial fraud and abuse were the principal factors causing Michigan’s high PIP costs,” the paper’s co-authors concluded.

The authors contend that by addressing these problems through its reform legislation, Michigan has achieved significant claim and premium cost savings for its consumers.

The paper noted a case pending before Michigan’s Supreme Court has the potential to reverse some of the auto insurer cost savings and policyholder premium reductions achieved by the 2020 reform law.

S ource: Insurance Information Institute

Classic Collision Adds CO, FL Locations

Classic Collision, LLC, announced two new closings March 31—the acquisition of BJ’s Auto Theft & Collision in Commerce City, CO, and Irish Mike’s Collision in Orlando, FL.

For 30 years, BJ’s Auto Theft & Collision has been dedicated to returning customers vehicle to them in the best condition in the shortest time possible, while ensuring each customer has an exceptional experience.

Irish Mike’s Collision has been family owned and operated with a long-standing reputation for great work, affordable prices and trustworthy service.

“Both BJ’s Auto Theft & Collision and Irish Mike’s Collision have been high performers along with customer focused, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Classic family as we continue to expand our footprint across Colorado and Florida,” said Toan Nguyen , CEO of Classic Collision.

Source: Classic Collision, LLC

Are You Giving Your Estimators the Time and Training Needed to Succeed?

We at Collision Advice recently reviewed some data on the average collision repair severity in each state, and not surprisingly, it has continued to rise. On a national basis, it’s now over $4,700, but in many states, the average is over $5,000, and there’s one state where the average is over $6,000.

has risen by about $1,000 since 2019 in some states, and by as much as $2,000 in others. But more interestingly, the actual number of labor hours per job hasn’t risen that much.

In some states, the average total number of labor hours is up by only about 1.2 hours over that four-year period. The biggest increase we saw in the average number of labor hours per job in any state was four hours.

In some cases, when the labor hours were broken down by type— body, refinish, frame and mechanical— we actually saw some small decreases in the averages in some state.

Insurance companies are really just hammering shops and trying to control severity.

While that may be true to an extent, I believe that a majority of shops—and I’m not trying to offend anybody here—use the insurance companies as an excuse for their own

we’re not giving them the time to write a proper damage analysis.

In some cases, we have people who are not educated themselves teaching someone else. It’s kind of like that game of telephone we all played in school, where one person tells another person something, and that person is supposed to tell another person the exact same thing, and so on, but by the time the message gets to the last person, it’s very different than the original.

But we wanted to drill down further to look not only at how average severity has changed over the past five years, but also how average number of labor hours per job have changed over that time.

Again, looking at the data on a state-by-state basis, average severity

So at the end of the day, severity has gone up, but it’s not because of a significant increase in the labor hours per job. The increase is more based on increased scans and calibrations, and because of the use of more—and more expensive—parts per job.

As I looked at this data, I started to ask myself why. If you asked me this three or four years ago, I would have said maybe it’s insurance pressure.

lack of knowledge and training. I really believe we have people in shops writing estimates or repair plans who have not been properly trained.

Part of the reason: We’re having to hire a lot of new people in our industry, and I think too often we’re not setting them up for success. We’re not giving them the time to train, we’re not finding the right training, and then

Now my company offers estimating training, but there’s a lot of others sources of estimate training as well. You have Dave Dunn at Masters School. You have Kristen Felder and Larry Montanez with Collision Hub. You have Roger Cada from Accountable Estimating.

So I’m not saying you need to get training from us. I’m just saying you need to find somebody that can help get your team properly trained. I think it’s only going to become even more important as we start working on more and more electric vehicles.

Mike Anderson — From the Desk of Mike Anderson

“So at the end of the day, severity has gone up, but it’s not because of a significant increase in the labor hours per job.”

— MIKE ANDERSON COLLISION ADVICE

Woodman Collision Center in IL Earns Small Business Award

Located at 4515 N. Alby Road, coowners Chad and Ryan Woodman noted they have been in business at their current location for 18 years and now have 12 employees.

The firm has more than 75 years in the body shop business.  Jess and Ginger Woodman started the current location in 2004, retiring in 2019. Jess’s grandfather, Jess O. Woodman Sr., began the business, first working on automobiles in the 1940s. Jess O. Woodman Jr. followed his father’s footsteps and owned shops on Broadway, Main and Belle streets in Alton.

Jess H. Woodman, the most recent previous owner, began learning the business as a teen and eventually co-owned the company with his father and brother Danny at its Ninth and Belle streets location. Ryan Woodman started as a collision repair specialist and oversees the repair operations. Chad Woodman is an estimator and manages the front office.

“We are the fourth generation of

CONTINUED

l

have a specific EV requirement, and they don’t ban gas-powered vehicles. Instead, automakers can meet the mandates with whichever vehicles they see fit.

That said, the standards would almost certainly boost EV production and sales since manufacturers would likely need to sell an increasing number of electric cars in order to comply with the standards. Many automakers have already invested heavily in fully electric cars, so it simply makes sense they’ll continue on that path.

The proposed rules, labeled by the organization as Phase 3, also include guidance for heavyduty vehicles, meaning there will be stricter emissions regulations

collision repair at Woodman,” Chad Woodman said. “We started at our current location with a drive to make a difference. We want to take a tough situation like an automobile and make it a pleasant experience.”

In addition to the named collision repair, Woodman Collision Center also offers waterborne paint products along with glass, paintless dent, hail damage and related repairs for most all makes and models of automobiles. They provide free estimates before the work begins, offer lifetime warranties, and work with most insurances.

Woodman Collision Center is an industry-recognized I-CAR Gold Class collision repair business. This Gold Class recognition indicates their technicians are trained in the proper repair techniques and procedures that contribute to the complete and safe repair of a vehicle. As a Gold Class shop, they require each of their technicians involved in collision repair to take ongoing training every year. This includes classes on new vehicle technologies and the latest repair techniques. Woodman is among only 10% of collision repair businesses to achieve Gold Class status.

put into place for school buses, delivery trucks, construction-related vehicles, etc. The goal is for 50% of new buses and 25% of new heavy truck sales to be fully electric by 2032.

If all goes as planned, the U.S. could save trillions of dollars on fuel costs and health care, while eliminating around 10 billion tons of emissions. As a result of the new mandates, at least 50% of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 should be zero-emission vehicles, though the number stands to be as much as 10% higher. In 2022, only 6% of new U.S. vehicle sales were fully electric cars.

“Our industry is constantly changing as cars get more and more technology. We offer training to all our employees through I-CAR,” Chad Woodman said, which is the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair.

Three years ago, 3,500 square feet was added to its current Alby Road site, expanding its nearly 11,000-squarefoot state-of-the-art facility into a place where their technicians can bring customers’ vehicles back to life with quality service.

“We see great opportunity in being able to help people in need,” Chad Woodman added. “And while the recent supply chain breakdown has led to challenges with parts availability, we still strive to set ourselves apart from the competition through our customer service. Every customer is important no matter how big or small the job, and no matter what kind of vehicle.

“And we are always looking for ways to better impact our community,” he said. “We are active supporters of several organizations, but very active with The Restore Network, ThriVe ministry and Calvary Baptist Church. We donate our

services to local agencies including the fire department.”

Woodman Collision Center is a three-time small business of the month winner, winning previously in 2006 and 2011.

To learn more about Woodman Collision Center and its service offerings, visit woodmancc.com, email cwoodman@woodmancc. com or call 618-466-1450.

The RiverBend Growth Association is the Chamber of Commerce and economic development organization for the 11 communities known as the Riverbend. For more information about the Growth Association, visit www.growthassociation.com or call 618-467-2280.

RBGA’s Small Business of the Month Committee recognizes a different member business each month for its outstanding efforts and leadership in the community. Committee members include Brenda Eardley, Adrianna Lock, Sam Quigley, Amy Roady, Kristen Ryrie, Martha Schultz and Amy Smith

To learn more about the RBGA and the Small Business of the Month recognition, visit the RBGA website or call its Godfrey office.

ltedesco@autobodynews.com 800-699-8251 AUTOBODY

SRSSIDEAIRBAG COUSSINGONFLABLELATÉRAL

TOAVOIDSERIOUSINJURYORDEATH: •Donotleanagainstthedoor. •Donotuseseatcoversthat Seeblocksideairbagdeployment. owner’smanualformoreinformation.

POURÉVITERDESBLESSURES

GRAVESOUMORTELLES: •Nevousappuyezpascontrelaporte. •N’utilizezpasuncouvre-siège quipeutbloquerledéploiementdu Voircoussingonflablelatéral.lemanuelduconducteurpour deplusamplesrenseignements.

CONTROLVEHICLEEMISSIONINFORMATION

Fuel: Gasoline

Conformstoregulations: 2015

Californiaclass/stds: PC/ULEVqualified

U.S.EPAclass/stds: LDV/TIER2

Group: FGMXV01.80111.2L Evap:SFI/HO2S/TWCFGMXR0095805

Thecombinedweightofoccupantsandcargoshouldneverexceed352kgor776lbs.

Conformstoregulations:2016MY

VEHICLEEMISSIONCONTROLINFORMATION

U.S.EPA:T2B4 LDV

VEHICLEEMISSIONCONTROLINFORMATION

Conformstoregulations:2016MY Not for sale in states with California emissions standards.

U.S.EPA:T2B4 LDV

FEDOBDII

TWC/HO2S/WR-HO2S/CAC/TC/DFI

2.3L-Group:GFMXV02.3VJW Evap:GFMXR0125NBV

Fuel:Gasoline ABZ

Noadjustmentsneeded.

FEDOBDII

TWC/HO2S/WR-HO2S/CAC/TC/DFI

Fuel:Gasoline ABZ

California: Not for sale in states with California emissions standards.

Noadjustmentsneeded.

2.3L-Group:GFMXV02.3VJW Evap:GFMXR0125NBV

2200KG(4894LBS)

1155KG (2546LBS)P235/55R18

TIREANDLOADINGINFORMATION

CIECAST Discusses How Collision Repairers Can ‘Move Upstream’ To Capture More Customers

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

CIECA hosted its latest CIECAST webinar March 30, “How to Adapt to the Speed of Change in the Collision Industry… Without Getting Crushed,” presented by Ryan Taylor, founder of the CRM software BodyShop Booster and president of The AMP Bureau.

Taylor shared three concepts he said are helping some of the great leaders around the world adapt to the speed of change---and are also applicable to anyone in the collision repair space.

The full presentation is available on CIECA’s website at www.cieca.com/ MEETINGS-EVENTS/ciecast-webinars

Upstream Positioning

Taylor said it is important to understand there are different classifications of purchases.

The first is an impulse buy. These come with a high degree of purchase motivation because they are something people really want---like a car or new smartphone—so customers tend to do a lot of research before buying them.

The second, which includes collision repair, is a distress purchase. These have no degree of purchase motivation because people don’t really want it, but need it.

“It’s a very different buying frame of mind,” Taylor said. “You can’t make people research what to do after they’ve had an accident. You can’t create interest in the product by offering discounts if they get in an accident. You can’t build demand by causing accidents.”

In any given market, about 57% of vehicle owners do not have damage and therefore do not need collision repair, Taylor said.

For the other 43%, their buying behavior depends on how much damage their vehicle has. If it’s small, many people will put off getting it fixed for a long time, even years. For those with medium damage, they tend to put it off for a few months. But those with large damage will make the decision to purchase collision repair services within a matter of hours.

“Only about 2% of people are looking for collision repair,” Taylor said. “It fluctuates with conditions [like extreme weather events] but that’s the average.”

Those in the collision repair space need to think about how to “move upstream” in a potential customer’s journey.

“Everyone has a ‘lake,’” Taylor said.

“If you’re a body shop, the lake is the surrounding community; if you’re a supplier, it’s a larger area.”

As customers in the “lake” decide to purchase collision repair services, they “move downstream towards ‘islands

are no longer void when the car is sold, which creates a higher resale value. Shops can show owners how the AMP warranty will increase their car’s Kelley Blue Book value, and owners can show the AMP warranty when selling it.

Taylor said new technology being applied to vehicles can be scary, but the industry should embrace and try to keep up with it.

As an example, he said the U.S. military dedicates 20% of its annual budget to research and development of new technology.

How to Surf the Technology Wave

In 1995, Taylor said, there were only four marketing channels---the radio, Yellow Pages, TV and newspaper. Today there are 7,400 different marketing channels.

“Don’t chase the latest marketing craze,” Taylor said. “Focus on the customer.”

Today, people are constantly looking at their phones, but in 1940, in a photo he showed, they were all looking at newspapers.

“The delivery method has changed but human behavior hasn’t, so focus on that,” he said.

Taylor drew a parallel to surfing.

of influence’” that affect their decisions on which shop to use---like insurance companies, OEMs and family and friends, Taylor said.

Beyond that is a second chain of “islands,” like a body shop’s website and social media presence, and the results of a Google search of local shops. These secondary influencers are nowhere near as powerful as the primary ones, Taylor said.

“The average customer looks at three body shops,” Taylor said. “Then they finally make a buying decision.”

Now that customer is in the “repair tube,” in which they book the repair, drop off the vehicle, pick up their rental vehicle, get repair updates, take delivery and get a warranty, at which point they are “pumped back” into the “lake” as part of the 57% of repaired vehicles that don’t need services.

“Think about how you move upstream in that cycle,” Taylor said.

As an example, Taylor said, he went to dealerships after hail storms to offer dent repair services, but a lot of other repairers were doing the same thing, so he had to “move upstream.”

To do that, he identified dealerships in hail-prone areas, and spoke to the principles at those dealerships about setting up a disaster response plan--before any storm hit, so he was the only one in the room. That way, when a storm did hit, the dealership called him directly to get the response started immediately.

Another example is the AMP Bureau, which helps shops provide nationwide warranties across the U.S. and Canada. This means warranties

“What can you do to start upstream thinking?” Taylor said.

Moving Away from Fear and Toward Freedom

“Inexperienced surfers chase the wave,” Taylor said. “Experienced surfers choose their spot and wait. It looks like they’re not doing much but they are positioned to catch the wave when it comes.”

This screenshot from the presentation shows the customer journey of leaving the marketplace “lake” to travel through the pipeline of getting their vehicle repaired.

Repair Trade Show

“We’re pretty excited to get our second show under our belts,” said Gina Cotton , co-coordinator and executive director of the Nebraska and Missouri autobody associations, which is hosting the show along with the South Dakota Autobody Association and the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA).

The show is free, but organizers ask everyone to register so they can have nametags. The only charge is to attend the catered lunch May 20, featuring Jack Stack BBQ and keynote speaker Dan Meers , better known as “KC Wolf,” the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs. He will tell his personal story, which Cotton promised is “very motivational and uplifting,” and might even include a couple tidbits about the Super Bowl.

The show opens at 5 p.m. May 19 with a “roaring welcome” from Mike Anderson of Collision Advice and a “big bash,” said Janet Chaney , cocoordinator and executive director of the ICRA.

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 20, attendees will enjoy a blend of vendor booths and educational seminars and panel discussions.

Cotton said about 50 vendors are registered as of late March, with room for more.

Solidus Equipment Systems, the show’s presenting sponsor, will host a welding competition offering a top prize of a $5,000 MIG welder. Interested competitors can register at solidususa.com/contact-us/

Chaney said the show’s education component is centered on the “repair of the future,” tackling issues most relevant to shops today.

The technical seminars will include an “EV introduction” for technicians, reviewing the basics of EV repairs and safety issues, and one offering a significant refresher on writing estimates to reflect the increasing technology in vehicles.

Other seminars will cover how to build business through a shop’s website, get into OE repair procedures, address data privacy issues related to writing repair estimates, and perform ADAS calibration procedures in a safe — and profitable — way.

“All of these things are pain points in shops,” Chaney said.

Considering a technician shortage is one of the biggest issue shops are facing today, the closing session will be a panel discussion about cultivating a strong workplace

AkzoNobel Appoints Ricardo Rosso As Pontiac, MI, Site Manager

AkzoNobel announced Ricardo Rosso has accepted the position as the new site manager for Pontiac (MI) Automotive and Specialty Coatings, effective March 1.

Rosso started with AkzoNobel in 2011 in Brazil and then joined the North America team (NAM) in 2018 as the production manager for Marine, Protective and Yacht (MPY) Coatings at the Houston, TX, factory. Previously, Rosso held various roles in AkzoNobel’s supply chain, logistics and manufacturing teams, and has supported several projects across the wood, packaging and coil business segments.

Rosso reports to Nate Norris, NAM manufacturing and supply chain director, who said: “As the Pontiac site manager, Ricardo leads all manufacturing operations to ensure our supply chain has continuous improvement. Ricardo brings excellent experience and skills to Pontiac, and I look forward to what he will accomplish as he

leads our talented people.”

AkzoNobel acquired the Pontiac factory in 1983 as part of the Wyandotte Paint Products acquisition, securing a position in the North American automotive paint market. The company unveiled a modern manufacturing building to produce Sikkens Car Refinishes in 1989—the first time Sikkens was produced in North America. Pontiac is the only factory in North America to produce vehicle refinishes, signs and commercial vehicle products.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead the AkzoNobel Pontiac workforce,” Rosso said. “It has been wonderful to be a part of the AkzoNobel Integrated Supply Chain (ISC) transformation, and continuously grow my career and skills for the past 13 years. I look forward to helping drive more supply chain improvements in my new role for our customers.”

Source: AkzoNobel

culture, Chaney said.

Cotton said she was inspired to start the trade show when she attended the SEMA Show and thought it would be helpful to hold a “mini SEMA” for mom-and-pop repairers in Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas who couldn’t make it to Las Vegas. Chaney reached out and asked if Iowa and South Dakota could participate as well.

“It was a successful accident last year,” Cotton said. “I prayed for 300 people and got 600. This year, I am hoping for 1,000.”

Cotton said she has reached out to 11 Midwest states ahead of this year’s show.

“The vendors love it because it’s one stop,” Cotton said. “We’re all very spread out in the Midwest, so the biggest selling point for the vendors is they can get in front of 11 states.”

For more information, visit midwesttradeshow.org.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK : Autobody News

Caliber Hosts Annual Restoring You™ Food Drive

The Caliber family of brands kicked off its 12th Annual Restoring You™ Food Drive on April 10. The recurring campaign is part of Caliber’s Restoring You platform and focuses on combatting childhood food insecurity across the country.

According to Feeding America, about 22 million children in the U.S. rely on daily free or reduced-price school lunches for their main meal. During the summer, students lose access to that meal. Caliber is working with more than 125 food bank partners nationwide to support their summer feeding programs.

Non-perishable food and monetary donations can be made at any Caliber location by May 26. Monetary donations can also be made online at www.caliber.com/why-caliber/ restoring-you/food-drive

To help stretch donations, the Caliber Foundation will donate an additional 25 cents for every dollar raised.

Source: Caliber

Explosion At Auto Supplier Caused by Sparks That Ignited Aluminum Dust

By Phoebe Wall Howard Detroit Free Press

Investigators have determined the explosion and fires at the Dicastal Inc. facility on March 17 in Greenville, MI, were caused by sparks from a hand grinder that ignited aluminum dust, according to the Greenville Department of Public Safety Fire Investigation Unit.

The automotive supplier, which makes lightweight aluminum alloy wheels for Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota, Honda and Nissan, has not responded to requests from the Detroit Free Press for comment since the explosion.

“Evidence showed an employee was utilizing a hand grinder as part of a maintenance project in the foundry area. While performing the repair work to a piece of machinery, sparks from the hand grinder inadvertently ignited aluminum dust in the vicinity of the labor being executed. This ignition of dust set off the explosion,” said a news release issued late March 22 from the city of Greenville.

A burned employee transported to the hospital after the explosion

is “continuing to recover and his condition improves daily,” the city’s news release said. The plant is about 30 miles east of Grand Rapids.

“I have no estimates on damage to the building, but it was contained to the foundry area on the night the incident occurred,” Brian Blomstrom, interim director of the Greenville Department of Public Safety, told the Detroit Free Press on March 23.

No Comment

Officials from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have been on-site or notified, he said.

A person who answered the company’s main phone line March 23 said Dicastal is not speaking to the news media at this time. She declined to say how much production has been disrupted or respond to any other inquiries.

Firefighters from three different departments worked together using on-site dry chemical powder extinguishers the night of the

explosion to battle flames within the plant and on the roof, the news release said.

and coordinating the workings of fire suppression personnel,” Blomstrom said in the release that credited previous training for such incidents.

Dicastal Owned by China

Overall, emergency responders came from the Greenville Department of Public Safety, the Montcalm Township Fire Department, city of Belding Fire Department, Lakeview District Fire Department, Montcalm County EMS, Montcalm County Technical Rescue Team, Life EMS, the Michigan State Police, and Montcalm County Central Dispatch, according to the news release.

The incident, which has been ruled an accident, was declared under control at 1:47 a.m. March 18, approximately four hours after the initial call was received, the news release confirmed.

“Sgt. Steve DeWitt did an excellent job as the incident commander that night, both with being situationally aware of decisions that needed to be made,

Review of the case was led by Greenville fire investigators Jamie Sorsen and Jess Dear with assistance from Dicastal facilities manager Sam Myers and agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the news release said.

Dicastal is a subsidiary of Qinhuangdao, China-based CITIC Dicastal Co., which calls itself on its website the “world’s largest supplier of aluminum alloy wheels.”

“Sgt. Steve DeWitt did an excellent job as the incident commander that night, both with being situationally aware of decisions that needed to be made, and coordinating the workings of fire suppression personnel,”

BRIAN BLOMSTROM INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE GREENVILLE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Soaring Interest Rates ‘Create Biggest Roadblock’ To New Vehicle Purchases in Q1

Financing a new vehicle purchase continues to grow increasingly out of reach for many consumers, according to the car shopping experts at Edmunds.

New data from Edmunds revealed:

The average annual percentage rate (APR) on new financed vehicles in Q1 2023 climbed to 7%, compared to 4.4% in Q1 2022, the highest level Edmunds has on record since Q1 2008. However, Edmunds analysts note March marked the first time after 14 consecutive months of increases that the average new-vehicle APR stayed flat (at 7%), which they attribute to a moderate increase in subsidized financing by automakers.

The average monthly payment for new vehicles hit a record high of $730 in Q1 2023, compared to $656 in Q1 2022.

16.8% of consumers who financed a new vehicle in Q1 2023 committed to a monthly payment of $1,000 or more—a new all-time high according to Edmunds—compared to 10.3% in

Q1 2022 and 6.2% in Q1 2021.

The average down payment for a new vehicle climbed to a record high of $6,956 in Q1 2023, compared to $6,083 in Q1 2022.

“Since inventory levels are improving, interest rates are now topping the list of the greatest obstacles that automakers will be facing in 2023 to move metal,” said Jessica Caldwell , Edmunds’ executive director of insights. “But with major challenges come great opportunities: Since interest rates are at the forefront of consumers’ minds, any automaker or dealer that can advertise incentives related specifically to interest rates will likely get more attention. This could be a powerful marketing tool that would enable sellers to tap into the significant pent-up demand that has been building over the past few years and convert that demand into actual sales.”

Edmunds analysts took a closer look at financed new vehicle purchases in Q1 2023 and calculated the average monthly payment, amount financed, APR, down payment and total interest

paid—in each case based on loan term lengths.

Edmunds experts note these figures highlight the stark contrast between the consumers who are able to take advantage of lower APR offers and those who

12.3% of consumers opted for 36- or 48-month loan terms in Q1, the highest Edmunds has on record since Q4 2009, while a majority of consumers are extending loan terms out as much as possible in order to increase affordability.

can’t. Although quarterly figures appear to reflect the average loan term has remained static at around 70 months, Edmunds analysts say term lengths don’t tell the full story—which is that more car shoppers are being pushed to the extreme ends of the finance terms spectrum.

“It takes money to save money in today’s market. Although more automakers are offering to subsidize auto loans with lower interest rates, the catch is that most of these offers require that consumers agree to shorter 36- or 48-month loan terms— which might put people off at first glance,” said Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ director of insights. “If you’re a qualified buyer and have the means to put more money down, whether in cash or via your trade-in, know that you have a serious advantage— you’ll be committing to a much larger amount toward the down or monthly payment, but you will save up to tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your auto loan.”

S ource: Edmunds

“Since inventory levels are improving, interest rates are now topping the list of the greatest obstacles that automakers will be facing in 2023 to move metal,”

JESSICA CALDWELL

EDMUNDS’ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSIGHTS

Hands-On Training Should Not Be a One-Time Event

By Toby Chess Autobody News

Recently, I got a call from Mike Schaffer, collision manager at Selman Collision Center, a GM aluminum-certified shop in Orange, CA, needing help welding an aluminum body Cadillac CT6. He thought his welder was the problem. I told him I could be there in two days, and he should consider a review course on aluminum welding at the same time.

When I arrived, the first thing he showed me was the front rail section that was removed from the vehicle. It had practice welds on one side, and they were horrible. I asked Schaffer if they had welded on the new part and he said not yet.

aluminum.

Remember, Series 6 aluminum has both magnesium and silicon. You can use Series 4 welding wire (silicon) and Series 5 wire (magnesium) on Series 6 aluminum. Series 4 wire is weaker and needs less amperage to weld, making it easier to weld thinner aluminum, such as a crack in a 1 mm fender.

Series 5 wire will weld Series 5 aluminum, but Series 4 wire will not. There is very little to no penetration of Series 4 wire into Series 5 aluminum.

The article title is advice I also need to take. I have been teaching aluminum welding for I-CAR for nearly two decades. When I first started, my instructor said the test had to be conducted with Series 5 (5356) wire, not Series 4 (4043), because the Series 4 wire will not penetrate Series 5 aluminum. I was also told Series 5 wire would not work on Series 4 cast aluminum. As I previously wrote, my rule of thumb is not entirely correct.

To write this article, I read several articles on aluminum welding. Series 5 wire can be used on Series 4 cast aluminum parts. 5554 wire is stronger than 4043, but tends to produce porosity and cracks when used to weld aluminum castings. 4043 is better for castings because the silicon content makes it a closer match for most aluminum castings. Furthermore, some OEMs recommend Series 4 wire for welding to cast aluminum.

said the new cast rail end is welded to the extruded rail—the only information on the procedure. To learn the correct wire, you have to print out the other two documents, aluminum and the part material and part description.

The rail end cap was cast and the rail end cap was extruded (Series 7) and 5554 wire was called out. I knew Series 7 parts are used on today’s vehicles, such as bumper reinforcement and intrusion beams, but I wasn’t familiar with it being used or welded before reading the info from GM.

Aluminum oxide is a high temperature compound that forms on bare aluminum in presence on water and oxygen. It needs to be removed during and/or prior to welding. If it is not cleaned, the aluminum oxide will sink into the molten metal and form inclusions with weld. This will lead to porosities and/or cracks.

Galvanic corrosion refers to corrosion damage that occurs when electrochemically dissimilar metals (bare steel and bare aluminum) come in contact with each other in the presence of moisture and oxygen. The aluminum will corrode and there is no way to stop it.

cleaner with improved shielding gas coverage and reduced weld bead contamination.

Finally, what is the recommended standoff distance (distance from the nozzle to the work surface) when welding aluminum?

The distance from the nozzle to the work surface is 12 to 13 mm with a gun angle of 80 degrees from perpendicular. There should be no side to side movement when welding aluminum.

Going back to the welding discussion with the four techs and Schaffer—who has participated in every I-CAR class I have conducted at the shop so he would have the knowledge and skills his techs have— we welded the bead on the Series 7 extrusion with 5554 wire. These were the results with no practice.

I checked the welder, and it was set for 5554 wire, 1.2 mm diameter and pulsed. I checked the tension on the rollers and it was right on. I took out a couple of 5 Series coupons and welded a fillet/overlap joint. Their Pro Spot SP5-DP worked great.

I knew what the problem was instantly, but before I explain, let me give you the scenario.

The end cap was cast aluminum (Series 4), the rail was extrusion (Series 7) and the wire was 5554 (Series 5).

The major alloying element in Series 4 is silicon, Series 5 is magnesium, Series 6 is a combination of silicon and magnesium, and Series 7 is alloyed with zinc.

What are the four major welding wire numbers found in most body shops? 4043, 4145, 5554 and 5356.

The rule of thumb is this: your welding wire has to have the same major alloying element(s) as what is in the base metal. Note: Series 5 wire is recommended for Series 7

I want to change my rule of thumb to: “Your welding wire has to have the same major alloying element(s) as what is in the base metal when welding Series 5 and 6 wire. When welding Series 4 and 7, refer to OEM procedures.”

I want to move on to OEM procedures.

I am always stressing first and foremost, print out the repair procedures for the repair task, including the library. Schaffer sent three documents: Aluminum, Structural Identification and Front Rail Replacement (Non-Hybrid). The repair and replacement procedures

The improper use of steel cleaning products, such as steel wool or a steel wire brush on aluminum or magnesium, can force small pieces of steel into the metal being cleaned, causing corrosion. Stainless steel is known for its high resistance to corrosion because of its high chromium content combined with nickel. It also has very low carbon content, whereas mild steel is higher in carbon content, which facilitates galvanic corrosion. After using a stainless steel brush to clean the aluminum, wipe with acetone, 99% isopropyl alcohol or a good wax and grease remover. Do not use lacquer thinner.

Why is “pushing the puddle” the only recommended direction for welding aluminum?

When the aluminum oxide forms on the surface, it also migrates below the surface. The heat from the welding process causes the aluminum oxide below the surface to rise into the welding site. By using the push technique—also known as an arc cleaning action—the 100% argon gas acts as a snow plow to push the oxides out of the way and to the sides of the weld site.

Note: The welding nozzle for aluminum is usually larger than a steel MIG/braze nozzle to accommodate the increased gas flow (25 to 45 CFH depending on the gun and nozzle.) Pushing the puddle, the weld will be

On the other hand, a short bead happened when the first tech forgot to measure the extrusion’s thickness and set the welder for it. Ladies and gentlemen, this is why we need to continue to train on a regular basis.

The front rail section from a Cadillac CT6 with practice welds on one side

The results of welding the a bead on the Series 7 Extrusion with 5554 wire. These were the results with no practice

On the left is cast aluminum; on the right is extruded aluminum. Note the balls of weld beads of Series 5 wire, with no penetration

“I want to change my rule of thumb to: Your welding wire has to have the same major alloying element(s) as what is in the base metal when welding Series 5 and 6 wire. When welding Series 4 and 7, refer to OEM procedures.”

TOBY CHESS

ILLINOIS

Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs.

Honda of Lisle

Lisle

866-874-6632

630-437-5299

Dept Hours: M-F 7-5 WholesaleParts@HondaofLisle com

INDIANA

Bob Rohrman Honda

Lafayette

765-588-9984

765-448-1000

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-3 Brho partsmgr@rohrman com

Suburban Honda

Farmington Hills

248-427-7996

Dept Hours: M, Thu 7-8; Tue, W, F 7-6; Sat 8-3 nowiesny@suburbancollection�com

Victory Honda

Plymouth

800-824-4646

734-453-3600

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 8-4 Robert rosenau@victorytoyota com

Ziegler Honda

Kalamazoo

855-513-4477

269-585-5812

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-2 glenloubsky@ziegler com

Brookdale Honda

Brooklyn Center

800-899-8900

763-331-6880

Dept Hours: M-Thu 7-9; F 7-6; Sat 8-6 parts@lutherbrookdalehonda com

Luther Hopkins Honda Hopkins

800-328-6016

952-908-8585

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 parts@hopkinshonda�com

Richfield-Bloomington Honda

Richfield

800-328-2703

612-866-8197

Dept Hours: M-Thu 6:30-9; F 6:30-6; Sat 6:30-5 parts@rbhonda com

Bommarito Honda

Hazelwood 800-731-8270

314-731-8270

Dept Hours: M-Sat 7-6 cmelvin@bommarito net

Ed Napleton Honda

St Peters 800-875-4190

636-928-4400

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 gethondaparts@napleton com

Columbia Honda Columbia 573-818-3650

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-4 gropp@columbiahonda com

Honda of Tiffany Springs Kansas City 816-452-3221

Dept� Hours: M-Fri 7-6; Sat 7-2 parts@hondats com

Superior Honda Omaha Omaha 402-408-1100

Dept Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 7-5

ILLINOIS OHIO

McGrath Acura of Morton Grove

Morton Grove

847-470-2308

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 acparts@mcgrathag com

Jay Wolfe Acura of Overland Park

Overland Park

913-648-2287

Dept Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 8-4 wozburn@jaywolfe�com

Acura of Troy Troy

800-935-0923

248-643-0900

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6 parts286@acuraoftroy com parts287@acuraoftroy com

Luther Bloomington Acura

Bloomington

800-451-5078

952-887-0600

Dept� Hours: M 6:30-6; Tue-F 6:30-9; Sat 8-4 parts@bloomingtonacura com

Columbia Acura Cincinnati 844-677-4902

513-530-0698

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-12 columbiaparts@email com

Apostolakis Honda

Cortland

800-900-4600

330-638-3060

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 parts@apostolakisauto com

Jay Honda Bedford

800-509-9057

440-786-3363

Dept� Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 jayhondaparts@gmail com

Mike Anderson’s ‘Spartans’ Group Offers Shops Coaching, Comparison, Camaraderie

By John Yoswick Autobody News

Mike Anderson of Collision Advice is well-known in the collision repair industry as a speaker and trainer, but for 25 years, he’s also led multiple groups of about of about 20 auto body shops, each from a different market—more than 400 businesses in all—who come together quarterly to compare financial and performance benchmarks, look for solutions for challenges facing their businesses or the industry, and help one another improve.

Starting last year, Anderson launched a new 20 Group, called the Spartans. Autobody News asked him about what spurred the change, and how a collision repair business can become—and benefit from—being a Spartan.

Q:What led to the formation of the Spartans?

A:I had the honor and privilege of doing 20 Groups for Axalta Coatings for over 25 years. When COVID hit and I wasn’t traveling 300 days a year for the first time, I had time to reflect on some things.

If you’ve ever watched that movie “Jerry Maguire,” Tom Cruise’s character has a sort of epiphany in the middle of the night, and he writes a letter about what he believes and what he’s going to do. I had my own type of Jerry Maguire moment during the early days of COVID.

As my business had changed, I’d been working with more automakers. I realized there were a lot of shops that were OEM-certified and really trying to do the right thing. But they likely at times felt like they were alone on an island. I know I felt that way a lot when I had my shops. So I wanted to focus on helping those OEM-certified shops, those trying to do the right thing, regardless of the paint line they use. We needed the groups to be paint-neutral.

Q:

So OEM certifications are required to participate?

A: Yes, you need to have at least one OEM certification, and be committed to safe and proper repairs. You have to agree that you will pre- and post-repair scan every vehicle with an OEM scan tool or an OEM-approved device, for example, and that you will set-up and perform destructive test welds on every vehicle requiring welding.

I feel I should say: I am not naïve enough to believe that everybody in my group is doing the exact right thing every single time. But at least

they have the intent to do the right thing, they have committed to that, and with that, my team and I can then coach them and help them improve.

I emailed some shops to tell them about my vision for the Spartans, and asked if they would be interested in attending a meeting to talk about it. We had 28 or 30 people at that first meeting.

Q: And it’s grown from there?

A: We are already up to four Spartan groups, with 77 members that combined have almost 160 locations. That’s after about six months since we launched. We’re very selective on who we take. You have to be nominated by a member or go through an approval process.

Each group is made up of shops that tend to specialize in a certain type of vehicle, such as one group that specializes mostly in high-end European vehicles. Not to say they

So we have a dashboard that we built with CCI. It pulls information about closed repair orders from each shop’s management system. It allows us to compare information on each shop, and can even segment it down by make and model of vehicle, by estimator, by what insurer was involved.

I can see, for example, that this shop repaired three BMW 328is, and this is all the data for those jobs: body labor hours, paint labor hours, mechanical, frame, CSI scores, cycle time, etc. I don’t know anyone in the industry who has built what we’ve built.

We also have reports so that as a coach, I can get on the phone with them and say, for example: “Your receivables are way out of whack. You need to get on that and collect your money.” Or I can tell this shop they are averaging—and I’m making these number up here—10 refinish labor hours per job, while that company’s two other shops are averaging 12, and the Spartan group as a whole is averaging 11. So we do a lot of data analysis, and we’re helping people to compare.

Q:How else do you see being a Spartan as helpful for a collision repair business?

A:The Spartans want to be a resource for one another. A Spartan in Florida couldn’t locate a part the shop needed locally; Frank Rinaudo, a Spartan in Louisiana, found the part there, and personally drove it six hours to the Florida shop, just to help them out.

We had another Spartan member who lost a painter and was really backed up. One of the other Spartans flew his painter there for a weekend to help the shop catch up.

Q:Is there anything else you would like to add? What if an OEMcertified collision repair shop wants to find out more about becoming a Spartan?

A:They can visit the Collision Advice website (collisionadvice. com) for more information and ways to contact us. I think it is important that people understand we are not a banner group or franchise model—I have a great working relationship with some of those—and we are also not anti-insurance. We are a coaching and training company that is collaborating with shops and all industry stakeholders to identify areas of opportunity or improvement or solutions for the industry.

don’t fix other vehicles, but it’s what they specialize in. Because we see performance benchmarks can vary based on what types of vehicles a shop frequently fixes. The goal is to help a Toyota-certified shop, for example, compare themselves against other Toyota-certified shops.

We have independent and dealership shops, some with a single location, others with as many as 12 or 16 locations.

Q: So what’s involved for a shop that’s a Spartan?

A: We meet in person once a quarter. Our goal is help drive positive conversations about solutions. We also do monthly webinars, featuring an automaker, an insurer or an industry vendor. We recently just mystery-called all our shops, for example, and recorded how they answered the phone. We played that for them, and then also helped them build scripts to improve that process.

We now have 13 team members who also do weekly coaching calls with each shop, where we go over data to help them with their business. I knew we would need some software to track data and performance.

“So I felt like we needed to focus on helping those OEMcertified shops, those who are trying to do the right thing, no matter what paint line they use.”

MIKE ANDERSON COLLISION ADVICE

Car-O-Liner Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Car-O-Liner is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A special commemorative logo will mark the milestone.

“Since 1973, Car-O-Liner has been known for excellence, innovation and passion, offering customers a full line of state-of-theart collision repair solutions,” said Tim Garner, market development manager for Car-O-Liner. “From alignment and measuring equipment to state-of-the-art ADAS calibration, Car-O-Liner continues to lead the industry as we enter our next 50 years. We thank employees past and present and our loyal customers for being part of Car-OLiner’s successful journey.”

Today, Car-O-Liner provides a complete line of collision repair solutions, including alignment and straightening systems, joining and heating equipment, measuring systems, workshop solutions and testing and calibration systems. In addition, Car-O-Liner provides its customers continual sales support and offers some of the finest training options in the industry.

Source: Car-O-Liner

VW Recalls 143K Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, Advises Not To Sit in Passenger Seat

By Chris Bruce Motor1.com

Volkswagen is recalling 143,053 examples of the 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport because the front passenger airbag might not deploy in a collision. The automaker advises owners not to ride with anyone in the passenger seat until the repair is complete.

The problem is a potential fault in the wiring for the occupant detection system for the front passenger seat. It might not sense that a person is sitting there, and if that happens, the airbag wouldn’t deploy.

VW doesn’t yet have a repair for this issue, but the company is developing one. The automaker will notify affected owners when the fix is ready.

VW began investigating this issue in August 2019 after receiving reports about the potential problem. It analyzed the situation with suppliers through May 2020. More investigation into the root cause and possible fixes occurred

until January 2021. In February 2021, the Volkswagen Product Safety Committee found the failure of the occupant detection system was “highly sporadic,” according to the automaker’s chronology of the issue.

year. The updated exterior styling includes larger headlights and a light bar stretching across the nose. Similarly, there’s another illuminated strip on the rear for all but the base trim.

Inside, they feature a 12inch infotainment screen and a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Leatherette covers the dashboard and center console.

The product safety committee released a technical bulletin about this problem in June 2021. The company kept investigating the problem. On March 22, the automaker decided to recall the affected vehicles.

VW introduced refreshed versions of the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport for the 2024 model

The Atlas is now only available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It makes 269 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. An eightspeed automatic routes the power either to the front wheels or the optional all-wheel-drive system.

The IQ.Drive safety tech suite is now standard. It includes lane centering, lane-keep assist and automatic braking. Adaptive cruise control is an optional upgrade.

CARSTAR Among FastestGrowing Franchises

CARSTAR has been ranked again among the fastest growing franchises in Entrepreneur magazine’s 2023 Fastest Growing Franchises List, coming in at 124th.

The 2023 ranking highlights the companies that saw the greatest franchise unit growth in the U.S. and Canada from July 2021 to July 2022.

The Fastest-Growing Franchises ranking is based on information submitted to Entrepreneur for its annual Franchise 500® and is part of the brand’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace. The ranking appears in the March/April 2023 issue of Entrepreneur.

Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500 places CARSTAR 193rd on the list and first among collision repair companies.

Source: CARSTAR

Springfield, MO Single Mother Receives Donated Vehicle Courtesy of Crash Champions, NABC

The Crash Champions Collision Repair Team joined hands with the National Auto Body Council®, GEICO and local nonprofit organizations to restore and donate a Hyundai Elantra to a local single mother in need.

The March 16 ceremonial giveaway was part of the NABC Recycled Rides® program and followed certified collision repair technicians from Crash Champions volunteering their time and expertise to restore the vehicle to like-new condition.

The recipient, who asked to remain anonymous, was nominated by Women in Need of the Ozarks, which provides support for local single women facing shortterm crises.

“We’re grateful for the incredible generosity of the entire Crash Champions team to pull off this special giveaway,” said Women in Need of the Ozarks President Paige Payne. “The hard work of their technicians and team members will make an indelible impact on the life of our recipient and her family. This

vehicle is a true catalyst that will provide the freedom of a personal reliable vehicle for her and her family.”

Partner with the NABC, is a regular participant in the NABC Recycled Rides program. In 2022, the organization took part in more than 50 similar giveaways across the country.

NABC Recycled Rides is a transformative program that unites several areas of the automotive collision repair industry in pursuit of restoring and donating vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the NABC have donated nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at $42 million.

Crash Champions, a Level One

“At Crash Champions, one of our core commitments is that we put People First, Always,” said Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions. “Our team members take great pride in participating in the NABC Recycled Rides program because they see the very real impact that it makes in the lives of people who need it most. It’s our hope that this vehicle makes a positive impact in the life of today’s recipient.”

Crash Champions is a leading provider of high-quality collision repair service, serving customers at more than 600 repair centers across 36 states.

Source: Crash Champions

Lucid Air Features Unique Design, Repair Considerations

By Stacey Phillips Autobody News

Following the delivery of Lucid Motors’s first customer vehicle model in late 2021—the Lucid Air—the luxury electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer has ramped up production. By yearend 2022, Jake Rodenroth, Lucid’s North American body repair program operations manager, said it was “all hands on deck.” This allowed Rodenroth to work with the service and sales teams, onboard customers and deliver vehicles.

Rodenroth shared information about Lucid Motors’ vehicles during an AkzoNobel North American Performance Group event in February.

Founded in 2007, Lucid is headquartered in Newark, CA. The company’s debut product, the Lucid Air, was named 2022 MotorTrend Car of the Year, the first time any vehicle

To achieve Lucid’s range and performance, Lucid’s aerodynamics team worked with its design and engineering counterparts to prioritize aero efficiency.

Rodenroth discussed Lucid’s aerodynamic air-curtain technology, which includes a small air intake (grill), a vortex system, a side air curtain and a small headlight aperture that helps with headlight cooling.

The bottom of the car is flat and designed to have a smooth surface to improve aerodynamics.

“That matters when you’re trying to jack up the car,” said Rodenroth. “When accessing the drive unit, numerous trim pieces will need to be removed.”

Lucid vehicles have a 12v powerup harness behind the passenger rear wheel liner, in the event power to the vehicle is lost. This enables the trunk, “frunk” and doors to be opened with key fobs present.

The vehicle’s advanced technology was engineered and designed in-house. This includes a speed form taillight and intelligent Micro Lens Array headlamps. The bright and precise lighting system has 9,740 lenses per pair of headlights.

Lucid provides over-theair (OTA) software updates offering vehicle owners new features.

it,” he said. “It’s a value-add to your facility.”

During a repair, the Lucid Air body structure doesn’t permit welding; instead, a rivet bonding process is used, requiring the correct tooling, training and adhesive.

Regarding special tooling, Lucid uses 3D printers to print service tooling for its Lucid Certified Body Repair Network shops.

“We try to think about the technician working on this car,” shared Rodenroth.

DreamDrive is Lucid’s advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) with 32 multi-model sensors and 14 cameras. The combination of sensors and mounting locations means shops will have to pay attention to Lucid service resources and capture and perform all necessary calibrations.

“The car triggers a lot of calibrations but is fairly forgiving as far as calibration goes,” noted Rodenroth.

The Snap-on TruPoint System with Lucid diagnostic and specific targets are used for static calibrations and the maximum space requirement is approximately 15 feet wide by 30 feet long.

Vehicle Charging

As repair shops set up charging stations, Rodenroth recommends at least a level 2 charger.

minutes.

Rodenroth said Lucid’s Wunderbox provides the fastest charging in the industry. Fully integrated and compatible with nearly all public charging stations, the battery management system is capable of bidirectional charging.

“In the event of a power outage, a fully-charged Lucid Air can keep your home powered for days due to the bidirectional charging capabilities of the Wunderbox,” he said.

Lucid Body Repair Network

Currently, about 74 body shops are in Lucid’s Body Repair Network program.

“We’re scaling that with production,” said Rodenroth. “As we fill orders, we look where those cars are going and what our coverage looks like.”

With aggressive production goals, Rodenroth said the OEM wants to add additional shops to the network that can be trusted to repair these vehicles properly.

“We are fiercely protective of our certified network,” said Rodenroth. “I hold our shops to a standard; I also protect them.”

His call to action to shops is to look at what they are doing to change their business and inspire employees to take training and be great at what they do.

manufacturer received the award with its inaugural vehicle.

“It was a really big achievement for our first product the first year of launch,” said Rodenroth.

The Air can be reserved and ordered in retail shopping centers and online. The model currently has four trim lines. They include the Air Pure with 480 hp and a 410-mile range starting at $87,400; the Air Touring with 620 hp and a 425-mile range from $107,400; and the Grand Touring with up to 1,050 hp and a 516-mile range from $138,000. The Sapphire and Stealth packages will follow.

The EVs have an eight-year warranty, which includes 100,000 miles on the powertrain and battery.

Lucid’s Gravity SUV is expected to be released in 2024.

Design Features

Fast like a sports car but with a large storage capacity, Rodenroth said the EVs were designed to offer several features using one platform, the Lucid Electric Advanced Platform (Leap). The integrated drive unit comprises an electric motor, inverter and transmission weighing only 163 pounds and capable of 670 hp each.

Repair Considerations

For repairers who have never driven an EV, Rodenroth highly suggests renting one.

“It’s a big learning curve that even some of the legacy OEMs are struggling with because they’re so different than gas cars, in regard to servicing and selling them,” he noted.

Rodenroth said technicians must learn how these vehicles and their charging systems operate to do a proper repair.

“It’s not enough to go through the training to learn how to take the cars apart and put them back together,” he said. “You also need to understand how they work with the owner.”

This includes using the mobile app and the connectivity vehicle owners have with the ability to check their vehicles, even if they aren’t in their possession.

For repairers, Rodenroth said EVs bring additional opportunities for added services to customers. Many have a large, painted frontal area, which means there will likely be more stone chips.

“If you’re not in the paint protection film business, I highly recommend

“Level 1 is a very slow charging process with only 7.2 miles of range per hour of charge,” he explained. “Level 2 is faster and has 43.2 driving miles per hour of charging.”

If a station is installed in a shop’s parking lot, Rodenroth suggests

Training

Earlier this year, the company launched the Lucid Air Structural Certification hands-on course to help shops prepare for the launch of the Air. About 76% of shops are expected to be certified by year-end. “There’s no better way to learn the car than going through this,” said Rodenroth.

adding it to the PlugShare EV charging station mobile app to attract EV owners to their business.

“In that app, people take pictures of themselves charging their cars so you can see the environment,” he said.

Lucid offers an 80-amp charger— the Lucid Connected Home Charging Station—with 86.4 miles per hour of charging. Level 3 charging (DC) has 900 V+ architecture, enabling the Lucid Air to charge 300 miles in 20

Lucid also offers Mechanical, Electrical and Trim Level 2 Certification (MET) courses facilitated by the Lucid service training team. The course provides technicians a look at Lucid Air systems, including ADAS and calibration, closures, subframe and drive units, high-voltage and 12V systems, interior trim, supplemental restraint system and wheels/tires and TPMS system.

Plans are in place for an advanced diagnostic class and an aluminum cosmetic repair course.

For information about Lucid Motors, visit www.lucidmotors.com

To join Lucid’s Certified Body Repair Program, visit techinfo. lucidmotors.com

Ford Top-Selling Brand in Q1, Other Automakers Also Report Strong Sales

Ford’s vehicles, commercial and EVs drove a first-quarter sales increase of 10.7%, making the Blue Oval America’s best-selling brand.

Sales surged across Ford’s areas of strength, including trucks (up 19.6%); three-row SUVs (up 47.6%); Bronco brand (up 18.3%); Ford Pro Transit van (up 86%); Mustang (up 5.2%) and electric vehicles (up 41%).

E-Transit, America’s best-selling electric van last year, climbed 62.7%. Reflecting downtime at the plant for changes to increase production, Mustang Mach-E sales were down.

Ford is America’s No. 1 selling truck manufacturer, with 254,023 trucks and vans sold in the first quarter, outselling GM’s trucks and vans by approximately 27,000 vehicles. Sales of Ford’s overall trucks, including pickups and vans, were up 19.6% on the strength of F-Series pickups (up 21.1%) and Ford Pro’s Transit van (up 86%).

53,213 vehicle sales for March, a 22.8% increase compared with March 2022 (43,322). SOA also reported year-to-date sales of 143,376, an 8.3% increase compared to Q1 2022. March marked the eighth consecutive month of month-over-month sales increases for the automaker.

sales volume.

Toyota division posted March sales of 150,099 vehicles, down 12% on a volume and DSR basis. For the quarter, Toyota division reported sales of 401,306 vehicles, down 10.9% on a volume and DSR basis.

Ford’s overall vehicle sales—Ford Blue, Ford Pro, Model e and Lincoln— totaled 475,906, up 10.1% with estimated share up over a year ago.

Ford’s EV sales grew 41% in the first quarter on sales of 10,866 electric vehicles. F-150 Lightning sales totaled 4,291 pickups with production capacity actions on track to hit an annual production run rate of 150,000 this year. Sales by Ford Pro of the

To support this momentum, Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant will add a third crew in April to increase production for Ford Pro of the bestselling Transit and E-Transit vans. Ford also is increasing production at manufacturing plants across North America to meet strong customer demand for vehicles including Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, Bronco Sport and Maverick.

Ford Explorer was the best-selling three-row midsize SUV in America, and the red-hot Bronco brand saw sales growth of 18.3%, including a 37.6% rise for Bronco. Additionally, Expedition sales surged.

Subaru

Subaru of America, Inc. reported

In March, Crosstrek was the top performer by volume and achieved its best March ever with 14,040 vehicle sales. WRX sales for March increased 1,373 percent over the same month in 2022, while Impreza posted a 63.3% increase. Forester sales for March increased 56.2%, and Ascent sales increased 43.2% compared to March 2022. In addition, 513 of the all-electric Solterra SUV were delivered in March.

Toyota

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) reported March U.S. sales of 176,456 vehicles, down 9.1% on a volume and daily selling rate (DSR) basis versus March 2022. Sales of electrified vehicles for the month represented 27.5% of total sales volume.

For the first quarter, TMNA reported sales of 469,558 vehicles, down 8.8% on a volume and DSR basis versus March 2022. Sales of electrified vehicles for the first quarter totaled 118,836, representing 25.3% of total

Lexus division posted March sales of 26,357 vehicles, up 12.1% on a volume and DSR basis. For the quarter, Lexus division reported sales of 68,252 vehicles, up 6% on a volume and DSR basis.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) reported first quarter 2023 sales, with the brand’s all-new 2023 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) setting all-time monthly and quarterly sales records for the nameplate, up more than 104% and 122% over the same month and quarter, respectively, of the previous year.

MMNA’s overall Q1 sales totaled 20,938, down about 20% as demand continued to outstrip supply. Outlander PHEV’s gasoline-powered sibling continues to be the brand’s best-selling model, as it has been since the launch of this generation vehicle. Backing up Outlander in volume was its smaller

l CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

CCC Named Winner in AI Excellence

CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. has been recognized by Business Intelligence with two Artificial Intelligence (AI) Excellence Awards.

The 2023 AI Excellence Awards recognize organizations, products and people applying AI to solve real business challenges.

CCC’s estimating solution

CCC® Estimate-STP was recognized as a top innovation in the product category for 2023. CCC Estimate-STP uses advanced AI and insurer-driven rules to automatically initiate and populate detailed and actionable estimates for qualified repairable estimates in seconds without the need for human intervention.

In the organization category, CCC’s NXT Lab innovation hub was recognized as a center of excellence for its work across internal teams, including data science, R&D, engineering, support and design, to develop and test next-generation AI solutions for the industry.

Source: CCC Intelligent Solutions, Inc.

Matt Lachowitzer Named VISION Awards 2023 Humanitarian of

the Year

The Midwest Auto Care Alliance hosted its annual Celebration of Independents Awards Dinner during the VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo event on March 4, where VISION honored automotive service professionals and students pursuing careers in the industry.

The 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Award was presented to Matt Lachowitzer of Matt’s Auto Care in Moorhead, MN.

The VISION Humanitarian Award was established in 2012 to recognize outstanding contributions in the community. The recipient must endeavor to improve the human condition through saving lives, improving the quality of life and alleviating suffering, while supporting and contributing to the basic human dignity of those in need.

One of Lachowitzer’s mottos is, “if you do the right thing for the right reasons, the money will come along with it. And if not, you can go home and sleep with yourself knowing you did the right thing.” Lachowitzer has

taken doing the right thing to heart. Whether he is paying an employee several months’ salary while they are home recuperating from an injury, fixing a car for free for someone who can’t afford the repairs, buying a house so an employee can stay close to his family and work or donating a used car to a family in need, Lachowitzer seems to always put others’ needs before his own.

Since the inception of Matt’s Auto Care, Lachowitzer has donated more than $1 million dollars to local and national charities. His employee and award nominator, Vern Newman said, “If you go around our community you will likely hear that we are known for great customer service but not really hear about the charitable things we do. We don’t do these things for the recognition. We do it because it is the right thing to do. I am honored to tell you about the things that my boss, my mentor, my best friend and one of my heroes gets to do every day.”

The Midwest Auto Care Alliance

congratulates Lachowitzer for exemplifying what it is to be a true humanitarian, and for raising the profile of the automotive industry as a whole.

Nomination forms will be available in July for the 2024 Humanitarian of the Year, which will be presented at the 2024 VISION Hi-Tech Training & Expo event, Feb. 29-March 3, 2024, in Overland Park, KS.

Source: Midwest Auto Care Alliance

“If you do the right thing for the right reasons, the money will come along with it. And if not, you can go home and sleep with yourself knowing you did the right thing.”

MATT LACHOWITZER MATT’S AUTO CARE

Autonomous Vehicles May Soon Appear on Kentucky Roadways

By Steve Bittenbender The Center Square

A bill approved by both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly on the final day of its 2023 session could impact the future of transportation across the state.

House Bill 135 would establish a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles to operate across the state. The legislation sponsored by state Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, was revived in the session’s final two days after it did not clear the Senate Transportation Committee a couple of weeks earlier.

Senate leaders reassigned the bill to the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee when the General Assembly reconvened March 29 for the session’s final two days. The next day, it passed in the committee and then the Senate by a 21-16 vote.

The Senate’s version of the bill included an amendment that raised the liability insurance requirement from $1 million to $5 million. The House accepted that

sibling, Outlander Sport, showing an increase across the quarter of more than 24% year-over-year versus Q1 2022.  Overall sales for the quarter were only constrained by a shortage of new vehicle inventory.

Mazda Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) reported total March sales of 34,778 vehicles, an increase of 5.3% compared to March 2022. Year-todate sales totaled 88,384 vehicles, an increase of 7.4% compared to the same time last year. With 27 selling days in March, compared to the same the year prior, the company posted an increase of 5.3% on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis. CPO sales totaled 5,309 vehicles in March, an increase of 20% compared to March 2022.

Hyundai Hyundai Motor America reported total March sales of 75,404 units, a 27% increase compared with March 2022 and the best March in Hyundai history. This was the fifth consecutive month with a total monthly sales record, led by Venue (+74%), Elantra HEV (+37%), Tucson HEV (+52%), and Kona N (+5%).

change in a 59-40 vote.

If Gov. Andy Beshear signs the bill, Kentucky would become the 21st state to allow AVs on roadways.

Under the bill, any business that wants to operate must establish the boundaries within which the vehicle will operate. The bill also includes language on how law enforcement can interact with them.

Bray told Senate A&R Committee members the vehicles are safe and must abide by speed limits and all other traffic laws. He added the technology is inevitably heading for the state, so it’s better if Kentucky takes a proactive stance on regulating them.

“Kentucky is the perfect testing ground,” he said. “We have hills. We have straight stretches. We have major travel corridors. We have urban environments, rural environments. We have four seasons. We are perfectly positioned to take advantage of this.”

Organized labor opposed the bill and thought they had scored a legislative victory after the Senate

March was an all-time best-ever retail and total sales record for Santa Cruz (+30%) and Santa Fe HEV (+123%). Hyundai fleet sales were 9.4% of total volume for the month.

In the first quarter, Hyundai total sales were 184,449 units, a Q1 total sales record and an increase of 16% year-over-year. Q1 retail sales were 169,491 a 6% increase compared with Q1 2022. Hyundai also set new Q1 total and retail sales records for Venue, Elantra N, Santa Fe HEV, Tucson, Tucson HEV, Santa Cruz and Kona EV.

Kia

Building on 2022’s best-ever market share achievement, Kia America opened 2023 with a record first quarter of 184,136 units, a 15% increase over the previous high set in 2021. Kia’s March total of 71,294 marked the second-highest monthly performance in company history and was the eighth consecutive month of record-breaking sales. March sales were up 19.8% over the same period last year and up 7% over the previous March record.

In addition, four Kia models—Carnival up 81%, Sportage up 37%, Telluride up 23%, Forte up 14%---achieved bestever March totals while the brand’s electrified models increased 10% over the same period last year.

Source: Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia

Transportation Committee’s decision and an attempt to insert the bill in another Senate measure proved unsuccessful.

Bill Londrigan, state federation president for the Kentucky AFLCIO, chided the A&R Committee members for taking up a bill with no revenue component. He also said the bill could threaten thousands of jobs in the state if it were to become law.

“How are you going to attract more workers to make up for the so-called truck driver shortage when the jobs prospective drivers would be entering are going to disappear in a few years?” Londrigan testified. “As we suggested previously, take a step back and reconsider this monumental change.”

It’s uncertain whether Beshear will sign the bill into law as his office continues its review. If he were to veto the bill, it would be dead since the General Assembly session ended.

Besides labor’s opposition, all 20 House Democrats and seven Senate Democrats voted against HB 135.

GM Celebrates Top Suppliers

General Motors celebrated its top global suppliers during its annual Supplier of the Year event held in San Antonio, TX.

In total, 121 suppliers were recognized at the event, with 105 suppliers receiving a Supplier of the Year award, 14 suppliers receiving an Overdrive award and two suppliers receiving both Supplier of the Year and Overdrive awards. Collectively, the awarded suppliers represented 17 countries.

The honorees for 2022 include six certified diverse suppliers recognized as a Supplier of the Year. GM was the first automotive OEM to establish a supplier diversity program in 1968. Over the past five years, GM has spent more than $18 billion and contributed to many community initiatives in collaboration with diverse suppliers. GM strives to achieve equitable and sustainable supply chain inclusion goals to help establish long-term viability for the company’s diverse supply base.

Source: GM

ASE Announces Keynote Speaker For Conference

Renowned speaker and bestselling author Eric Chester will be the keynote speaker at the 2023 ASE Instructor Training Conference scheduled for July 17-20 in Concord, NC.

Chester’s speech, “Building Rockets That Fly: Ensuring the Success of our Graduates,” will focus on helping to make sure graduates of automotive educational programs succeed in their careers.

Hosted by the ASE Education Foundation, the premier national training event will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Concord, just outside of Charlotte, and will be attended by hundreds of high school and college instructors from auto, truck and collision repair programs nationwide.

The cost for instructors from ASE-accredited programs is $600 per person while the cost for instructors from nonaccredited programs is $700 each.

Source: ASE Education Foundation

Chevy To End Camaro Production, Announces Final Collector’s Edition

After nine strong model years in the market, with hundreds of thousands sold, the sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro will retire at the conclusion of model year 2024.

The final sixth generation Camaros will come off the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan in January 2024.

ultimate street-legal track Camaro, the 650-horsepower ZL1 1LE, produced the fastest time for any Camaro around GM’s Milford Road Course at the company’s Milford Proving Ground in Michigan.

Whether it is picking up awards for on-road performance, or race wins and championships at tracks across the world, Camaro has demonstrated Chevrolet’s ability to win in the most demanding environments.

Edition pays homage to Camaro, resurfacing ties that date back to the development of the first generation Camaro in the 1960s, most notably the program’s initial code name: Panther.

More information on the 2024 Camaro line and Collector’s Edition package will be available closer to the start of orders this summer.

Motorsports

Available in coupe and softtop convertible variants, this latest generation Camaro is known for supreme athleticism and composure. Magnetic Ride Control became available on the Camaro SS in the sixth generation and track-focused 1LE packages proliferated through all levels of the lineup for the first time. The

“As we prepare to say goodbye to the current generation Camaro, it is difficult to overstate our gratitude to every Camaro customer, Camaro assembly line employee and race fan,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet. “While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.”

Chevrolet will celebrate this storied nameplate with the addition of the Collector’s Edition package on the 2024 Camaro RS and SS, and on a limited number of ZL1 equipped vehicles available in North America. The Collector’s

Chevrolet campaigns the sixth generation Camaro in a variety of series, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO, NHRA and the Supercars Championship. Camaro will continue to compete on track, working with motorsports sanctioning bodies to ensure Chevrolet’s presence in racing moving forward.

“Chevrolet’s products and our relationship with our customers benefit from motorsports,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president, Performance and Motorsports. “Our plan is to continue to compete and win at the highest levels of auto racing.”

Source: Chevrolet

Hunter Brake Lathe Features Portal Connectivity

Hunter Engineering’s popular ACE on-car brake lathe with tablet now also connects with the HunterNet® 2 platform.

HunterNet ® 2 is a free customer portal developed for undercar service operators with single or multiple rooftops, allowing operators to access actionable performance data for all their Hunter-connected equipment.

With the new connectivity and the optional DigiCal feature, shop owners and managers will be able to view before and after cut results for rotors online, before and after runout, plus monitor lathe usage counts and track equipment ROI. They’ll also be able to order consumables 24/7 and access the online user manual.

The easily accessible beforeand-after data will provide valuable documentation for warranty purposes, as well as transparency for customers.

For more information, visit www.hunter.com/brake-lathes/ autocomp-elite

Ford Expects $3B Loss on Tax-Subsidized EV Venture in 2023

By Scott McClallen The Center Square

Michigan taxpayers bet $1.6 billion in subsidies on Ford Motor Company’s new BlueOval electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, but Ford expects to lose $3 billion on its EVs this year, it recently told investors.

John Mozena, president of the Center for Economic Accountability, a nonprofit organization for transparent economic development policy, told The Center Square in an email the major financial loss “[H] ighlights the dangers of turning taxpayers into speculative investors through so-called ‘economic development’ programs.”

“If automakers’ losses are being driven by federal policy that’s promoting a particular green technology, what happens to Michigan taxpayers’ investments in those battery plants if the policy changes or the technology is replaced by something better or more profitable?” Mozena said.

The auto giant faces an uphill battle to convince Michiganders that EVs are better than vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Less than 30,000 EVs are registered in Michigan compared to 6.5 million ICE vehicles. Moreso, the average EV cost is roughly $65,291, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Meanwhile, the average price for a gas-powered vehicle was $48,100. Moreover, many used gas-powered cars cost between $5,000 and $15,000.

Ford claims the BlueOval factory will be key to dropping the cost of EVs via lithium iron phosphate batteries and pump out 2 million vehicles globally by 2026.

After its restructure, Ford will report results by three separate businesses: Ford Blue, iconic gas, hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, breakthrough EVs; and Ford Pro, commercial products and services. It previously reported results by region. “We’ve essentially ‘refounded’ Ford, with business segments that provide new degrees of strategic clarity, insight and accountability to the Ford+ plan for growth and value,” CFO John Lawler said said in a statement. “It’s not only about changing how we report financial results; we’re transforming how we think, make

decisions and run the company, and allocate capital for highest returns.”

Ford Controller Cathy O’Callaghan said three principles guided the new segmentation: fairly representing the business models of each segment, giving the Ford Blue, Ford Model e and Ford Pro teams both the latitude and accountability for their success, and being easy to understand and simple to execute.

“This wasn’t a simple proforma spreadsheet exercise,” O’Callaghan said in a statement. “It represents nearly a year of disciplined work by hundreds of Ford people to help us capture the huge strategic opportunity of Ford+ and provide unique transparency into our business.” Ford said it’s aiming for a 10% margin target for company earnings before interest and taxes by the end of 2026.

For 2023, Ford said it expects to earn about the following before interest and taxes: about $7 billion for Ford Blue; a full-year loss of about $3 billion for Ford Model e; and approaching $6 billion for Ford Pro, nearly twice its 2022 earnings.

Ford plans to announce firstquarter results May 2.

Source: Hunter Engineering

Shell Finalizes Acquisition of EV Charging Network Volta

Shell USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, has completed the previously announced acquisition of Volta Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $169 million. With this acquisition, Shell now owns and operates one of the largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in the U.S.

The closing of the transaction occurred after receiving various regulatory clearances and approval from Volta’s stockholders.

Volta provides Shell with an existing public charging network of more than 3,000 charge points at destination sites (shopping centers, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) across 31 U.S. states and territories, a development pipeline of more than 3,400 additional charge points, and capabilities to continue developing, operating and monetizing EV charging infrastructure.

“We want to make charging as convenient as possible for our customers,” said István Kapitány, executive vice president of Shell Mobility. “As demand for

EV charging continues to grow, destination sites will play a key role in meeting people where they spend a great deal of time: the store, the gym and everywhere in-between. Beyond providing a charging service, Volta specializes in generating advertising revenues from screens embedded into the charge point, adding a source of non-fuel revenue from sites both in the U.S. and globally.”

Krause Nominated To ARA Committee

there are plans to increase the number of fast charging DC outlets with a paid charging model.

The acquisition enables Shell to scale its existing network and offerings to better participate in the long-term EV charging market opportunity within the U.S.

As of the closing of the merger, Volta is a member of the Shell Group. The acquisition brings a team of approximately 200 employees with onthe-ground experience and capability to grow in the nascent and fastmoving U.S. EV public charging space.

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) on April 12 announced professional automotive recycler Sean Krause of Speedway Auto, Ltd. in Joliet, IL, has been nominated to join the ARA Executive Committee as secretary for 20232024.

BMW of Des Moines

Phone: 515-446-3660

Parts Fax: 515-278-2917

Volta’s advertising capability and early mover advantage have allowed the company to secure prime spots and portfolio-level contracts with site hosts in highvalue, high-traffic markets. While most of Volta’s current revenue is generated through advertising,

Globally, Shell aims to expand its EV charging offer to operate more than 500,000 charge points by 2025 and about 2.5 million charge points by 2030, meeting customer demand at home, at work or on the go. Today, Shell operates more than 140,000 public and private charge points around the world.

Source: Shell

Krause is the CEO of Speedway Auto, Ltd., alongside his father, Paul Krause, who established the business in 1969 with his wife, Indra. In 1991, Krause joined the family business after attending St. Norbert College, where he studied business and finance. During his first weekend out of college, Krause attended an ARA Annual Convention in Chicago at the request of his father, and never imagined how interesting used auto parts were and the many possibilities of recycling automotive parts.

Krause will be formally confirmed by the ARA Board of Directors and Membership during the ARA’s 80th Annual Convention and Exposition, Oct. 12-14 in Kansas City, MO. To learn more, visit ARA’s home page at www.a-r-a.org or call (571) 208-0428.

Source: ARA

Orders accepted through Collision Link, Parts Trader and OPS Trax

Indiana Farmers Insurance Now Using AI-Powered Estimating from CCC

CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. announced March 22 that Indiana Farmers Insurance is the latest auto insurer to leverage its industry-first AI-powered CCC® Estimate–STP solution.

Estimate-STP uses advanced AI and insurer-driven rules to automatically initiate and populate detailed and actionable estimates in seconds. In market with 15 insurers, including seven of the top 10 carriers based on direct written premium, representing 50% of U.S. auto claims volume, CCC Estimate–STP offers line level estimates from photos without the need for human intervention.

“Indiana Farmers Insurance is committed to providing our members with an exceptional claims experience,” said Wes Sprinkle , president and CEO, Indiana Farmers Insurance. “By using CCC Estimate–STP we can reduce the time our members are without their vehicles. With a combination of AI and our own business rules, CCC

helps us automate the repair estimate and frees up our claims representatives to focus on our relationship with members.”

Hunter Engineering, Tekion Partner

outcome is actionable estimates with line-level detail, including parts, labor operations and hours. CCC Estimate–STP is configurable by insurer, including claim eligibility thresholds and desired policyholder communication experiences.

Hunter Engineering is pleased to announce a new integration between Hunter’s unmanned inspection equipment and Tekion’s end-to-end cloud-native platform, Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC).

CCC Estimate–STP uses a powerful combination of technologies, data and partner connections to digitally generate comprehensive estimates for qualified repairable claims. The

“Indiana Farmers Insurance epitomizes the customercentricity and spirit of innovation that’s pulsing across the industry today,” said Mike Silva , chief commercial and customer success officer, CCC. “Technology has an important role to play in the P&C insurance economy as participants face mounting pressures from macroeconomic trends and consumers, who have high expectations for service and personalization. The CCC cloud and our configurable AI-powered solutions are designed for speed and scale, helping businesses of any size quickly ramp on the latest technologies to meet their business objectives.”

S ource: CCC Intelligent Solutions

With this new partnership, automotive dealerships across North America will have greater opportunity to drive more alignment and tire sales through instant, automated access to inspection data.

As a vehicle passes through Hunter’s unmanned inspection equipment, alignment angles and tire tread depth are instantly measured with laser precision, requiring no labor or stopping. The vehicle inspection data populates in real time in the Tekion platform. The integration is now available for Hunter unmanned inspection customers and carries no monthly equipment fees.

For more information, visit www.hunter.com/connectedequipment/integration-partners

Source: Hunter Engineering

“By using CCC Estimate–STP we can reduce the time our members are without their vehicles. With a combination of AI and our own business rules, CCC helps us automate the repair estimate and frees up our claims representatives to focus on our relationship with members.”

WES SPRINKLE PRESIDENT AND CEO, INDIANA FARMERS INSURANCE

Women of Abra Turn Passion Into Careers

At Abra Auto Body locations around the country, women are leading the charge in delivering the highest-quality repairs and excellent customer service. Following International Women’s Day on March 8, Abra saluted the women who keep the wheels turning—literally.

Danyell Wendland, operations manager for Abra Auto Body & Glass in Elk River, Princeton and St. Cloud, MN, has spent 26 years at the organization, starting in high school as a detailer.

Geralynn Kottschade, manager, Jerry’s Abra Auto Body & Glass Mankato, has spent her entire career in the automotive industry. She served as chair of ASA, NACE, CIECA, CREF and the ASE Foundation, and was a Founding Mother of WIN.

For Michele Smith, who has managed accounting at Abra Auto Body & Glass in Elk River, St. Cloud and Princeton, for 22 years, the collision repair business is the perfect blend of numbers and horsepower.

Source: Abra Auto Body

Hyundai, Kia Offer Old-Tech Solution To Hi-Tech TikTok Car Theft Epidemic

By Chris Chilton CarScoops

Sometimes the oldest and simplest solutions are the best. And sometimes they’re the only ones that work.

Which is why Hyundai Motor Co. is giving away 1980s-style steering wheel locks in a desperate attempt to tackle a car theft epidemic fueled by viral TikTok videos.

The TikTok videos showing how easy it is to steal many Hyundais and Kias because they aren’t fitted with electronic engine immobilizers have to led hundreds, if not thousands of people, including those with no previous history of car crime, to have a go themselves at boosting Korean cars, and the fallout is colossal.

Some insurance companies are refusing to cover certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles built before November 2021, when engine immobilizers became standard, and one police department claimed 80% of

the vehicles stolen in its district last year were either Kias or Hyundais, Bloomberg reported.

Hyundai Motor said it has already rolled out a theftprevention software upgrade to 1 million drivers and will extend the offer to another 3 million in

states have written to Kia and Hyundai accusing them of moving too slowly to remedy the situation, and both Seattle and St. Louis are suing the automakers for their role in the chaos.

There’s a perverse irony in a company that has been such a trailblazer for tech in relatively affordable cars, one that brought 400-volt charging and camera-based door mirrors to regular drivers, having to resort to such a basic, old-fashioned and very mechanical solution.

the coming weeks. But that’s still several weeks of worrying about whether your car is going to be there when you leave the house in the morning, so Hyundai is offering free steering locks and will reimburse anyone who has already purchased one.

That’s not going to be enough to calm the outrage from innocent parties resulting from the thefts. The attorneys general from 23

The steering wheel locks aren’t infallible, one of the reasons we all stopped using them, along with them being a pain to fit, remove and store. The locks themselves might be tough, but the steering wheels aren’t. I knew a few car thieves back in the early 1990s when this kind of security system was normal and a quick snip through the steering wheel rim with a set of bolt cutters was all it took to get rid of the lock. But shhh, don’t let the TikTok crowd know.

Women of CARSTAR Collide With Success

During the month of March, CARSTAR honored and spotlighted the leading women in the family.

Jordyn Ciciora, estimator, CARSTAR Danrich in Homer Glen, IL, has been with CARSTAR for two years. Ciciora initially joined as a repair consultant and manned the phones, but soon expressed interest in becoming an estimator. With her own sense of determination and the support of her team, Ciciora soon completed the mandated training and courses.

“Ever since I was young, I have been surrounded by friends and family who were interested in the automotive world,” said Ciciora. “Eventually, I purchased my own 2016 RAM 2500 truck and slowly began making cosmetic and mechanical repairs myself. I enjoyed the challenge of working with complex components and knew this challenge was something I wanted in my career.”

Ciciora is grateful for the opportunities CARSTAR has provided and said the mutual respect in the workplace and common goal of following all OEM guidelines is what keeps her motivated.

Source: CARSTAR

Quality Collision Group Acquires Schaefer Autobody Centers

Quality Collision Group, a private-equity-backed venture of multisite OEM-certified collision repair centers, on April 4 announced the acquisition of Schaefer Autobody Centers Quality Collision Group continues its strategic focus on building the nation’s largest and most trusted OEM-certified collision repair company by using an acquisition strategy that maintains the high standards, commitment and quality of service of the service centers it acquires.

Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Schaefer Autobody Centers provides an expanded national footprint for QCG as it continues its merger-acquisition strategy. The transition and integration of all 14 Schaefer Autobody Centers into the QCG family will begin immediately.

Since 1985, Schaefer Autobody Centers has been an industry leader setting a gold standard level of repair and service in the automotive collision repair space. QCG CEO Jerod Guerin recognized

Schaefer Autobody Centers leadership position in the market and knew it was a perfect match for his growth strategy.

customer experience made approaching Schaefer Autobody Centers owner Scott Schaefer an easy decision.

“The Schaefer way of doing things isn’t going away; it’s only getting better,” Schaefer said. “Joining Quality Collision Group allows us to expand and deliver the best results for our customers and clients.”

“We are honored to welcome the Schaefer Autobody team to our family, and excited to continue our mission of building the most prestigious collision repair company,” said Guerin. Guerin’s obsession with quality repairs, quality people and service, and, most importantly, creating a great

Schaefer is moving into a larger role within QCG, but the name on the door will remain Schaefer Autobody. With Schaefer’s shift to join QCG’s executive team, Jaime Matthews, Schaefer Autobody Centers’ current head of human resources, will assume the new role of vice president of Schaefer Autobody Centers. This significant step will ensure the culture and values Schaefer Autobody Centers has built will continue.

For more information about Quality Collision Group and to inquire about partnership opportunities, visit qualitycollisiongroup.com.

Source: Quality Collision Group

“The Schaefer way of doing things isn’t going away; it’s only getting better,” Schaefer said.

“Joining Quality Collision Group allows us to expand and deliver the best results for our customers and clients.”

— SCOTT SCHAEFER SCHAEFER AUTOBODY CENTERS

After Nearly 2 Years, New-Vehicle Prices Fall Below Sticker Price in March

A nearly two-year trend was broken in March when the average price Americans paid for a new vehicle fell below the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the first time in 20 months, according to data released April 11 by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company.

The average transaction price (ATP) of a new vehicle in the U.S. declined in March to $48,008, a month-over-month decrease of 1.1% ($550) from a downwardly revised February reading of $48,558. March transaction prices remained up 3.8% ($1,784) compared to year-ago levels.

Meanwhile, auto manufacturers’ incentive spend rose to the highest level in 11 months at 3.3% of the ATP in March, averaging $1,516.

According to Kelley Blue Book calculations, new-vehicle ATPs have been above the average MSRP--also known as the sticker price--for 20 months, but March brought long-awaited good news for buyers as that trend finally changed. In March, transaction prices continued to trend downward and the average price consumers paid fell to $171 below the average sticker. For comparison, a year ago in March 2022, the average ATP was nearly $1,000 over MSRP.

Sales volumes were up month over month by 20% and up 8% year over year in March, thanks partly to improved supply, a better mix of lower-priced models and strong fleet sales.

“The latest transaction data from March reveals new-vehicle prices continued a downward trend through the first quarter of 2023,” said Rebecca Rydzewski, research manager of economic and industry insights for Cox Automotive. “Both luxury and non-luxury prices were down month over month. We’ve been anticipating transaction price declines, as inventory has been steadily improving and choice has expanded. More vehicles on dealer lots---and on their competitors’ lots---means dealers simply don’t have the pricing power they did six months ago.”

Average Prices for Non-Luxury Cars Decline

The average price paid for a new non-luxury vehicle in March was $44,182, a decline of $505 compared to February. Most nonluxury brands---including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan and Volkswagen---saw ATP declines between 0.2% to 3.8%

month over month in March. This correlates with higher incentives helping to push prices down.

Honda and Kia showed the most price strength in the non-luxury market, transacting between 3% and 6% over sticker price in March.

March compared to February. The average new EV sold for $58,940 in March, according to Kelley Blue Book estimates, which still is well above the industry average. New EV pricing peaked in 2022, coming down steadily since Q3 of last year.

same time, offsetting lower-priced Tesla products.

Auto Incentives Offered by Manufacturers Remain at Historically

Low Levels but are Trending

Upward

Incentives averaged $1,516, increasing to 3.2% of the average transaction price compared to 3.0% in February. However, incentive spend remains at a historically low level.

For comparison, two years ago in March 2021, Kelley Blue Book estimated incentives averaged 8.4% of ATP. Luxury cars had the highest incentives in March 2023 at 6.7% of ATP. Meanwhile, vans had the lowest incentives at less than 1% of ATP.

Luxury Share Stays High While Average Prices Fall Slightly in March

Strong luxury vehicle sales have been a primary reason for overall elevated new-vehicle prices. This trend continued in March when luxury vehicle share hit 18.2% of total sales, down slightly from a high of 19.5% in February.

The high share of luxury sales continues to push overall industry ATP higher, even though the luxury ATP has declined month over month. For comparison, in March 2018, the luxury share was 14.0% of the market.

Two luxury brands now have average transaction prices over $100,000---Land Rover and Porsche. (Note: Kelley Blue Book data presented here does not include exotic brands such as Ferrari and Rolls Royce.)

Buyers continue to pay over MSRP for new luxury vehicles. In March, the average luxury buyer paid $65,202 for a new vehicle, down just $9 from February. Luxury vehicle ATPs were a mixed bag in March, with entry-level luxury cars, high-end luxury cars, luxury compact SUVs, luxury mid-size SUVs and luxury subcompact SUVs all showing price declines between 0.5% and 1.4%. Luxury cars and luxury full-size SUVs saw price increases between 0.8% and 1.6%.

EV Prices Increased Slightly in March, Bucking the Downward Trend

The average price paid for a new EV increased by $313 (up 0.5%) in

Still, March’s upward movement of EV ATP was a bit of a surprise,  since Tesla, the automaker with the largest share of EV sales, has cut prices three times in recent months. However, EV sales from Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Lucid and other brands have increased at the

“Incentives and inventory tend to move in tandem—when one moves up, so does the other,” said Rydzewski. “Right now, in-market consumers are finding more inventory, more choice and dealers more willing to deal, at least with some brands. Yet, even as deals improve, unfortunately auto loan rates remain very high, ultimately making new-vehicle affordability an issue for many households.”

Source: Kelley Blue Book

We’ve Got Your Parts Covered

ILLINOIS

Hawkinson Kia

Matteson

(708) 720-8972

(708) 720-0657 Fax

M, W, F 6am-5pm Tu, Th 6am-7pm; Sat 8am-2pm

jmihas@hawkinsonnissankia.com www.hawkinsonnissan.com/ez-parts

Raymond Kia Antioch

(847) 395-3600

(847) 838-7997 Fax

M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 7am-2pm kweber@raymondchevrolet.com

KANSAS

Midwest Kia Wichita

(316) 652-2960

(316) 652-2992 Fax

M-F 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-2pm jjensen@midwestkia.com

MICHIGAN

Kia of Lansing Lansing

(517) 393-5700

(517) 393-6767 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm

mattr@lansingisyoung.com www.kiaoflansing.com

Seelye Kia of Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo

(269) 488-0614

M-F 7am-6pm gmeskil@seelye.com

MINNESOTA

Lupient Kia of Brooklyn Park

Brooklyn Park

(800) 569-5735

(763) 424-9437

(763) 424-4631 Fax

M-F 7am-6pm

MISSOURI

Lou Fusz Kia St. Louis

(877) 221-4151

(314) 595-4942 Fax

M, W, F 7am-8pm; Tu, Th 7am-6pm Sat 7:30am-4pm fuszkiaparts@fusz.com

www.kia.fusz.com

Napleton’s Mid Rivers Kia St. Peters

(888) 816-9729

(636) 926-0683 Fax

M-F 7am-6pm; Sat 7am-3pm bprinster@napleton.com pschnare@napleton.com www.midriverskia.com

Suntrup Kia St. Louis

(800) 727-8496

(314) 815-3060 Fax

M-F 7am-5pm www.suntrupkiasouth.com

NO. DAKOTA

Kia of Fargo Fargo

(800) 728-7601

(701) 282-5924 Fax

M-F 7am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-5pm

Genuine Kia Parts* are specifically manufactured from original engineering specs to ensure the same exceptional quality, performance and safety as when you first drove your Kia off the lot. Plus, they’re covered by our 12-month Replacement Parts Limited Warranty.

The Most Expensive Cars To Insure in 2023

A car’s make and model play a major role in how much drivers pay for auto insurance. Certain vehicles are deemed more of a risk to insure, which can raise the cost of the insurance policy.

The Guides Auto Team recently determined the 10 most expensive car makes to insure along with why they have high average premiums, as well as the cheapest car makes to insure.

factors when setting auto insurance rates, a car’s make and model are some of the most important. From typical repair costs to the number of liability claims filed, it may be surprising how much car choice affects auto insurance costs.

What Makes a Car Expensive To Insure?

to get into an accident or receive a speeding ticket if they have a car with a powerful engine.

The chosen trim level can also have a major effect on how much a driver gets charged for car insurance. A new car with high-tech features will cost more to repair or replace, so auto insurers may require higher rates to cover these potential expenses.

In addition, drivers will likely face a hefty insurance bill if they own a luxury or high-performance car like the Porsche Panamera, Maserati Quattroporte, Audi R8 or MercedesBenz AMG GT.

10 Most Expensive Car Brands To Insure

The Guides Auto Team ranked the 10 most expensive cars to insure using data from Quadrant Information Services.

1. Dodge

expensive cars to insure among the leading brands in the U.S.

The average cost to insure a 2022 Dodge model is $354 per month or $4,242 per year. That’s about 145% higher than the national average for a full-coverage auto policy, currently $144 per month or $1,730 per year.

2. Tesla

Tesla is one of the most well-known electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers on the market today. However, the IIHS found models such as the Tesla Model X are expensive to repair after collisions, which partly explains why they’re pricey to insure. Since EV models use parts that are tough to find and often expensive, it’s not surprising Teslas have high insurance rates.

Does Make and Model Affect Car Insurance Rates?

While auto insurers consider many

There are various factors that can make a vehicle expensive to insure. For example, auto insurance providers might consider drivers more likely

Michigan

MAPLE HILL HYUNDAI

Kalamazoo

5622 W. Main St. 800-323-0022

269-978-0191 Direct 269-342-0065 Fax

Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm www.maplehillauto.com Missouri DEAN TEAM HYUNDAI Ballwin 14754 Manchester Rd. 636-591-0507

636-591-0509 Fax Mon-Fri 7am - 5pm

While Dodge is one of America’s oldest automakers, it’s mainly known today for offering cars packed with power and speed. Partly due to this, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found the Dodge Charger’s insurance losses are about 110% higher than average, with other Dodge models following closely behind. When taken together, Dodge models are the most

Ohio CLASSIC HYUNDAI

Mentor 8460 Tyler Blvd. 440-266-6750

440-266-6763 Fax

Mon-Fri 7am - 6pm Sat 7am - 3pm jkash@driveclassic.com www.driveclassichyundai.com

COLUMBIA HYUNDAI

Cincinnati 10981 Montgomery Road 513-489-6333

866-381-9975 Fax

Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm; Sat 8am-12pm columbiaparts@josephauto.com www.columbiahyundai.com

The national average cost to insure a 2022 Tesla model is $251 per month or $3,007 per year. That’s almost a 74% increase from the national average cost for full-coverage auto insurance.

3. BMW

The average cost to insure a BMW is $195 per month or $2,337 per year, which is 35% higher than the national average. BMW is known as a luxury car brand, so this high insurance cost may come as little surprise. Higher-end

GANLEY WESTSIDE HYUNDAI

North Olmsted 25600 Lorain Rd. 440-734-9375

440-686-3426 Fax

Mon-Fri 8am - 6pm nicholas.b@ganleywestside.com

models and luxury vehicles cost more to insure overall.

4. Lexus

Lexus ranks as the fourth most expensive make to insure. While both the Lexus ES 350 and the Lexus IS were 2022 Top Safety Pick+ winners from the IIHS, this luxury brand’s car insurance rates aren’t cheap. The average cost to insure a Lexus is $189 per month or $2,273 per year.

5. GMC

GMC is a division of General Motors (GM) that manufactures trucks and other utility vehicles. As the fifth most expensive vehicle make to insure, the average cost for auto insurance on a 2022 GMC model is $184 per month or $2,207 per year.

6. Ram

A subset of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Ram is well-known for its heavy-duty pickup trucks. The IIHS found pickup trucks and SUVs are proportionally more likely than cars to be involved in fatal single-vehicle crashes such as rollovers. The risks associated with protecting pickup trucks could factor into the cost of auto insurance for Ram models, which is $175 per month or $2,101 per year.

7. Nissan Nissan is the seventh most expensive automotive brand to insure. With models like the speedy Nissan GT-R and the all-electric Nissan Leaf, the average cost of auto insurance for a 2022 Nissan is around $167 per month or $2,004 per year.

8. Hyundai Hyundai is a well-known and popular South Korean automaker. Unfortunately, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found vehicles built by Hyundai and Kia are often top targets of car thieves, with theft claims twice as common as with all other manufacturers combined. The average cost of auto insurance for a 2022 Hyundai is $164 per month or $1,973 per year.

9. Kia

Another leading car brand from South Korea, the HLDI found Kia models are top targets of auto theft as well. Many 2015 to 2019 Hyundai and Kia models lack electronic immobilizers, which prevent thieves from starting a car without the proper key. Average costs for auto insurance for 2022 Kia models amount to $164 per month or $1,968 per year.

10. Toyota Toyota comes in as the 10th most

expensive car make to insure, with an annual average cost of $164 per month or $1,964 per year for 2022 models. This is about 13% higher than the national average.

5 Cheapest Car Brands To Insure

While some car makes are typically more expensive to insure, others are generally cheaper than the national average.

1. Mazda

According to Quadrant Information Services, Mazda ranks as the least expensive car to insure. Mazda’s 2022 models have an average annual insurance rate of $138 per month or $1,658 per year for fullcoverage policies, coming in at around 4% less than the national average.

2. Volkswagen

Volkswagen is the second cheapest car make to insure, with 2022 models seeing an average annual rate of $142 per month of $1,707 per year. While this is only about 1% less than the national average, top providers’ average rates for Volkswagen are significantly lower.

3. Subaru

On average, car insurance premium costs for 2022 Subaru models are around $146 per month or $1,752 each year. However, it’s relatively easy

Maple Hill Subaru Kalamazoo

(800) 323-0022

Direct (269) 978-0191

(269) 342-0065 Fax

Mon-Fri 8-5:30 www.maplehillauto.com

Luther Bloomington Subaru

Bloomington

(800) 451-5078

Direct (952) 887-0600

(952) 881-1787 Fax

Mon 6:30-6; Tue-Fri 6:30-9; Sat 8-4 parts@bloomingtonsubaru.com www.bloomingtonsubaru.com

Morrie’s Brooklyn Park Subaru

Brooklyn Park

(800) 343-6999

(763) 765-1462

(763) 765-1487 Fax

Mon-Fri 7-7; Sat 8-5 bpsubaruparts@morries.com www.brooklynparksubaru.com

to compare quotes and get reduced rates on Subaru insurance coverage.

4. Jeep

While it’s the fourth cheapest car brand to insure, the average cost for Jeep insurance still sits at $153 per month or $1,833 per year. Drivers may find significantly different rates for models such as the Wrangler than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee or Compass.

5. Honda

On average, it costs $156 per month or $1,869 each year to insure a 2022 Honda model. While this is higher than the national average, there are many reputable insurance companies that offer cheaper prices for full-coverage auto insurance.

What Affects Car Insurance Rates?

A vehicle’s make and model aren’t the only factors that can change car insurance cost. Providers also consider the following factors when setting premiums:

Location: Car insurance rates vary widely based on where drivers live. Population density, climate and even the number of claims processed nearby can influence insurance costs.

l CONTINUED ON PAGE 55

Dean Team Subaru Ballwin

(636) 227-6527

(636) 591-0071 Fax

Mon-Fri 7-5

Byers Airport Subaru Columbus

(614) 552-5490

Mon-Fri 7:30-6; Sat 8-12 wholesaleparts@byersauto.com

Ken Ganley Subaru North Olmsted North Olmsted

Toll Free (888) 850-0633

Direct (440) 788-7060

(440) 788-7085 Fax

Mon-Fri 8-7 Tue-Fri 8-6 Sat 8-5 jtjoyce@ganleywestside.com

Chariot Collision Center in Indiana Joins 1Collision

1Collision is excited to announce the addition of Chariot Collision Center, based in Kokomo, IN. The collision repair facility is part of Chariot Auto Group in North Central Indiana, established in 1926.

Ric Pugmire , Chariot’s director of collision operations, said the company is committed to providing world-class customer service and investing in employee education and training to ensure a proper and safe repair on every vehicle.

“We are delighted to be bringing on operators like Ric Pugmire and the Chariot team,” said John Hollingsworth , director of new location development. “Ric has been involved in the industry for many decades and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the other shops in our network while we help Chariot grow.”

In November 2022, Chariot team members went to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, to look for the partners they’d need to grow the business. The 1Collision team felt like a good

fit after talking to Jim Keller , president and CEO.

“To accomplish our goals, we knew we would need access to the kind of resources and

Team Penske, PPG Extend Racing Partnership

team have built with seasoned people in the industry will help us solve industry problems together in the future,” he said. “It will also allow us to work cooperatively with our peers as a network because we aren’t competing.”

Chariot is looking forward to working with 1Collision to help take the next step into a collision repair world full of new technologies and systems. This includes meeting with the field operations team to sharpen the collision repair business systems that will help take their business to the next level. The company is also interested in networking with other 1Collision locations and talking to them about industry issues, including certifications, training, front office tasks and staffing.

TRUST FORD PARTS

relationships the large MSOs have access to,” said Pugmire. Being part of 1Collision enables Chariot to tap into a deeper and broader variety of resources and build relationships with vendors and insurance partners.

“The relationships Jim and the

“1Collision will provide access to other people grappling with the same problems we are,” said Pugmire. “By getting involved in a network, we don’t have to solve all the problems ourselves.”

Source: 1Collision

One of the longest-running partnerships in motorsports will reach 40 years and beyond as Team Penske and PPG have announced a multi-year extension of their agreement across the team’s NASCAR® and INDYCAR® programs.

The distinct and popular blueand-white PPG paint scheme will continue in NTT INDYCAR SERIES (NICS) competition as two-time NICS champion Josef Newgarden will race the No. 2 PPG Chevrolet in 2023 and into the future. PPG will also continue to serve as an associate partner on the No. 12 Chevrolet driven by reigning NICS Champion Will Power and the No. 3 Chevrolet driven by title contender Scott McLaughlin

Under the new agreement, PPG will also return as a Team Penske partner in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), serving as an associate sponsor of the No. 2 Ford Mustang driven by Austin Cindric, the No. 12 Ford Mustang driven by Ryan Blaney and the No. 22 Ford Mustang driven by defending Cup Series Champion Joey Logano

Source: PPG

Hours:

Hours:

KANSAS

Rusty Eck Ford

WICHITA

316-685-9131

316-685-7759

Hours: M-F 8-5

“The relationships Jim and the team have built with seasoned people in the industry will help us solve industry problems together in the future, It will also allow us to work cooperatively with our peers as a network because we aren’t competing.”

— RIC PUGMIRE CHARIOT’S DIRECTOR OF COLLISION OPERATIONS

INSIST ON GM GENUINE PARTS

Fax

M-Th 7 am - 7 pm

F 7 am - 6:30 pm

Sat 8 am - 2 pm dlucas@sheasavings.com

Minnesota Mills Parts Center WILLMAR

800-247-1158

866-235-6700 Fax

M-F 8 am - 5:30

800-800-8071 573-449-4103

Ohio

Jake Sweeney Chevrolet SPRINGDALE

800-582-5253

513-782-2829

513-782-2846 Fax

M-F 7:30 am – 6 pm Sat 8 am – 2 pm

cscott@jakesweeney.com www.jakesweeneychevy.com

Joseph Chevrolet CINCINNATI

800-752-1423

513-741-6735

513-741-3814 Fax

M-F 7:30 am – 5:30 pm Sat 7:30 am – Noon josephgmparts@yahoo.com

Sweeney Chevy Buick GMC YOUNGSTOWN

800-476-0760

330-726-2297

330-726-0709 Fax Mon-Thu 7am-6pm Fri 7am-5:30pm Sat 7am-3pm

mattf@sweeneycars.com

Tesla Employees Shared Invasive Videos from Customers’ Cars: Report

By Dan Mihalascu InsideEVs

Groups of Tesla employees reportedly shared videos and images recorded by customers’ car cameras between 2019 and 2022, according to interviews by Reuters with nine former employees.

The unnamed sources said some of the recordings were highly invasive, with one exemployee describing a video of a man approaching a Tesla vehicle completely naked. Among the videos shared by employees at Tesla’s San Mateo, CA, office via private one-on-one chats were also crashes and road-rage incidents.

According to another exemployee, a crash video from 2021 showed a Tesla driving at high speed in a residential area hitting a child riding a bike. Footage showed the child flying in one direction and the bike in another. The former Tesla employee said the video spread around the office in San Mateo “like wildfire” via the internal messaging system.

Other recordings were more benign, such as photos of dogs and

funny road signs that employees turned into memes before posting them in private group chats. According to several ex-employees, some postings were only shared between two employees, but others could be seen by many of them.

Perhaps more worryingly, the computer program employees used at work could show the location of recordings, potentially revealing where a Tesla owner lived, seven former employees told Reuters. That goes against Tesla’s privacy policy, which states “camera recordings remain anonymous and are not linked to you or your vehicle.”

Another potential problem raised by one ex-employee is some videos appeared to have been recorded when cars were parked and turned off. That wouldn’t have been an issue several years ago, when Tesla would receive video recordings from its vehicles even when they were off, provided owners gave consent.

Quarter Page (no bleed) | 4˝ x 5˝

However, Tesla says on its website it stopped doing so for 2018 and newer model year vehicles. These vehicles—with software version 2020.48.5 or newer—store recordings taken in Sentry Mode to

We’ve got a thing for

quality parts

And with over 170,000 Genuine Volkswagen Collision Parts to order from, we’d love to help you find the ones you need.

MICHIGAN

Maple Hill Volkswagen Kalamazoo

800-323-0022

Direct 269-978-0191

Fax: 269-342-0065

M-F 8am-5:30pm www.maplehillauto.com

MISSOURI

Dean Team Volkswagen of Ballwin Ballwin

636-227-6527

Fax: 636-591-0071

M-F 7am-5pm

OHIO

Byers Volkswagen Columbus

614-552-5490

M-F 7:30am-6pm; Sat 8am-12pm wholesaleparts@byersauto.com

Find an authorized Volkswagen dealership near you at vwwholesaledealers.com

SUN Collision Unveils New Website

onboard memory.  “We could see inside people’s garages and their private properties. Let’s say that a Tesla customer had something in their garage that was distinctive, you know, people would post those kinds of things,” said another former employee. It appears that even CEO Elon Musk fell victim to Tesla cameras’ prying lenses. About three years ago, some employees found and shared a video of a unique submersible vehicle parked inside a garage, according to two people who saw the footage.

That sub was apparently “Wet Nellie,” the white Lotus Esprit that starred in the 1977 James Bond film, “The Spy Who Loved Me.” The vehicle had been bought by Musk for about $968,000 at an auction in 2013. Whether Musk was aware of the video or that it had been shared, it’s not clear.

Of course, Tesla may argue its employees may occasionally need to check out some of the videos coming from customer cars to solve Autopilot issues or simply for data labeling purposes, but the line between that and breaching privacy appears to be very thin.

SUN® Collision, a brand of Snap-on Incorporated, unveiled its new website at www. suncollision.com to provide easy access to OEM collision repair information that helps improve efficiency and productivity for auto body shops.

From the updated homepage, a navigation bar offers visitors a direct path to the different sections of the website, allowing them to easily browse and access helpful information such as product features, support and training, along with the new blog section. Visitors can also access online forms to schedule a free, customized demonstration and sign-up for a subscription.

SUN Collision provides comprehensive information for both collision and mechanical repairs, including procedures for body and frame, paint and finish, and materials. Driven by a powerful 1Search search engine, the software also includes a quick link to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) information.

Source: SUN Collision

Audi Part Professionals are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items

ILLINOIS Audi Exchange Highland Park 847.432.5880

847.432.5708 Fax gorejel@audiexchange.com

MICHIGAN

Audi Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 800.323.0022 Toll Free 269.978.0191 Direct 269.342.0065 Fax M-F 8an-5:30pm www.maplehillauto.com

MISSOURI

Kansas City Audi Kansas City 866.949.9500 Toll Free 816.941.4969 Direct 816.942.3156 Fax

M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm

cfowles@molleaudi.com

OHIO Audi Columbus Columbus 614.552.5490

M-F

“ Volkswagen” and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. ©2023 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Order Audi Genuine Parts from these select dealers.

Toyota on Path To 100% Renewable Energy For Michigan Operations

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and DTE Energy on April 12 announced Toyota’s enrollment in MIGreenPower, DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program.

powered passenger cars driven for a year.

“Renewable energy programs like DTE’s MIGreenPower program are crucial to helping companies seeking a reduced carbon footprint to achieve their goals,” said Kevin Butt, director of Environmental Sustainability for TMNA. “From our R&D facilities in Michigan to our production and corporate facilities across the nation, Toyota aims to achieve carbon neutrality throughout our operations by 2035.”

benefit equivalent to avoiding more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually or the greenhouse gas emissions from

program,” said Brian Calka, vice president, Renewable Sales and Project Development for DTE Energy. “Toyota joins a growing list of Michigan-based automotive manufacturers and suppliers who are enrolling in MIGreenPower to meet their sustainability goals. Currently, more than 70% of MIGreenPower business customers are involved in the automotive sector.”

Toyota’s participation puts all of TMNA’s Research and Development operations in Michigan on a path to attribute 100% of its electricity use to renewable energy projects starting in 2026. This includes the company’s R&D Headquarters in Ann Arbor along with six other facilities across Washtenaw County.

TMNA’s clean energy commitment covers a 20-year period and will have the environmental benefit equal to avoiding 29,000 metric tons of CO2 or the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 6,200 gasoline-

Hyundai Owners Offered Options

Hyundai Motor America and independently operated AAA insurers on April 13 announced a program to offer insurance options for owners of certain Hyundai vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. The program will be available in all states with the exception of those where AAA does not offer insurance: Alaska, Massachusetts and Washington.

Under the program, AAA insurers will issue new and renewal policies for eligible affected Hyundai customers. Consumers can visit AAA.com/ insurance to receive a quote.

Hyundai has also expedited the roll out of the free anti-theft software upgrade for affected vehicles. Additionally, for a smaller group of 2011-2022 model year vehicles that cannot accommodate the software upgrade, Hyundai will reimburse those owners for their purchase of steering wheel locks.

All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard equipment

Source: Hyundai Motor America.

MIGreenPower is among the largest voluntary renewable energy programs in the U.S. The program enables DTE Electric’s residential and business customers to attribute an even greater percentage of their electricity use to Michigan-made wind and solar projects beyond the 15% DTE already provides. To date, the company has more than 800 businesses enrolled in the program along with more than 85,000 residential customers.

On an annual basis, MIGreenPower customers have enrolled 4 million megawatt hours of clean energy in the program, which has the environmental

Choose

440-585-9990 Parts (440) 347-9723 Fax

more than 630,000 gasolinepowered passenger cars. Program participation is acceleratin g the development of new wind and solar projects in Michigan. By 2026, DTE will add more than 2,000 MW of new clean energy projects to meet program demand.

“We are excited to welcome Toyota to the MIGreenPower

DTE is Michigan’s largest producer of and investor in renewable energy and is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In its CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan filed in November 2022 with the Michigan Public Service Commission, DTE proposed increasing investment in solar and wind energy, accelerating the retirement of coal plants, and investing in the development of new energy storage—all reinforcing DTE’s commitment to cleaner energy. If the new plan is approved, the company will add more than 15,000 megawatts of new renewable energy projects over the next two decades.

Source: Toyota Motor North America

BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

©2023 MINI USA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The MINI name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

“Toyota joins a growing list of Michigan-based automotive manufacturers and suppliers who are enrolling in MIGreenPower to meet their sustainability goals. Currently, more than 70% of MIGreenPower business customers are involved in the automotive sector.”

BRIAN CALKA VICE PRESIDENT FOR DTE ENERGY

Publisher Jeremy Hayhurst

General Manager

Barbara Davies

Editor

Abby Andrews

Contributing Writers

Mike Anderson, Ed Attanasio, Stacey Phillips, John Yoswick, Cole Strandberg

Advertising Sales

Joe Momber, Norman Morano

Office Manager

Kelly Cashman

Digital Marketing Manager

Bryan Malinski

Art Director

Rodolfo Garcia

Senior Designer

Vicki Sitarz

Accounting & HR Manager

Heather Priddy

Permissions Editor

Randi Scholtes

Serving Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and adjacent metro areas. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the autobody industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher.

©2023 Adamantine Media LLC.

Autobody News P.O. Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com

editor@autobodynews.com

Detroit Unveils Parking Department’s 100% EV Fleet

By William Johnson Teslarati

The City of Detroit unveiled its first department fleet to be comprised of only electric vehicles.

America’s Motor City purchased 48 Chevy Bolts to be used by the Municipal Parking Department’s parking enforcement workers. According to the city, each driver drives an average of 150 miles every day, making the Bolt’s 259mile range perfectly adequate. Furthermore, thanks to the low upfront cost of the Bolt compared to other EVs, its fuel savings will become evident quickly following the purchase.

The city also installed a massive 25-stall charging station.

“This is our first major step toward converting city vehicles to more environmentally friendly

and sustainable technologies, and I’m proud of our Municipal Parking Department and Director Keith Hutchings for leading the way,” Mayor Mike Duggan said. “Electric vehicles are going to become the new standard everywhere, and we are going to support this transition in many ways.”

The city aims to convert all of its 3,000 vehicles to electric in the coming years, though a specific electrification plan has not been announced.

Municipalities around the country, much like Detroit, are looking to implement EVs, primarily within their fleet of police vehicles, which are often the best use case for electrification. Officers often drive a set duration and distance daily, are equipped with electronic equipment that needs to stay charged, and often sit for long sections of the day.

Replay Available of Positivity Summit

Dave Luehr of Elite Body Shop Solutions and Ryan Taylor of BodyShop Booster and AMP Bureau just released the full replay of the fourth annual Positivity Summit.

Luehr and Taylor hosted this free online event in March and recorded it for those who were unable to attend. To sign-up and watch for free, visit collisionsummit. com.

More than 30 speakers from around the world, including body shop owners and managers, industry experts and trainers, shared their strategies and insights in a fast-paced interview format with Luehr and Taylor.

The six-hour replay has been separated into easy-towatch 12-minute segments by speaker, to make it easy to find time to watch despite the busy schedule of a body shop.

S ource: Elite Body Shop Solutions

CAR Coalition Applauds Attorneys General For Supporting

SMART and REPAIR Acts

The CAR (Consumer Access to Repair) Coalition, a growing group of independent automotive parts and repair companies, associations and insurers committed to preserving consumer choice and affordable vehicle repair, is commending a bipartisan letter from 28 state attorneys general urging lawmakers to approve bipartisan legislation protecting consumer rights in the post-collision auto repair market.

Specifically, the attorneys general are urging key members of Congress to advance the SMART and REPAIR Acts, which have recently been reintroduced in the 118th Congress.

“We applaud the bipartisan group of attorneys general for urging Congress to pass commonsense right to repair legislation, like the recently reintroduced SMART and REPAIR Acts,” CAR Coalition Executive Director Justin Rzepka said. “These attorneys general, as chief consumer protection and antitrust enforcers, are well aware of the pressure of rising prices on the people in their states. Swift federal

legislation is critical to protecting consumers’ right to repair the products they purchase—restoring choice to the repair process, increasing competition and lowering costs.”

The letter states in part: “The Right to Repair is a bipartisan issue that impacts every consumer, household and farm in a time of increasing inflation. It is about ensuring that consumers have choices as to who, where, when and at what cost their vehicles can be repaired. It is about ensuring small automobile businesses and ‘mom-and-pop’ auto shops can remain competitive against a closed system favored by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).”

The letter can be read in full at carcoalition.com/wp-content/ uploads/2020/07/Right-to-RepairLtr.-to-Congress-FINAL.pdf

The Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation SMART Act (H.R. 1707) will put an end to automakers’ unfair use of patents by reducing from 15 years to 2.5 years the time that automakers can enforce design

patents against alternative parts manufacturers on collision repair parts, including common parts like side mirrors, quarter panels and bumpers. The Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act (H.R. 906) will ensure consumers have access to their car’s data and the repair tools needed to maintain modern cars.

The introduction of the SMART and REPAIR Acts builds on growing momentum for the consumer protections in the post-collision repair market, including endorsements from the White House and Federal Trade Commission, along with an unprecedented show of support from federal lawmakers in the FY2023 government funding package and spotlights at two congressional hearings.

According to recent research from the CAR Coalition and DePaul University College of Law, anti-competitive practices from automakers cost American consumers more than $1.5 billion per year in higher auto repairs.

Source: CAR Coalition

l CONTINUED FROM PAGE 48

Expensive Cars

Age: Younger and less experienced motorists are seen as riskier to insure, so they can expect to pay more for insurance than those with a long driving history.

Credit history: A high credit score is seen as a mark of financial responsibility and reliability, which often equates to lower insurance rates. A poor credit score can result in much more costly insurance premiums.

Driving record: If a driver has a speeding ticket, a recent at-fault accident or a driving under the influence (DUI) charge on their driving record, they’ll get charged more for insurance than someone with a clean record.

Marital status: Those who are married typically pay less for auto insurance than single drivers.

Gender: Men, especially young men, usually pay more for car insurance than women.

Chosen deductible: Drivers can expect to pay higher premiums if they choose a low or nonexistent deductible when filing claims.

Source: Guides Auto Team