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Driverless Car Bills Speed Through MI Senate by Michael Gerstein and Michael Martinez, The Detroit News
The Michigan Senate overwhelmingly approved a legislative package on September 7 that would let companies cruise ahead with plans to operate driverless vehicles on Michigan roads, with one legislator comparing it to the race to put a man on the moon. In a series of 36-0 votes, the Republican-controlled chamber approved bills that would allow the burgeoning autonomous car industry to put electronically-controlled vehicles on any Michigan road. “We’re moving into the next cen-
tury, ladies and gentlemen,” Senate Majority Floor Leader Mike Kowall, RWhite Lake, told fellow senators as he urged support for the legislation, which he introduced earlier this year. The package of four bills aims to keep Michigan ahead of competing states like California and Florida that are trying to lure companies and investments with autonomous car-friendly laws. The new laws would allow the public to buy and use fully driverless cars whenever they’re available. They would allow an autonomous car without a steering wheel or pedals, and not reSee MI Senate, Page 15
Honda ProFirst Certification Reaches 700 Shops
Gary Ledoux is pleased to see that 700 body shops are now members of American Honda’s ProFirst certification program, but he also knows that there is still much work to do to reach the goal of 1,200 shops See Honda Hits 700 Shops, Page 31
P.O. BOX 1516, CARLSBAD, CA 92018
When body shop number 700 recently became a member of American Honda’s ProFirst certification program, assistant national manager of Collision Parts and Service Marketing Gary Ledoux took a deep breath, knowing full well that there is still much work to do. To Ledoux, the ultimate goal of getting 1,200 shops in the program within the next 18 months seems very reachable. “When we first launched this program in April of 2015,
we heard from roughly 100 shops right away, asking ‘How can we join, and what do we need to do?’ We got a lot of the top shops in the country onboard quickly because they were already doing all of the things required by the program.” A lot of collision repairers were skeptical about the value of OE certifications in general, but pretty soon they changed their minds, Ledoux said. “Initially, not everyone thought that certifications were going to be around very
Change Service Requested
by Ed Attanasio
VOL. 6 ISSUE 1 OCTOBER 2016
California Regulator’s Stand On ‘Alt-OE’ Parts May Lead to Pressure To Clarify The Terminology
Some of those parts appear to be new, OEM parts but are being sold and Discussion within the industry of “alt- delivered by non-OEM or salvage parts suppliers, shops say. Others apOE” or “opt-OE” parts seemingly has pear to be slightly-damaged or blemraised more questions than answers this past year, but one state regulatory ished OEM parts that may or may not agency has a clear stand on arrive “repaired.” Given that shops don’t althe topic—one that may drive ways know what they will rechanges nationwide. ceive when they order such a “The term by itself, ‘altpart, the BAR said, conOE’ or ‘opt-OE,’ is not recogsumers certainly won’t know nized by the Bureau,” Jaime what those term mean on an Ramos of the California Burepair estimate or invoice. reau of Automotive Repair Jaime Ramos Shops in that state are free to (BAR) field operations and enforcement division told attendees at use such parts, Ramos said, but they NACE in Anaheim, CA, in August. can’t use those terms on the paperwork Ramos and other representatives without more adequately explaining what is being put on the vehicle. of the BAR said that it’s clear from dis“The BAR has no position on cussion with shops that a wide variety whether they are good or bad parts,” he of types of parts are being lumped together under the “alt-OE” or “opt-OE” said. “But the whole premise of [BAR category names in some markets. See Alt-OE Parts, Page 60 by John Yoswick
IN Attorney General Sues Former Evansville Car Dealer for Failing to Deliver Car Titles Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s Office filed a lawsuit against a former Evansville auto dealer who closed its doors without handing over car titles to dozens of Hoosiers who purchased vehicles from the company. Under current Indiana law, an Indiana motor vehicle dealer must deliver a valid title to a purchasing customer within 31 days from the date of sale. Without a title, a vehicle owner cannot obtain a state vehicle registration in order to operate the vehicle legally. In a lawsuit filed in Vanderburgh County court, the Attorney General alleges Unlimited Automotive Wholesalers LLC did not provide car titles to 37 total customers who had purchased vehicles from the dealer before it went out of business earlier this year. The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office revoked the company’s auto dealer license in April. The Indiana Secretary of State’s
Office was able to provide Unlimited Automotive Wholesalers customers with temporary license plates through their Victim Assistance Program. These plates allow these consumers to have legal plates for their vehicles while the AG’s lawsuit is pending. Any consumer who needs help getting a temporary plate should contact the office at 317-234-7190. In its lawsuit against Unlimited Automotive Wholesalers, the Attorney General’s Office seeks to obtain permanent car titles for the impacted customers in addition to recovering investigative costs and pursuing civil penalties for alleged violations of Indiana’s consumer protection laws. The Attorney General’s Office receives more auto sales complaints each year than any other retail category, with 1,340 complaints filed in 2015 and nearly 900 complaints filed in 2016 thus far.
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