April 2024 Northeast Edition

Drivers See Auto Insurance Rates Spike Due To Secret Data Sharing

Drivers are finding themselves at the mercy of their own vehicles’ data-sharing capabilities, leading to unexpected hikes in their car insurance rates, according to a report from the New York Times.

granular driving data. This data, which includes trip durations, distances and driving behaviors like hard braking or rapid acceleration, is used to formulate a risk score for insurers.

Kenn Dahl , a Seattle-based software company owner who drives a Chevrolet Bolt, encountered a bewildering 21% increase in his car insurance premium, despite a clean driving record. The root cause was a detailed data trail of his driving habits, unbeknownst to him, shared by General Motors with LexisNexis, a global data broker.

Dahl’s experience illuminates a growing concern among vehicle owners about privacy and consent. LexisNexis, under its “Risk Solutions” division, traditionally monitored vehicular accidents and violations but is now into analyzing

This practice, while enhancing personalized insurance offerings, raises questions about transparency and consent. Many drivers, like Dahl, are unaware of the extent of data collection and its implications on their insurance costs.

Dahl got quotes from other insurers and found they were also high – the LexisNexis data had been shared with eight insurance companies.

“It felt like a betrayal,” Dahl told the New York Times. “They’re taking information that I didn’t realize was going to be shared and screwing with our insurance.”

UVeye, Acadia Insurance Partner to Transform Auto Claims with AI

UVeye announced a collaboration with Acadia Insurance, a regional underwriter in the Northeast, to enhance efficiency and accuracy in Acadia’s appraisal process leveraging UVeye’s AI-powered computer vision inspection systems to streamline claims for vehicles involved in accidents.

UVeye’s drive-thru systems enable appraisers to conduct comprehensive, instantaneous assessments of vehicle damage with an unprecedented level of precision and granularity, overhauling the traditional, manual inspection process and streamlining claims management. The AI-driven systems elevate the overall customer experience by slashing wait times

and ensuring total transparency throughout the appraisal process.

The collaboration is a milestone in the integration of AI in the insurance industry, ushering in a faster, more reliable claims process that benefits both insurance companies and policyholders.

“Insurance has long been characterized by traditional, manual processes, but this boost of computer vision gives us a glimpse into the future,” said Keith Gleason, chief claims officer at Acadia Insurance. “We’re proud to work with UVeye to pioneer this transformative AI-driven approach, introducing a new standard in insurance claims management, one that prioritizes

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Ciocca Automotive Acquires Apple Group in Pennsylvania

Ciocca Automotive has acquired Apple Automotive Group. The deal, facilitated by Haig Partners, includes a portfolio of 10 franchised dealerships and additional automotive services across York County, PA, showcasing brands like BMW, Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Honda, Nissan and Subaru.

Apple Automotive Group is recognized as potentially the most valuable dealership conglomerate ever sold in Pennsylvania. The move

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Drivers of certain GM cars said they had no idea they were enrolled in OnStar Smart Driver, a free feature in GM brands’ connected car apps. Image via Shutterstock.

REGIONAL NEWS

Leading Collision Shop Operators Share Innovative Business Strategies

By John Yoswick Autobody News

One can’t-miss way collision shop owners can find some potentially great business ideas is to ask other shop owners about changes they’ve made recently. Understanding what prompted the changes, how they were implemented, and what the outcome has been can help inspire changes within your own shop.

Here’s a round-up of changes some collision business operators have made in past year or two.

Tiffany Silva of Accurate Auto Body in Richmond, CA, points to staffing changes she’s made at her 25-employee shop that are enabling her to better “work on my business,

same time. So I always have a backup person.

“I like to [quality control check] every vehicle before it leaves my shop, but that’s not always possible,” Silva said. “So having a production team gives us someone based behind the computer, someone out on the shop floor directing traffic, and someone who can always QC vehicles for me. It’s been working out great.”

Dropping DRPs, Adding Co-Pays

Sue Black, who co-owns Dean’s Auto Body in Sheboygan, WI, with her son, said she has eliminated some direct repair programs and negotiated new labor rates with some insurers.

“We have been able to work on that and really pay our technicians what they deserve to be paid so that we can retain them and also train them and keep them qualified to repair the vehicles coming to us,” Black said. She said the shop also has started to sometimes charge customer co-pays.

not in it.” She promoted an existing employee to assist the shop’s production manager, and added a third person to that team in a role she’s calling repair planner.

“She’s helping with [locating] and emailing procedures to the techs and making sure everybody has everything they need to get right on that job, and helping with scheduling,” Silva said of the new hire, whose cousin is a longtime employee at Silva’s shop. “She just graduated [from college] and needed some direction, so we brought her in.”

Despite not knowing anything about the industry, the new employee is “into technology and she can figure out anything we need,” Silva said. “She’s doing all our pre- and post-repair scanning, and arranging the calibrations done by an outside company.”

The employee promoted to assistant production manager had worked in both the paint and body departments at various times while at the shop, “so he’s respected by the entire team,” she said. “They are tag-teaming production. He’s done everything excepting estimating, so he’s learning CCC, and they know they can’t both be on vacation at the

commercial work.

“Because we’ve got a couple accounts now that we’ve groomed in the last couple of years to pay a sizably higher labor rate,” Ricci said.

“We basically made some decisions on what is our fight and what’s not our fight.”

WILL LATUFF LATUFF BROTHERS AUTO BODY

Like Silva, he’s also made some management personnel changes that have been “very fruitful for morale and production.” He came to realize his production manager “wanted to play fireman, but we didn’t want fires,” so he promoted another person to that position. One of the shop’s three estimators now oversees that team and works with the production manager.

“So that removed me a lot more from the day-to-day,” Ricci said. “But

they can see the transactions and what goes on when a supplement is submitted, really lets them know how hard you’re working for them, to get them taken care of.”

The transparency helps keep customers up to date, he said.

“We give them copies of what was submitted [to the insurer], letting them know the deficiencies when it comes back, letting them know what their potential out-of-pocket could be,” Latuff said. “They see we submit a repair plan that’s vastly different than the photo estimate the insurance company created, and it comes back with an initial difference, which is usually pretty large, but by the time we get down to the final bill and the gap is reduced substantially, you’re the hero. They’re happy for everything that you did throughout the repair.”

Better Triaging of Jobs

“We’ve just explained to them: This is what your insurance company is willing to pay for the repair of your vehicle, but here is the research that says that this, this and this needs to be done on your vehicle, and we want to make sure that your vehicle is getting back on the road properly, and in order to do that, you might have to pay some out-of-pocket expense,” Black said. “And because we sit down and really explain the situation to our customers, a lot of them are willing to pay extra to have their vehicle repaired the correct way.”

She said the most common co-pay is to cover the use of OEM parts.

“Consumers really don’t know when they’re buying an insurance policy, what that policy really all entails,” Black said. “I always explain to my customers that the insurance companies are qualified to sell insurance, but we’re qualified to repair your vehicle. I wish we could work together with the insurance companies to really create a safe policy for our consumers to have their vehicles repaired the proper way.”

Personnel Changes, Adding Transparency

it also increased production because of the right attitude of the right two people, as co-managers.”

Will Latuff, president of Latuff Brothers Auto Body in St. Paul, MN, said his company is another one that has “parted ways with several DRPs.”

“We basically made some decisions on what is our fight and what’s not our fight,” Latuff said. “And

Tom Ricci, owner of Body & Paint Center in Hudson, MA, said he’s been pursuing more non-insurance

I think it’s actually helped us support the consumer more. Because keeping them more involved and more updated, and peeling things back so

As the manager of Pacific BMW Collision Center in Glendale, CA, Andrew Batenhorst said parts delays can be significant for BMW parts out of Germany.

“Anything that’s coming from that side of the world is four to six weeks away in some cases,” Batenhorst said. “So what’s been really helpful for us is being very aggressive with how we triage or job sort, deciding what cars are going to come into the shop, and which ones we will keep on the road as long as possible. So on certain job sizes, we can do a quick inspection on them, maybe loosen up the bumper or use an inspection camera to check out possible hidden damage, and we can get a repair plan that’s maybe 85% to 95% of the way through. We can get the parts pre-ordered and arrived, and we can cut the repair time down immensely because we’ve maybe also gone through a supplement approval at that point, too.”

He said one hurdle with this is the amount of space involved in storing more pre-ordered parts than they have in the past.

“So we’ve adapted our logistics to be able to handle it, and it’s worked really well,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from clients. If the car’s just cosmetically damaged, then they’re typically okay with us doing that for them. Now, if it’s not drivable, we’ll have to go ahead and get the car in. But for probably 40% to 50% of our work, we can minimize the downtime here, and it does pay off in the long run.”

Tiffany Silva said personnel shifts within her shop have enabled her more time to work on the business rather than just in the business

Andrew Batenhorst said his shop is better triaging jobs, getting as much of the repair estimate as possible while allowing the customer to keep driving it until parts arrive

Mike

Anderson — From the Desk of Mike Anderson

Common Situation in Shops Leads to Unintended Damage to Vehicle Interior

Earlier this year, a collision shop owner shared a story with me about something he experienced at his shop that really surprised me. Since it involved a common situation – a vehicle sitting in the shop’s lot crashwrapped because of a broken sunroof – that led to additional damage to the vehicle, I thought I’d share his story as a caution to the rest of the industry.

Kris Wyatt said the truck was in the lot of his shop, Wyatt’s Paint & Body in San Bernardino, CA. It rained shortly after the truck was crashwrapped, and then a few days later, the sun came out.

“The rain had gathered in the crash wrap, creating a small pool of water,” Kris told me. “Then the sun shone through that water, which acted like a magnifying glass. That actually burned the seat and the door trim panel. I would never have thought this would happen.”

As Kris joked, the crash wrap did its job by keeping the water out, but, man, that combination of the pool of water and the sun did a number on

the interior of the truck. It might be a one-time freak occurrence, but it’s a situation you might want to warn your employees to keep an eye out for.

I want to thank Kris for sharing this with me, and if other readers have experiences that might be helpful for

other shops to know about, send them to my assistant, Tiffany Driggers, at tiffany@ collisionadvice.com, and she will get them to me.

“That actually burned the seat and the door trim panel.”

KRIS WYATT ATTRIBUTION ATTRIBUTION

A small pool of rain water on the crash wrap protecting a truck with a broken sunroof unexpectedly led to interior damage to the vehicle at a California shop.

A pool of water acted as a magnifying glass for sunlight, resulting in heat damage to an interior trim panel.

The sunlight magnified through a small pool of water on the crash wrap on top of a vehicle caused burn damage to one of the vehicle’s seats..

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ORIGINAL BMW PARTS

Technology Can Improve Collision Repair Process – But Only If It’s Used

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

The collision repair industry should embrace new technology to improve collaboration between repairers, insurers, parts distributors and customers, according to Mike Anderson, who presented “Embracing Technology to be Successful in the Collision Industry,” a CIECA webinar on Feb. 22.

A replay of the 47-minute presentation is available on CIECA’s YouTube channel.

Anderson is a former Virginia-based MSO owner, who now owns Collision Advice.

Anderson said the collision repair industry lags behind many others in using technology, and he thinks it boils down to a lack of trust.

“Let’s talk about what can be accomplished if we had full transparency and trust between all stakeholders,” he said.

Consumers

Shops need to ensure customers’ personal identifying information is erased from total loss vehicles before they go to a salvage yard. Anderson said he is also concerned about how often he sees shops sharing pictures on social media that show a vehicle’s license plate.

“I appreciate techs want to post the quality of their work but at the end of the day, it’s about consumer privacy,” he said.

Anderson said it might be time to rethink the customer survey experience. Customers in a recent focus group reported “survey fatigue”: after filling out one survey, be it from the rental car company, insurer or shop, they tended to feel more negative toward the rest.

“Do we need to have all these different entities doing surveys, or can we just agree on one common solution that can be accepted by all parties?” Anderson said. “We have to ask ourselves if we want to continue with surveys, or are online reviews going to be the survey of the future?”

Customer Service

Anderson said technology can make shops “available” 24/7 to receive estimate requests or schedule an appointment, through their websites or Google business listing. An AIpowered chat feature could be used to answer questions, or to answer calls for a tow.

Estimators

According to a recent “Who Pays for What?” survey, only 31% of shops

research OEM repair procedures “all the time” and 29% “most of the time.”

Anderson said the most common reasons for not doing that are “I don’t have enough time” followed by “I don’t know how.” Neither are acceptable excuses, Anderson said.

The industry should embrace solutions that allow a vendor to export an invoice back into a shop’s management system, Anderson said.

“There are some management systems do that today but the problem is on the wholesale parts department

“That’s very scary for me on behalf of the consumer,” he said.

However, he acknowledged, there can be 300 to 400 documents to research just to replace a quarter panel.

“We need to use technology to figure out how can we speed up this process,” Anderson said. “I would like to see technology that can figure out the difference in estimates when a collision repairer comes up with one figure and the insurance carrier or third-party payer comes up with another.”

Another issue is the fact onetime use parts are not identified in electronic parts catalogs, only in electronic service manuals or repair procedures, so estimators must look up those parts separately.

“OEMs could supply info to thirdparty estimators to find symbols or words like ‘replace’ or ‘discard,’” Anderson said “I have to believe technology could do that.”

AI can be best put to use by giving it a shop’s historical data to figure out its optimum Work in Progress (WIP), to streamline the scheduling process to increase throughput.

“Listen, throughput benefits everyone,” Anderson said. “But what’s holding us back is getting down to trust – between other software companies, equipment companies. We all need to learn how to play in the sandbox together.”

Parts Departments

Estimating systems are not 100% accurate at identifying one-time use parts, Anderson said. Improving that would help parts employees so they don’t have to research them.

Insurance Carriers

A focus group of about 40 field appraisers working for a top 10 carrier said they would appreciate, when they get an assignment, being told details like there are dogs at the customer’s house.

They also said they want the ability to figure out electronically the difference between their and the shop’s estimates, because it takes a lot of time to do so manually.

Refinish Suppliers

Anderson said shops buy parts from their jobber or distributor in as many as 13 different “buckets,” double the number from eight to 10 years ago.

“We need to talk about how we reclassify some of these things, what is actually paint materials and what is not,” he said.

OEMs

side – if there’s a part that’s not ordered from me, that throws the whole system out of whack. Let’s stop the madness,” he said.

He also suggested a website where a shop’s accounting department could go to find a missing parts credit, instead of having to spend time on the phone tracking it down, and programs to show inventory at the warehouse so repairers can make more accurate decisions on when to schedule a vehicle.

Accounting and Human Resources

Anderson suggested getting dealership accounting software companies involved in CIECA, so they can see how to make it integrate with body shop management systems.

There is also no software system for the industry specific to HR. Anderson, who conducts OEM certification training, said he often gets emails from shops whose technicians’ certifications are near expiration and need to get them in a class on short notice. A program could auto generate reminders to update certifications.

Software systems could also provide a more modern onboarding experience to anyone who comes to work in the industry.

Wholesale Parts Vendors

Shops want wholesale parts distributors that accept electronic parts ordering, process credits in a timely manner, have good inventory, great communication and the ability to scrub parts order by VIN, Anderson said. Dealerships also want electronic parts ordering, as well as distributors that pay bills on time and have minimal returns.

“Electronic is the common theme,” Anderson said.

There is a need for a program to streamline the process to write a repair estimate for a vehicle damaged during transportation, Anderson said.

OEMs also need to get the electronic parts catalog division to talk to the electronic service manual division so one-time use parts are identified, then push that to estimating systems.

A lot of shops are purchasing OEM scan tools but not getting the training to use them properly, Anderson said. Online training on using those tools would be helpful.

Equipment Manufacturers

Anderson said technology could be used to automate updates for equipment, as those can be critical to consumer safety. Network management tools could push out notifications to update equipment as needed.

Final Thoughts

“Software can be used for the good of the industry, to save people time and give them quality of life and a better consumer experience, it can be used to ensure safe and proper repairs and increase profitability,” Anderson said.

Anderson acknowledged technology comes with questions, like the morality of using parts pricematching software or the risk of data pumps that report estimates to vehicle history report generators like CARFAX.

“I just want to help everyone in our industry so that their team, or your staff, has a better quality of life,” he said. “The key to that is what can we do to help our industry go back to where people trust each other again? Let’s use technology to help our industry keep up with others.”

Technology can save time and improve the customer experience. Image via Shutterstock.

What are you waiting for?

Poor-Quality Collision Repairs Cost Everyone, Study Finds

by John Yoswick Autobody News

In an effort to highlight the cost – to shops, insurers, consumers and automakers – of poor-quality collision repairs, the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Industry Relations Committee earlier this year shared the findings of its study of 26 “relatively late model” vehicles for which significant repair problems were found during post-repair inspections around the country.

In all of the cases, the customer found something they didn’t like about the repair, and therefore had a reinspection done. More than 90% of the 26 were deemed total losses after the post-repair inspection, said Daniel Rosenberger of BASF, a committee member.

“About 50% of them had moderate to severe frame issues that were unaddressed,” he said.

For the subset of the vehicles for which repair cost data was collected, he said, the cost for re-repairs averaged 3.5 times the initial repair cost.

Committee member Erin Solis shared photos and details related to one of the vehicles, a 2016 Subaru WRX for which original repairs cost about $7,000, and the cost for rerepairs was pegged at about $18,500.

“The customer originally went to the [second] shop [after repairs] for some masking lines, some paint matching issues and stuff like that,” Solis said. “The shops doing these post-repair inspections get a copy of the final bill of what was done originally. So they noticed [the original repairer] had billed for framework, yet there was no evidence of any kind of clamping marks or anything to indicate that the vehicle had been up on a rack, or even measured, or pulled properly. The steering column was also not addressed as instructed in the OEM procedures for post-collision. And I believe that this [repair invoice] did not indicate any kind of post-collision inspection requirements, so it was more than just the steering column. And then there was a lot of fitment issues with some of the parts that were used in the repair.”

The committee said there were similar problems found with many of the vehicles.

“Obviously starting with paint flaws, the lack of pre- and postrepair [safety] inspections was prevalent, lack of a pre-alignment or a secondary alignment after the repairs were done, calibrations just

simply overlooked,” committee member Ron Reichen said. “Failure to recognize OEM repair procedures and following a defined process throughout. There were numerous components that were marked on the repair plan as replaced that were either not replaced, or repaired or just simply overlooked. So that’s a lot of what we saw.”

were made under a direct repair program, but she noted, “I can tell you that all of the ones that I personally went through were not fixed in an OEM-certified repair center.”

But Stein said no one should think poor quality repairs are a problem limited to only DRP shops, uncertified shops or MSOs.

“One job that I was alerted to was a certified shop that left [broken] glass in the back seat and in a [child] car seat, and thought that that was OK, that that was acceptable,” Stein said. “This is a certified shop. So I’m just saying this is a universal problem. It’s easy for us to throw stones, but this is a problem that we are having all over the board. And a good shop can make a mistake. And if you don’t have consistent quality processes

and a quality control system lined out, then you’re playing Russian roulette every time.”

She offered the solutions to the issue of poor quality repairs include a robust quality control system in place at shops.

The committee’s presentation focused on the costs of bad repairs to everyone involved. The notes associated with one of the repairs, for example, indicated the customer had brought the vehicle back to the shop that repaired it nine times to try to have the problems addressed.

“That means nine times that customer had to pause whatever was going on in their life to go address something that continuously wasn’t fixed,” committee member Liz Stein said. “It creates frustration, it creates anger, and it creates suspicion and resentment.”

The automakers, she said, developed certified shop programs in part to help avoid such issues. “When there’s a collision repair event, that tests the manufacturer’s brand,” she said. “So when there’s a poor repair experience, that could mean that the customer has a negative brand impression.”

“The repair facility is either spending money to redo the vehicle, or to buy the vehicle back,” Reichen added. “And at the [insurer] level, what happens if that substandard repair isn’t caught and then that vehicle ends up in another loss? The bill-payer now is paying for previously substandard repairs because of this second loss.”

The committee was asked if there were any commonalities among the shops where the poor quality work was done.

“They were all repaired at what we consider legitimate or licensed repair facilities,” Reichen said.

Solis said the committee did not determine whether or not the repairs

“They were all repaired at what we consider legitimate or licensed repair facilities.”

RON REICHEN

COMMITTEE MEMBER

“Making sure that, no matter what, your people are empowered at any point in the process to stop and say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, this isn’t right,’” Stein said. “That if your painter gets something that looks like a train wreck, he’s supposed to send it back to the technician, and that he’s not penalized for stopping the process. Also, that there’s checklists to make sure all procedures were followed.”

Solis Reichen Rosenberger: A CIC presentation on the costs of poor-quality repairs was given by, from left, Erin Solis, Ron Rechein and Daniel Rosenberger.

Panel moderator Liz Stein said no one should think poor quality repairs are a problem limited to just DRP shops, uncertified shops or MSOs.

Cost-Effective OEM Quality: Inside Car-Rep’s 2K Game Changer

2024A Leap in Technology: Wise 2K®

Ever wish you could do OEM quality spot repair without the need to mix or activate 2K and waste expensive materials? Dream no longer, Car-Rep’s revolutionary Wise 2K® aerosol paint technology delivers a 2-component smart repair solution requiring no activation or mixing. More importantly, and unlike the traditional 2K systems it offers a revolutionary unlimited pot life. This isn’t just good news for waste reduction; it’s a game changer in expediting your workflow and reducing material costs while achieving OEM quality results.

How Does it Work?

Car-Rep’s patented Wise 2K® technology features a deactivated hardener and the resin packed in the same compartment. The 2K reaction happens when the product is sprayed: first the hardener activates when it meets humidity in the air and second, the components crosslink. With no reaction in the can you can use all the contents without the worry of product waste. Car-Rep’s 2K Smart Repair System feature both epoxy and polyurethane technologies, and create a great opportunity to eliminate 1K aerosols which do not meet OEM performance standards.

Meeting OEM Quality Standards for Corrosion Resistance with Car-Rep® 2K Epoxy eCoats and Primer Sealers

“You must apply 2K epoxy to all bare metal surfaces prior to applying any seam sealer, body filler, or other refinishing products,” mandates Honda similar to all OEMs. Car-Rep 2K Epoxy Primer Sealers and eCoats provide optimal corrosion protection and adhesion. They are ideal for use on any bare metal (exterior skin or inner structures), between spot welded panels (Weld Thru), as a sealer before base coat or urethane primer as well as under seam sealers and body fillers.Since sanding is not needed and recoat window is 48 hours Car-Rep® 2K epoxies are ideal for reducing booth bottle necks and maximizing efficiency in shop operations without sacrificing OEM quality.

As the first and only 2K epoxy aerosol eCoats Car-Rep® 2K truly deliver the performance to match the original factory ecoating. Available in 5 original manufacturer colors and sheen these eCoats are like powder coating in the can and make it possible to do fast spot repairs on the shop floor without sacrificing quality or value.

Featured in the builds of John Wargo at SEMA 2022 and 2023 Car-Rep® 2K Epoxy DTM Top Coats are quickly becoming the top choice for custom builders and painters. With single stage application on practically all substrates these 2K epoxies are ideal for chassis refreshments, engine bays and suspension parts as well as replacing 1K trim paints in a single-stage application. Car-Rep 2K top coats make it easy to achieve scratch, corrosion, chemical and UV resistance with strong adhesion.

Still using 1K Clear for spot repair or quick check for spray outs? Car-Rep 2K Polyurethane Clear Coat with unlimited potlife delivers a professional and realistic solution for spray out cards, small parts, door jambs, mirror covers, headlight restoration and more.

Boosting Shop Efficiency

Car-Rep®’s 2K Smart Repair System transforms collision repair shops for the better. The advanced solution contributes to a more efficient workflow, allowing for less expensive, quicker and more effective repair completion. This increase in efficiency doesn’t just mean happier customers due to faster service; it also means a higher volume of jobs completed without compromising on quality.

IIHS TOP SAFETY PICKs Met New Higher Criteria

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is making it harder to earn its TOP SAFETY PICK and TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards in 2024, challenging manufacturers to offer better protection for back seat passengers and improve their pedestrian crash avoidance systems.

However, 71 models qualify for 2024 awards. Of those, 22 earn TOP SAFETY PICK+, and 49 earn TOP SAFETY PICK.

“We followed the tougher requirements we introduced last year with another major update to the award criteria in 2024,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “This year’s winners are true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users.”

Last year’s biggest change was the replacement of the original side crash test with an updated version that uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed. Initially, an acceptable or good rating was enough to garner the lowertier TOP SAFETY PICK award. In 2024, a good rating is required for either TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+.

In addition, vehicles now need an acceptable or good rating in a revised version of the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation to qualify for either award. The new version replaces the earlier daytime and nighttime tests with a single evaluation that includes some test runs in daylight and some in the dark. Last year, vehicles could earn the lower-tier award regardless of whether they could detect and avoid pedestrians in the dark.

In an even bigger change, the updated moderate front overlap test has replaced the original evaluation in the 2024 TOP SAFETY PICK+ requirements. Vehicles now need an acceptable or good rating in the updated evaluation, which adds a second dummy seated behind the driver and emphasizes back seat safety. A good rating in the original moderate overlap test is still needed for the base TOP SAFETY PICK award.

As before, to earn either award, a vehicle must offer good protection in a small overlap front crash, in which 25% of the vehicle’s width on either side collides with another vehicle or a stationary object. This year, the driverside and passenger-side evaluations have been combined into a single rating. The test is performed on both the driver and passenger sides, and the rating is equivalent to the lower of the two results.

Award winners also must have good or acceptable headlights equipped on all trim levels.

Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the Genesis, Hyundai and Kia brands, has the most 2024 awards overall – six TOP SAFETY PICK+ and

10 TOP SAFETY PICK awards for a total of 16. Toyota Motor Corp., which includes the Toyota and Lexus brands, has the next highest total with one TOP SAFETY PICK+ and 12 TOP SAFETY PICK awards. Mazda earns the most TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards of any single brand, with five, as well as one TOP SAFETY PICK.

By class, small SUVs, midsize SUVs and midsize luxury SUVs are tied for the most TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards, with five each. Midsize luxury SUVs, which qualify for an additional 12 TOP SAFETY PICK awards, earn the most awards overall. Relatively few cars and pickups qualify for either award.

“The high number of SUVs that earn awards probably reflects the dominance of those vehicles in the U.S. market,” said Harkey. “But it’s disappointing that only four pickups and four midsize cars earn awards, considering the popularity of those classes.”

The changes to the 2024 award criteria are designed to push automakers to pursue higher levels of safety.

IIHS introduced the original moderate overlap front test in 1995. At the time, most vehicles earned ratings of poor or marginal. For the past decade, virtually every vehicle tested has earned a good rating thanks to stronger vehicle structures, the introduction of front and side-curtain airbags and a series of improvements in seat belt technology.

That represents a big win for safety. An analysis of 14 years’ worth of crash data involving IIHS-rated vehicles shows that a driver of a model rated good in the original moderate overlap test is 46% less likely to die in a head-on crash with a similar vehicle, compared with a driver of a model rated poor.

IIHS introduced the updated test to encourage similar advancements in the back seat. Once, second-row occupants were substantially safer than those seated in the front because of the greater distance between them and the impact in a frontal crash. In today’s vehicles, though, there is barely any deformation of the occupant compartment in the moderate overlap test. In addition, automakers have added airbags and advanced seat belts in the front seats but not often in the rear. As a result, in vehicles from model year 2007 onward, the risk of a fatal injury is higher for belted occupants in the rear seat than in the front.

To spur automakers to address that gap, the updated test includes an additional dummy positioned in the second row behind the driver and uses new metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in rearseat occupants. Many automakers have made substantial progress since the first group of ratings was released in

December 2022. Making an acceptable or good rating a requirement for TOP SAFETY PICK+ is the next step in accelerating those improvements.

The tougher standards for pedestrian front crash prevention systems are grounded in similar progress. In 2019, when IIHS launched the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation, only 21% of the vehicles tested earned the highest rating of superior, while 44% of new models didn’t even offer the technology. By 2023, 59% of vehicles earned superior ratings in the daytime test, and 40% also earned superior ratings in the nighttime evaluation, which was introduced a year earlier.

An advanced or superior rating in the daytime test was required for a 2023 TOP SAFETY PICK award, and an advanced or superior rating in the nighttime test was necessary to earn the “plus.” For 2024, IIHS has combined the two tests into a single evaluation, making nighttime performance essential for either award. The

2024 TOP SAFETY PICK+ Winners

Small Cars

Acura Integra

Mazda 3 hatchback

Mazda 3 sedan

Toyota Prius

Midsize Cars

Honda Accord Hyundai IONIQ 6

Large Luxury Car

Genesis Electrified G80

Small SUVs

Genesis GV60

Honda HR-V

Hyundai Kona

Mazda CX-30

Mazda CX-50 (built after August 2023)

Midsize SUVs

Ford Explorer

Kia Telluride

Mazda CX-90

Nissan Pathfinder (built after November 2023)

Subaru Ascent

Midsize Luxury SUVs

Acura MDX

BMW X3

Genesis GV80 (built after August 2023)

Mercedes-Benz GLE Class (with optional front crash prevention)

Tesla Model Y

2024 TOP SAFETY PICK Winners

Small Cars

Hyundai Elantra

Subaru Impreza

Toyota Prius Prime

Midsize Cars

Subaru Outback

Toyota Camry

Large Car

Toyota Crown

Midsize Luxury Cars

BMW 5 series

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Large Luxury Cars

Genesis G80

Genesis G90

superior/advanced/basic/no credit scale has been replaced by the good/ acceptable/marginal/poor scale used for other IIHS evaluations. This subtle change recognizes that technology that detects and brakes for pedestrians should be expected on all vehicles.

Pedestrians represent an increasingly large share of crash deaths, and pedestrian fatalities are currently at their highest level since the early 1980s. Most pedestrian crashes occur during the day, when there are more people on the roads, but threequarters of fatal pedestrian crashes happen at night.

“There’s still progress to be made in the protection that vehicles provide for their occupants, as the introduction of the updated moderate overlap test shows,” Harkey said. “But many of the biggest gains of the future will come from automakers and policymakers, along with all of us as car buyers and drivers, taking steps to protect everyone on the road, not just our own families.”

Small SUVs

BMW X1

Honda CR-V

Hyundai IONIQ 5

Hyundai Tucson

Kia Sportage

Lexus UX

Lexus RZ

Subaru Solterra

Midsize SUVs

Honda Pilot

Hyundai Palisade

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Mazda CX-90 PHEV

Nissan Ariya

Toyota Highlander

Volkswagen Atlas

Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Large SUVs

Audi Q7

Audi Q8 e-tron

Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron

Rivian R1S

Midsize Luxury SUVs

Acura RDX

Audi Q4 e-tron

Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron

Genesis Electrified GV70

Genesis GV70 (built after November 2023)

Infiniti QX60

Lexus NX

Lexus NX Plug-in Hybrid

Lexus RX

Mercedes-Benz GLC

Volvo XC90

Volvo XC90 Recharge

Minivans

Honda Odyssey

Toyota Sienna

Small Pickup

Hyundai Santa Cruz

Large Pickups

Rivian R1T crew cab

Toyota Tundra crew cab

Toyota Tundra extended cab

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State Lawmakers Consider Bills Related To Parts, Labor Rates, Appraisal Clauses

By John Yoswick Autobody News

State legislatures around the country are reviewing proposed laws that could have a variety of impacts on the collision repair industry.

A House committee in Massachusetts in February gave a thumbs up to H 4412, a bill that calls for establishing a minimum reimbursement body shop labor rate by adjusting the labor rate in effect in 1988 by the rate of inflation since then.

During a House committee hearing in Washington state earlier this year, lawmakers heard testimony for and against HB 2011, a bill that would give policyholders the right to call for an independent appraisal when there’s a disagreement about repair costs. Jeff Butler, a Seattle shop owner who also operates as an independent adjuster through Collison Consulting of Washington, told lawmakers the amounts he helps consumers recover because of underpaid claims averages $7,200.

“That’s 78% more than the insurer’s last offer [and] 19% more than on total loss cases…and I won those cases using the insurance company’s umpire,” Butler testified.

“This is a pattern and practice in Washington state.”

SB 2745, introduced in Mississippi, would define a “proper repair” as one performed “pursuant to the OEM repair procedures and using OEM or OEM-equivalent parts that have been properly tested…to meet the manufacturer’s specifications.” It would prohibit an insurer from stating or suggesting an insured must use a particular shop, or a

shop “identified on a preferred list compiled by an insurer.” It would require these provisions be “clearly and prominently” stated “on the face of the insurance policy.”

The Automobile Body Parts Association (ABPA), which represents manufacturers and distributors of non-OEM parts, submitted testimony

opposing the bill, focusing on another portion of the bill, which states, “Restoration of the vehicle to its condition prior to the loss includes repair processes.” The bill defines those as “as the explicit processes, tolerances and other technical requirements or instructions for the repair of a motor vehicle…that the motor vehicle manufacturer makes generally available to dealerships, independent repair shops and insurers.” The bill states it does not mandate an insurance company pay for OEM parts “except to the extent that the use of alternate parts would fail to restore the vehicle to its condition prior to the loss.”

The ABPA, however, told lawmakers “any bill language restricting the use of alternative parts, in favor of self-serving repair processes that primarily benefit OEM manufacturers, could lead to a monopolistic environment detrimental to consumers.”

The ABPA also testified at a February hearing in Idaho opposing S 1233, a bill that would add to the required notice on estimates there that include non-OEM parts; that notice would be required to say such parts “may affect the safety and performance of your vehicle,” and

recommend “that you consult with a qualified industry expert or repair shop before making any decisions regarding the use of non-OEM crash parts.”

The ABPA also is opposing a Rhode Island bill, H 7264, that would prohibit an insurer from denying the use of OEM parts on vehicles four to six years old if the repairer has written consent from the vehicle owner to

“This is a pattern and practice in Washington state.”

JEFF BUTLER COLLISON CONSULTING OF WASHINGTON

install OEM parts. Existing state law there prohibits the required use of non-OEM parts for vehicles up to four years old unless the repairer has written consent from the vehicle owner.

The Automotive Service Association has created a webpage where Oklahomans can quickly send a letter to their state legislators to urge their opposition to SB 1853, a bill that sets limits on charges for tear-down work and storage fees. Visit www.votervoice.net/ASASHOP/ campaigns/111794/respond to send a letter.

The automotive industry is increasingly integrating internetenabled features that offer convenience but also pave the way for extensive data collection. While some programs offer optin mechanisms for usage-based insurance, there’s a growing concern over “stealth enrollment” and the lack of clear disclosure about third-party data access.

Kia, for instance, announced an agreement with LexisNexis in February to “allow eligible customers who have enrolled in Kia Connect Services to opt in to share their driving behavior data to receive a personalized driving experience and to be more informed drivers.” LexisNexis also supplies that data to insurance companies.

On the other hand, Dahl, along with several other owners of GM vehicles who also shared their stories of spiking insurance rates, found they had unknowingly been enrolled in OnStar Smart Driver, a free feature in GM brands’ connected car apps.

GM confirmed with the New York Times it shares “select insights” gathered by Smart Driver with LexisNexis and Verisk.

The incident has sparked a debate over privacy, consent and the ethical use of consumer data, with policymakers and regulators taking notice. California’s privacy watchdog is probing automakers’ data practices, and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts has called for an FTC investigation, highlighting the potential intrusion of the “internet of things” into personal lives and its implications on consumer rights.

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Apple has officially stopped development of its electric car, a project that began a decade ago and aimed to revolutionize the automotive industry. The decision comes amid broader economic challenges and a shift in consumer demand affecting the electric vehicle (EV) market.

A decade after initiating Project Titan, its ambitious endeavor to enter the automotive sector, Apple cancelled the project, part of a realignment in response to the current economic climate and industry trends. Shares of Apple saw a slight increase of 0.7% in afternoon trading Feb. 27, after news of the project’s demise was reported, recovering from earlier losses.

The cessation of the electric car project has led to the reassignment of several team

curbing inflation has dampened consumer enthusiasm for high-priced electric vehicles, prompting not only Apple but also established automakers to reassess their strategies. Companies like Tesla have scaled back investments, with a growing focus on hybrid models over fully electric vehicles.

The journey of Project Titan was marked by ambition as well as challenges. Initially sparked by the Silicon Valley craze for self-driving technology, Apple aimed to redefine transportation. Reuters reported in 2020 the possibility of an Apple vehicle launch by 2024 or 2025. However, the path was fraught with obstacles, including a major workforce reduction in 2019. As recently as January, Bloomberg reported Apple was

expands Ciocca’s operations to an impressive count of 52 dealerships and 18 collision centers across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, pushing its annual revenue to an estimated $3 billion.

“Ciocca Automotive is honored to steward the Apple Automotive legacy into the future,” said Gregg Ciocca, founder and CEO of Ciocca Automotive, in a news release. “We take seriously our responsibility to continue to deliver the same level of service excellence customers count on from Apple Automotive and look forward to championing the company’s continued efforts to support the communities it serves.”

The Stewart Companies’ decision to divest Apple Automotive Group stems from a shift towards concentrating on its core businesses in building products, construction and real estate. David Stewart, CEO of The Stewart Companies, lauded Apple Automotive’s role in setting service and quality standards in York County since its inception in 1976. Stewart expressed confidence in Ciocca Automotive as the ideal successor to carry forward the legacy of Apple Automotive.

MAACA Welcomes New Leaders

The Mid-Atlantic Auto Care Alliance (MAACA) appointed a new slate of members of the Board of Directors with decades of expertise from various corners of the automotive industry, introducing a wealth of experience and leadership to its ranks.

Dave Wagner steps in as president, bringing his extensive experience from Amp’d Automotive Mobile Programming and Diagnostics. Wagner’s journey in the automotive field began when he was 12 in his uncle’s shop, eventually leading him to a professional career as a technician in 1996. He has served on the Super Saturday planning committee since 2017 and has been a member of MAACA since its foundation.

Joe Tranchitella, the new vice president, is the owner of Joe & Sons’ Auto Repair in Perkasie, PA. Tranchitella’s roots in the automotive sector trace back to 1969 at J&F Texaco in Philadelphia, and he is a founding member of MAACA’s Super Saturday event and former treasurer of the association.

Jon McKenney assumes the

New Vehicle Inventory Rising Again

February saw a resurgence in new vehicle inventory, from 2.54 million units in January to 2.69 million units, coupled with a noteworthy decrease in pricing, according to data from Cloud Theory, a provider of real-time automotive data insights. The surge also surpassed the December figures of 2.64 million.

Following a temporary decline in January, new vehicles sold also saw a strong recovery in February, reaching 1.06 million, a 13% month-over-month increase.

Cloud Theory anticipates this upward trend to continue, forecasting a movement of 1.10 million vehicles in March, matching the peak levels observed over the past year.

While inventory and movement are on the rise, vehicle pricing is experiencing a downward trajectory. For the first time in more than a year, prices have dipped below the $50,000 mark, although the rate of decline has decelerated over the recent months.

role of treasurer, leveraging his experience as a shop owner and lead technician at JBM Automotive in Wrightstown, PA. McKenney’s career in the automotive industry began in 1980 in Southampton, PA, and he has been involved with MAACA since its inception, including a two-year stint on the Super Saturday planning committee.

Steve Schaeber has been named secretary, contributing his expertise as the technical editor and manager of service training for MACS, the Mobile Air Climate Systems Association. Schaeber has been involved in the automotive industry since 1989 and served as vice chairman of the SAE Interior Climate Control Service Committee.

Jon Tangye, the new mechanical division director and owner of Epoch Automotive in Doylestown, PA, adds a fresh voice to the board. Tangye is a newcomer to MAACA but a long-time attendee of Super Saturday, and he has contributed to the advisory board of Philadelphia Community College’s automotive program and the Super Saturday

planning committee.

Dave Preston is legislative director, bringing insight from running Preston’s Garage & Performance in Hulmeville, PA, since 1974. He has held leadership roles in the Bucks County Inspection Association and the Philadelphia Gasoline Retailers Association, and an advisory position at the Bucks County Technical School.

Tom Gebbie, named past president, has experience in diagnostics sales development at Snap-on Diagnostics. Gebbie has a history of service in automotive associations and practical experience as a former shop owner and member of PennDOT’s Inspection Advisory Board.

Finally, following seven years of service to the members, Ross Colket is departing from the Board of Directors. Colket is owner of Colket Automotive Technical Services in Hatfield (Lansdale), PA, and served as president from 2017 to 2023.

“As expected, the new vehicle market shook off the January declines that are typically seen as a new year kicks off,” said Rick Wainschel, vice president, data science and analytics at Cloud Theory. “The growth in both supply and demand is a welcome sign, though the former is still increasing faster than the latter over the long haul, which points to a selling environment that will continue to be challenging.”

Cloud Theory’s proprietary Inventory Efficiency Index reveals a stable monthover-month scenario, with Toyota maintaining its lead, followed by Honda and Cadillac. General Motors, with Chevrolet rising to seventh and GMC to eighth, demonstrates efficiency across its diverse portfolio.

“GM’s performance is a testament to an OEM’s ability to achieve efficiency, regardless of its size,” said Ron Boe at Cloud Theory.

accuracy, efficiency, safety and ultimately, customer satisfaction. It’s a win-win for both the insurer and the insured.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with Acadia to pioneer a new era of claims processing powered by AI,” said Amir Hever, CEO and co-founder of UVeye. “Together, we are rewriting the rules of insurance claims management. Drivers will be amazed how simple, accurate and trustworthy the claims process is about to become, making car scrape-ups that much less painful.”

Penn College Wins $1.5M Grant To Support Transportation Students

Pennsylvania College of Technology received a nearly $1.5 million federal grant to support students majoring in a transportation-related field, including collision repair.

The National Science Foundation awarded $1,498,465 as part of its S-STEM program, which funds scholarships for academically talented low-income students.

Dubbed Transportation Scholars, the program will provide up to $10,000 annually for eligible students. To meet the criteria of high achieving and low income, students must have a high school GPA of at least 3.0 and be eligible for Pell Grant aid.

Scholarship recipients are required to be seeking an associate degree in aviation, automotive, collision repair or diesel.

“In a nutshell, jobs in these transportation fields are plentiful and command high salaries,” said Bradley M. Webb, dean of engineering technologies. “We are grateful to the NSF for recognizing Penn College’s long history of success in preparing students

for careers in the transportation industry. With the support of this grant, we hope to offer such opportunities to students who might otherwise not have the means to pursue such enriching careers.”

Automotive technicians inspect, maintain, diagnose and repair complex systems on vehicles. Aviation maintenance technicians repair and maintain everything from gliders to helicopters to jets. Collision repair technicians repair damaged vehicles to their preaccident condition. And diesel technicians fix and maintain dieselpowered highway, industrial and marine vehicles and equipment.

“All of these fields require proficiency in math,” Webb said. “That’s why mathematics and transportation faculty at the college are working together to contextualize math concepts using practical examples from the transportation industry. Linking mathematics to careers that are of interest to students can be an effective way to improve learning.”

The Transportation Scholars will be part of a cohort that will meet

monthly through the college’s Career Seminars program, featuring personal development activities and field trips to local employers. Individually, the students will be assigned a faculty adviser who will serve as a mentor and career coach.

“We’re confident the various components of the Transportation Scholars program will have the cumulative effect of increasing and diversifying the students eyeing a career in transportation. Eventually, that will pay dividends for the industry as a whole,” Webb said.

The college’s goal is to have 45 scholarship recipients throughout the funding period, which ends in 2028.

The grant’s principal investigator is Robert K. Vlacich, associate professor of automotive technology and department head. Co-principal investigators are Webb and Brad R. Conklin, faculty in diesel equipment technology.

To apply, visit www.pct. edu/admissions/financial-aid/ scholarships/transportationscholars.

Survey Shows Collision Repair Techs Looking For Advancement Opportunities, Benefits, Training

In response to the growing challenges faced by the collision repair industry in retaining and attracting skilled technicians, I-CAR, in collaboration with the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), engaged with  Ducker Carlisle, a global consulting firm, to conduct a technician satisfaction survey researching their opinions on compensation, culture and career opportunities.

This comprehensive white paper showcases the unique perspective of collision repair technicians and aims to better understand their sentiments and career outlook while identifying key factors influencing their workplace satisfaction.

This survey, which was conducted in 2023 and involved more than 800 collision repair technicians, provided valuable insights into various aspects of the profession. Ducker Carlisle’s comprehensive experience in the automotive space and their history of surveying, analyzing and benchmarking the perspective of diesel and mechanical technicians was instrumental in helping the collision repair industry understand recruitment and retention challenges.

The survey also allowed a basis for comparison between those two automotive service sectors which often compete with the collision repair industry for technician talent.

“The white paper’s groundbreaking results shed light on critical areas that need attention within our industry,” said  Dara Goroff, vice president of planning and industry talent programming. “We’re already starting to provide solutions that address the issues contributing to attrition with the goal of enhancing technician satisfaction to help the industry attract, engage, educate and retain the top talent that will foster the industry’s sustainability, growth and success.”

The white paper sheds light on critical areas, including:

Overall satisfaction: While collision techs express higher satisfaction than dealer service counterparts, more than a quarter are still considering leaving their roles. They are are also hesitant to recommend the career to others.

Compensation and Pay Plans:

High earning potential exists, as a large portion of tenured techs earn more than $100,000 per year, but disparities

based on experience and shop type create barriers for newer techs. More than 60% of techs are on flat rate pay plans, which is also very unpopular –flat rate technicians overwhelmingly would not recommend the career.

Benefits Offerings: Lack of clear offerings or awareness poses a challenge in attracting and retaining talent. Health insurance and paid time off are only offered by about 15% of shops.

Career Outlook & Progression: Nearly half are dissatisfied with or unaware of advancement opportunities. This is a problem for the industry – opportunity for career advancement is very strongly correlated with overall technician satisfaction. In addition, technicians who may be looking for other opportunities don’t have to look far, as they are regularly being recruited by competing shops.

Technical Training: Average dissatisfaction highlights the need for improved and consistent training options. Investing in training opportunities is an important way

also benefit the shop as the shop gains a higher skilled workforce – it’s a win-win.

New Technology: Collision techs express excitement about working on emerging technologies, offering a potential recruiting advantage.

“The industry recognizes that collision repair technicians are indispensable to our business operations. Their pivotal role is evident, and the current industry landscape, marked by an annual turnover rate of 30% to 40% among technicians, underscores the challenges we face,” added Aaron Schulenberg, executive director of SCRS. “In light of the pressing technician retention crisis, understanding the sentiments and career outlook of our skilled technicians has become a paramount concern for the industry’s sustained success.”

While recruiting new technicians is important, retaining those already employed is just as, if not more important.

For more detailed findings and

AkzoNobel Unveils

AkzoNobel announced the launch of Refinish+, a cuttingedge digital platform designed to enhance the operational efficiency and profitability of body shops. This innovative solution offers a single access point to a comprehensive suite of digital tools, including the cloud-based color retrieval application MIXIT, the advanced body shop production workflow app Carbeat, and a range of E-learning resources to support digital learning journeys.

Refinish+ stands out as a fully customizable platform, offering a personalized user interface and home screen that allows users to select and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) crucial for their business.

Refinish+ is scheduled for phased introduction in North America, Australia and select European markets in the first half of 2024. For more information, visit www. refinishplus.com.

Body Shop-Based Insurance Fraud Scheme Busted in Massachusetts

Police have cracked down on an insurance fraud ring operating out of Riviera Auto Body in Everett, MA, leading to the indictment of six people.

The scheme, which unfolded over several years, involved the submission of numerous false insurance claims, manipulating the system to illicitly gain more than $1 million from multiple insurance carriers. The claims submitted were rife with inaccuracies, including fabricated automobile collisions, inflated damage reports and the use of aliases or stolen identities.

The claims were false in a variety of ways: they often included descriptions of collisions that never occurred, or collisions in which the damage to the vehicles were inflated, or damage to the vehicle was done at the shop itself and was not the result of a collision. The claims also listed drivers involved the collisions who were simply aliases of the defendants, or stolen identities used by the defendants.

As part of the scheme, one defendant, Jhon Alexander Lopera Munera, allegedly cultivated a relationship with

USAA Faces Lawsuits Over Denied Medical Claims

In a lawsuit filed in Washington State, USAA is facing accusations of systematically denying medical payments to its members involved in auto accidents, reported the San Antonio Express-News.

USAA relies on a third-party contractor, Auto Injury Solutions Inc., to assess which medical bills should be paid. This process, according to USAA, aims to filter out excessive, unrelated and duplicate charges, thereby keeping coverage costs affordable for its members. However, critics argue this method, which heavily involves automated computer processes, undermines the insurer’s duty to conduct thorough and independent investigations into claims.

The lawsuit, filed by two women insured under different USAA subsidiaries, challenges the insurer’s delegation of claim evaluations to the thirdparty contractor. They argue this approach leads to unjust reductions or outright denials

another defendant, Wanda Greene, a clerk at the RMV branch in Revere who performed RMV queries and transactions at Munera’s request and received electronic payments and gift cards from Munera as compensation.

Fabio Rodrigo Jordao Correa, 31, of Saugus, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200, six counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of common and notorious thief, 11 counts of false or fraudulent insurance claims, and one count of identity fraud.

Jose Manuel Gordon, 49, of Roxbury, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200 and one count of receiving stolen property.

Tabajara Alves Ribeiro, 23, of Saugus, has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200.

Greene, 56, of Revere, has been charged with receiving a bribe as a public employee, receiving unlawful gratuities as a public employee, and receiving improper compensation as a public employee.

Jhon Munera and another person were indicted by the grand jury and are fugitives. Jhon Munera, 40, of Revere, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200, six counts of larceny over $1,200, one count of common and notorious thief, 15 counts of false or fraudulent insurance claims, one count of bribery of a public employee, one count of giving unlawful gratuities to a public employee, and one count of promising or offering improper compensation to a public employee. Edwin Alexander Lopera Munera, 33, of Pawtucket, RI, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit larceny over $1,200. Both of those individuals are believed to be in Colombia.

The news was announced by District Attorney Marian Ryan, Everett Chief of Police Steven Mazzie and Chief of Investigations of the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau Katherine Mulligan.

of payments for necessary health care expenses, based on reviews they deem a “sham.” The plaintiffs are seeking to make the lawsuit, which has been moved to a federal court in Washington, a class action lawsuit.

USAA insists its procedures are designed to protect members by identifying unwarranted charges, thus preserving insurance limits for legitimate medical expenses. Critics, including attorneys for the plaintiffs and consumer advocacy groups, argue such practices prioritize cost savings over patient care, often leaving insured members to bear the brunt of unpaid medical bills.

This is not the first time USAA has faced such allegations. Over the past two decades, the insurer has been involved in numerous lawsuits accusing it of similar practices. While many of these cases have been dismissed, arbitrated or settled, the recurring theme of denied claims has attracted regulatory attention and public scrutiny.

U.S. House Holds Hearing on EV Fire Challenges

The U.S. House Science, Space & Technology Committee’s Investigation and Oversight Subcommittee held a hearing Feb. 29 on the growing concern over electric vehicle fires, revealing the distinct and formidable challenges they present compared to traditional vehicle fires. The discussion emphasized the necessity for advanced research and specialized training for emergency responders to effectively tackle these incidents.

Subcommittee Chairman U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-CA, noted in his opening remarks that, “as the presence of these vehicles continues to grow on our roads, so does the threat and danger of the fires that they can produce. EV fires are fundamentally different from traditional internal combustion engine fires…EV fires burn at temperatures far hotter than regular vehicle fires. They produce copious amounts of toxic chemical gases.”

He added that, “when an EV either experiences an incident due to a manufacturing defect or is damaged in an accident, the battery that powers that vehicle often has a remaining charge,” which “provides

the fuel to keep a battery burning for hours, regardless of how much water is poured on it in an attempt to extinguish it. Unfortunately, the federal government has been deficient in providing guidance and resources…”

During the hearing, lawmakers explored potential solutions and preventative measures to mitigate the risks associated with EV fires.

“I believe there are tremendous opportunities for scientific research to reduce these risks by advancing our understanding of why lithium-ion batteries react in these ways, how the design of lithium-ion batteries can be improved to lessen the risk of fires, and what innovative tools and techniques can be developed,” said

Fuller’s Collision Center Acquires Woody’s Auto Body in Massachusetts

Fuller’s Collision Center, headquartered in Auburn, MA, has acquired Woody’s Auto Body, at 324 Main St. in Spencer, MA.

Fuller, a family-owned business and trusted name in auto repair for more than 110 years, has a rich history of excellence and craftsmanship in the collision repair industry. With a dedicated team of highly trained technicians and commitment to customer satisfaction, they have established a strong reputation for delivering quality repairs and exceptional customer service.

Fuller’s is a certified collision repair facility for many OEMs, including Honda, Acura, GM, Nissan, Infiniti, Ford, Subaru, Jeep, Chrysler and more. Fuller’s plans to bring this same level of modernization and commitment to excellence to the Woody’s Auto Body customer base.

“We are thrilled about this exciting merger and warmly welcome the talented Woody’s Auto Body team to the Fuller’s

Ranking Member U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-NC.

Full committee Ranking Member U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-CA, added, “as with any emerging technology, we need to make sure we understand and adapt to the unique challenges that arise from its widespread adoption… over the decades, we’ve developed best practices to extinguish internal combustion fires as safely and quickly as possible. Now, we need to give that level of attention and support to research into electric vehicles.”

Testimonies from experts like Dan Munsey, fire chief for San Bernardino County in California, highlighted the practical implications of EV fires. Munsey estimated a substantial $3 billion would be required to train all U.S. firefighters to effectively handle EV-related emergencies.

Dr. Judy Jevarajan introduced the idea of developing methods for remote access to vehicle data to identify and address potential risks, while also acknowledging the cybersecurity concerns associated with such solutions.

Automotive Service Association Board of Directors Chairman Scott Benavidez thanked the committee

for holding a hearing on this important topic.

“Independent auto repairers simultaneously constitute one of the groups most adversely impacted by EV fires, yet also one of the groups in the best position to help address them,” Benavidez said. “There are numerous instances in which damaged EVs have caught fire and caused damage to the repair facility at which it was being held, as well as other vehicles in its vicinity. Due to these risks, repair shops are now encouraged to allocate space in their facility where they can isolate EVs for safe storage.

“At the same time, repairers possess high baseline expertise in automotive issues, which make us ideal partners for first responders trying to prevent or extinguish EV fires,” Benavidez continued. “ASA calls on the federal government to coordinate with the independent automotive repair industry in its efforts to address the growing concerns surrounding fires caused by EVs. Assuring that repair shops receive proper training to handle EVs safely should be a top priority for policymakers.”

Collision Center family,” said Joshua Fuller, CEO at Fuller’s Collision Center. “By joining together with Sean, Cheryl and Mike Wood, as well as all of the team members, we will be better equipped to serve the needs of our valued customers and strengthen our position as a trusted collision repair provider in Massachusetts.”

As part of their commitment to continued growth and improvement, Fuller’s Collision Center plans to further invest in state-of-the-art equipment and technology in all locations, ensuring it remains at the forefront of industry trends and provides the most efficient and effective repairs possible. This continued investment enhances their ability to restore vehicles to their preaccident condition while prioritizing customer safety through the quickly rising technology of ADAS recalibrations.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue in Florida shared to Facebook this photo of a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ sedan that caught fire in a home garage in August 2023.

Public Charging Still Worst Part of Owning an EV

As more car buyers make the switch to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), traditional factors that are also important to buyers of gas-powered vehicles are becoming critical to satisfaction among BEV owners.

Quality and cost of ownership have emerged as the top factors influencing satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study. The study also revealed public charger availability not only remains the least satisfying aspect of owning a BEV, but also that the experience has become notably worse.

The BMW i4 ranks highest overall and among premium BEVs, while the MINI Cooper Electric is the highest-ranking mass market BEV for a second consecutive year. Both models rank highest in their respective segment on the strength of their performance in the vehicle quality and reliability factor. Each model scores more than 60 points (on a 1,000-point scale) higher than their respective nearest segment competitor for that factor.

“The increase in the EV share of the new-vehicle market, reflected by seven new rank-eligible models this year, is a notable step in the transition toward vehicle electrification,” said Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. “Many products are hitting the mark and resonating with shoppers but, at the same time, the decline in satisfaction with public charging availability should serve as a warning because concern about access to public charging is a key reason many buyers currently reject BEVs. For EVs to reach their full potential, this issue needs to be resolved.”

Key Findings

Public charging isn’t just bad –it’s getting worse: The study finds the public charging experience continues to be a major source of EV owner frustration. Further, nonTesla owners indicate the situation is deteriorating. Among mass market BEV owners, satisfaction with public charger availability is 32 points lower than a year ago. “The industry should view this lack of improvement as a critical issue that requires decisive action,” Gruber said.

Mass market BEVs deliver higher quality than premium BEVs: Owners of mass market brand BEVs experience fewer problems with their vehicle than do owners of premium BEVs. Eleven of the 14 ranked mass market models outperform the premium brand market average in total problems.

“Quality and reliability are the most

important drivers of a positive EV ownership experience,” Gruber said. “As EVs extend to the broader market, minimizing problems will be key to meeting consumer expectations.”

First-time BEV owners are less satisfied than BEV veterans: Buyers new to BEV ownership are less satisfied than those who have previously owned a BEV. This year, the satisfaction gap between the two groups is 28 points, whereas

hybrids. Plug-in hybrids retain the costs of maintaining a traditional powertrain yet without the benefit of the extended electric driving range found in full battery electric vehicles.”

Study Rankings

BMW i4 ranks highest overall and highest in the premium BEV segment with a score of 800. Rivian R1T (789) ranks second and Rivian R1S (778) ranks third.

a year ago, the gap was 14 points. Overall satisfaction among first-time BEV owners has declined 16 points from 2023. Battery range and public charging availability are the two factors in which the gap between previous BEV owners and new owners is greatest.

Most BEV owners say they’ll consider a BEV again, but first-time BEV owners may be more fickle: Firsttime BEV owners say they are open to considering non-BEVs in the future. However, almost half (48%) say they will consider a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) and 39% say they are willing to consider hybrid or internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Meanwhile, 38% of previous BEV owners say they are willing to consider a PHEV and only 19% would consider a hybrid or ICE vehicle for their next purchase.

PHEVs might not present a good alternative to BEVs: Recently, news reports have suggested that plug-in hybrid vehicles could solve many of the issues plaguing BEVs, such as range limitations and lack of public charging availability. However, this year’s study finds that owners of PHEVs are, on the whole, much less satisfied with their vehicle than are owners of BEVs. Overall satisfaction with PHEVs is 629, while mass market BEVs (718) and premium BEVs (750) score much higher.

“Plug-in hybrids may not be the simple solution to solving early issues with full battery electric vehicles,” Gruber said. “Expected lower running costs is a top purchase reason for EVs but satisfaction with the cost of ownership is much lower for plug-in

models in the premium segment has grown from five to eight year over year. Award-eligible mass market models have increased from 10 to 14. Satisfaction among owners of premium EVs averages 750, while satisfaction among mass market EV owners averages 718.

The U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, now in its fourth year, focuses on the crucial first year of ownership. The overall EVX ownership index score measures electric vehicle owner satisfaction in both premium and mass market segments. The 2024 study includes 10 factors (in alphabetical order): accuracy of stated battery range; availability of public charging stations; battery range; cost of ownership; driving enjoyment; ease of charging at home; interior and exterior styling; safety and technology features; service experience; and vehicle quality and reliability.

MINI Cooper Electric ranks highest in the mass market BEV segment for a second consecutive year, with a score of 770. Ford Mustang Mach-E (764) ranks second and Hyundai IONIQ 6 (759) ranks third.

The number of award-eligible

The study is conducted in collaboration with PlugShare, an EV driver app maker and research firm. Survey respondents for the 2024 study include 4,650 owners of 2023 and 2024 model-year BEVs and PHEVs. The study was fielded from August through December 2023.

The BMW i4 ranked highest overall among owners in the premium vehicle segment.

2024 ASE Announces Instructor Training

The ASE Education Foundation announced its 2024 ASE Instructor Training Conference will be held July 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Minneapolis, MN. This event, the largest of its kind, will bring together hundreds of high school and college instructors specializing in auto, truck and collision repair from across the country.

The conference promises an intensive learning experience, offering more than 20 hours of technical update training across distinct tracks tailored for auto, medium/heavy truck, and collision repair instructors, ensuring educators are not only updated with the latest industry standards but also equipped with the knowledge to enhance their teaching methodologies and student outcomes.

The cost for instructors from ASE-accredited programs is $700 per person while the cost for instructors from non-accredited programs is $800 each.

Visit aseeducationfoundation. org/events/ase-instructor-trainingconference.

Auto Retailers Face Shrinking Profits Amid Price Cuts

Several U.S. auto retailers have reported a downturn in profits in the last quarter of 2023, largely attributed to the implementation of price cuts and incentives aimed at attracting buyers in an uncertain economic environment, which has subsequently impacted newvehicle margins, Reuters reported.

Over the past few years, auto dealers enjoyed elevated prices, benefiting from a strong demand for new vehicles coupled with limited supplies due to supply chain disruptions. However, the scenario has changed with higher vehicle production smoothing out supply issues, thus reducing dealer margins, according to statements made by auto retail chain executives.

A report by Cox Automotive highlighted the growing trend of discounts and incentives on new vehicles, which is exerting a downward pressure on both pricing and profitability for dealers and automakers.

“Discounts and incentives on new-vehicles continue to rise, and that is putting downward pressure on pricing and profitability for dealers and automakers alike,” the report noted.

Despite the lowered prices and increased incentives, the pace of U.S. new-vehicle sales has decelerated in the initial month of the year. The automotive sector is also grappling with challenges related to electric vehicles (EVs), which necessitate higher marketing expenses due to their higher maintenance costs and lower resale values. Adding to the industry’s woes, EV prices in the U.S. have seen significant reductions over the past year, predominantly driven by price cuts at leading manufacturers like Tesla.

On the financial front, AutoNation’s CEO Mike Manley revealed during an earnings call that new vehicle margins continued to decline, albeit at a modest rate of about $120 per month in

the fourth quarter, a slower pace compared to previous quarters. Lithia Motors also experienced a dip in new vehicle margin to 7.9%.

Despite these challenges, retailers are finding a silver lining in their aftermarket service units, which have boosted profits from maintenance services for new vehicles. The increasing complexity of vehicles, due to advanced technology and software, has augmented the demand for specialized maintenance services.

The impact of these industrywide trends was evident in the stock market, with shares of Sonic Automotive, which fell short of fourth quarter estimates, witnessing a 5% decline. Meanwhile, AutoNation’s shares saw a marginal decrease, and Lithia’s shares experienced a slight uptick, reflecting the mixed responses from the investment community to the ongoing developments in the automotive retail sector.

EV Prices To Undercut ICE Vehicles by 2027, Gartner Finds

Market research firm Gartner announced March 7 that battery electric vehicles (EVs) are set to become more cost-effective to produce than comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2027, Reuters reported. The milestone is attributed to innovative manufacturing methods poised to drastically reduce production costs.

Gartner’s research showed these cost reductions will outpace the decreasing costs of EV batteries, which currently represent about 40% of an electric vehicle’s price.

“Innovations that simplify production costs, such as centralized vehicle architecture or the introduction of gigacastings, are pivotal in reducing manufacturing costs and assembly time,” the firm stated.

Gigacastings, a technique popularized by Tesla, involve large casting machines that manufacture substantial single pieces of vehicle underbodies. This method not only

streamlines production but also minimizes the labor required from robots, enhancing overall efficiency.

“This [new technology] means BEVs will reach ICE cost parity much faster than initially expected, but at the same time, it will make some repairs of BEVs considerably costlier,”

PEDRO PACHECO VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AT GARTNER

“This [new technology] means BEVs will reach ICE cost parity much faster than initially expected, but at the same time, it will make some repairs of BEVs considerably costlier,” Pedro Pacheco , vice president of research at Gartner, told Reuters.

However, the report also highlights a potential downside to these advancements. The

average cost of repairing an EV’s body and battery after a severe accident is projected to surge by 30% by 2027. This increase could result in more vehicles being declared total losses after collisions, as repair costs may exceed their residual values.

Consumer apprehension regarding the high repair costs of EVs has already been noted as a concern. Gartner warns of a potential backlash if production cost savings lead to escalated repair expenses. Additionally, the firm anticipates a consolidation in the EV industry, with an estimated 15% of EV companies founded in the last decade facing acquisition or bankruptcy by 2027.

Despite these challenges, Pacheco remains optimistic about the EV sector’s future. “This does not mean the EV sector is crumbling. It is simply entering a new phase where companies with superior products and services will prevail,” he said.

Car ADAS Solutions announced Nate Thomsen joined the company as manager of integrations and support. In his new role, Thomsen will help open new calibration centers and support licensees to ensure their success. This includes providing facility certification, on-site technician development, an overview of shop set-up, and sharing calibration knowledge through body shop visits.

Based out of Seattle, WA, Thomsen has more than 25 years of experience in the collision repair industry. After serving in the U.S. Navy from 1994-1997, he was hired as a car detailer in 1998 and then worked for a small MSO in Seattle. Since then, he has held numerous positions in the industry, including regional vice president of operations for a large MSO, where he met Peeters

As the manager of integrations and support, Thomsen said it will be rewarding to be a mentor and leader helping support Car ADAS Solutions’ licensees and working with the CAR ADAS team.

Car ADAS Solutions’ Calibration Tech Certification Program Recognized by

Car ADAS Solutions announced its ADAS Calibration Technician Certification Program has been qualified by I-CAR for Industry Training Alliance course credits, becoming one of only 20+ such alliance partners nationwide. Car ADAS Solutions’ program was developed in 2020 as part of the company’s ADAS solution for the industry.

“As an I-CAR sustaining partner, we are proud to have our program be recognized as an I-CAR Industry Training Alliance course,” said Greg Peeters , CEO of Car ADAS Solutions. “Utilizing I-CAR’s online courses as a prerequisite for our 80-hour hands-on training program allows us to focus on tactile learning, including calibration, programming, diagnostic and repair skills.”

Peeters said this enables Car ADAS Solutions to develop a solid technical foundation that team members continue to build on through the company’s technical support and quality assurance programs.

“We value our partnership with I-CAR, their leadership, and the great work they are doing for our industry,” he added.

“We stand for quality training, not just I-CAR training,” said John Van Alstyne , CEO and president of I-CAR. “As we proactively respond to the changes ADAS is driving in the collision repair industry, we embrace the opportunity to add our sustaining partner, Car ADAS Solutions, to the I-CAR Industry Training Alliance. This recognition allows technicians and shops that invest their resources into training to apply their achievement to the ultimate designations of I-CAR Platinum and Gold Class.”

The I-CAR Industry Training Alliance acknowledges the accomplishments of training through qualified providers. Technicians can train with I-CAR and alliance partners, receiving credits for approved courses, and facilitating their attainment of Platinum and Gold Class certifications. There is no additional cost to the learner or collision repair facility.

“Not only does this reduce redundant training, but it also greatly benefits individuals and businesses by simplifying the education process and improving overall industry efficiency while encouraging a continuous learning mindset for the ultimate benefit and safety of the consumer,” explained Van Alstyne. “It is a win-

win for the industry.”

To qualify, alliance partners must be I-CAR sustaining partners and hold accreditation from a recognized third-party accreditor, like International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) or Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), or be an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-accredited trainer.

not required for shop’s Gold Class achievement; Gold Class does require a selection of foundational ADAS-related courses to help ensure shops are aware of repair requirements.

“Through partnerships with industry leaders like Car ADAS, technicians have more opportunities to stay updated on the latest technology developments, aligning with I-CAR’s ongoing efforts to attract and deploy skilled technician

They must also offer courses that meet the nonprofit organization’s industry knowledge and skills protocol. The protocol sets educational knowledge and skills objectives necessary to perform complete, safe and quality repairs, as defined by the collision repair industry in cooperation with I-CAR.

“Through Industry Training Alliance partnerships with Car ADAS and other collaborators, I-CAR strives to improve and simplify access to education opportunities, ensuring technicians possess the knowledge and skills needed to adapt to industry changes,” said Van Alstyne.

In recognition of the increasing significance of ADAS expertise in the industry, I-CAR introduced a professional development path for ADAS technicians in 2022, offering Platinum recognition under the newly launched ADAS technician role. Van Alstyne said this acknowledged the growing importance of ADAS-related roles and provided a structured path for technicians to enhance their skills in this area, underscoring the need for specialized training in response to the prevalence of ADAS-equipped vehicles.

It is currently an “optional role”

talent throughout the industry,” he added.

For individuals striving to achieve Platinum as evidence of their expertise in the growing field of ADAS, Van Alstyne said having options for completing the capstone course requirement of a hands-on course is an advantage that collision repair professionals deserve.

“I-CAR champions technical education like Car ADAS Solutions provides that supports and complements the nonprofit organization’s vision that every person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer,” noted Van Alstyne.

He said addressing the demands of ADAS repairs, one of the fastest growing and most technically demanding aspects of the collision repair industry, underscores the importance of preparedness among repair shops nationwide.

“Shops prioritizing ADAS training and related competencies will be well-positioned to lead repair services in their local markets,” he said.

Car ADAS Solutions recently completed a training class in Salt Lake City,

The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) announced its 15th annual conference, CONNEX 2024: “The Intersection of Data & Mobility,” will be held Sept. 24-25 at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel in Detroit, MI.

During the two-day event, insightful speakers will discuss where technology and businesses are headed and what the collision industry can do to prepare. A highlight of the event will be an exclusive tour of the American Center for Mobility. The conference will also include networking opportunities, a vehicle gifting as part of the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, and a celebration of CIECA’s 30th anniversary of creating data integration standards.

All industry stakeholders, including CIECA members and non-members, are invited to attend. The conference agenda will be announced in the spring.

For information about early bird conference registration rates, visit cieca.zohobackstage.com/ CONNEX2024#/tickets?lang=en.

Tractable Accuses CCC of Limiting Choice, Raising Prices

Tractable has accused CCC Intelligent Solutions of violating federal antitrust laws in a court filing March 11, alleging CCC is using its 85% market share of the estimatics market to limit customer choice and raise prices that ultimately impact the consumer.

Estimatics products can be used to identify automotive damage, diagnose necessary repairs and estimate the costs of such repairs.

Tractable leveled the charges in its motion for leave to file an amended answer and counterclaim, filed as part of ongoing litigation between the two companies in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

“Today, Tractable took legal action against CCC, challenging what Tractable believes is anticompetitive conduct that harms the auto collision ecosystem. Tractable took this legal action to enable choice and best-of-breed technologies in the ecosystem: for insurers, repairers, service

providers and everyday Americans, who pay for auto insurance as a life necessity,” said Alex Dalyac , founder and CEO of Tractable.

The litigation originated in October 2018, when CCC filed a lawsuit against Tractable, claiming it used a fake company named “JA Appraisals” and a person named “Jason Chen” — an alias for Xing Xin, Tractable’s former head of product development — to get a license to gain access to CCC’s proprietary platforms, including CCC ONE.

CCC alleged over the next 14 months, Tractable used CCC ONE to create test files with fictitious inputs to generate unusual estimates that did not follow “the conventional appraiser workflow.” Instead of finalizing the estimates in the “workfiles” and transmitting them to insurers, CCC alleged Tractable created the files to “replicate (at least in part) CCC ONE’s proprietary information and algorithms,” in violation of JA Appraisal’s

licensing agreement, which was “conditioned on the independent appraiser working on an assignment related to an insurance claim for the purpose of generating an estimate of vehicle damage.” CCC terminated its license with JA Appraisal on Oct. 26, 2018.

Tractable was charged with seven counts, including violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, violation of the Illinois Trade Secrets Act of 2016, trademark infringement in violation of the Lanham Act, false designation of origin in violation of the Lanham Act, violation of the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and common law fraud.

In September 2022, Tractable was granted a motion to dismiss two of those counts: violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and violation of the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Fits Right The First Time

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HONDA

Curtiss-Ryan Honda

Shelton

800-523-4190

203-929-0635

Dept Hours: M-F 7-5; Sat 7-4 callen@curtissryan com

Lia Honda of Enfield

Enfield

800-221-3131

860-741-3401

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-4 jdoucette@liacars com

MAINE

Berlin City Honda

South Portland

800-640-6685

207-774-6685

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 mmmparts@berlincity com

IRA Honda Saco

Saco

207-391-7910

207-282-0900

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Th 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 klavalle@driveprime com

MARYLAND

Criswell Honda

Germantown

240-864-0880

Dept Hours: M-Fri 7-7:30; Sat 7-6 hondaparts@criswellauto com

ACURA

MASSACHUSETTS

Acura of Boston

Brighton

800-254-1169

617-254-5400

Dept Hours: M-Thur 8-7; F 8-6; Sat 8-4 manny aliagra@bernardiauto com

Acura of Peabody

Peabody

800-878-3600

978-532-9110

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dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs.

Nucar Honda of Norwood Norwood

833-319-6270

781-619-6791

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5 bh-wholesale@boch com

LIA Honda Northampton

Northampton

800-369-7889

413-587-2900

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Clinton Honda

Annandale

877-657-2787

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-2 abdulc@clintonhonda com

Honda of Turnersville

Turnersville

800-883-0002

856-516-6262

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4 mbivario@penskeautomotive�com

Hudson Honda

West New York

866-483-6917

201-868-9500

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Acura Turnersville

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856-516-6060

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Autosport Acura

Denville

973-361-3117

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Bill Vince’s

Bridgewater Acura

Bridgewater 908-704-0307

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Madison Honda

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973-822-1710

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Route 22 Honda Hillside

973-705-9100

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800-893-3030

856-692-4449

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Sussex Honda

Newton

800-842-0557

973-579-3500

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Ide Honda

Rochester

800-462-0056 (N.Y.)

585-586-4919

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NEW JERSEY

Elite Acura

Maple Shade 856-722-9600

Dept Hours: M-Sat 7:30-6 bmartinsen@eliteacura com

Open Road Acura of East Brunswick

East Brunswick 732-238-0777

732-238-5466

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 robert talbot@openroad com

Open Road Acura of Wayne Wayne 973-696-5151

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-4 jonathan tangen@openroad com

Lamacchia Honda

Syracuse

315-471-7278

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 parts@lamacchiahonda com

Lia Honda of Albany

Albany

518-438-4555

Dept Hours: M-Th 7-6; F 7-5:30; Sat 8-5 mluciano@liacars com

Lia Honda of Brewster Brewster

845-278-4177

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 8-4 cpaulson@liacars com

Lia Honda of Williamsville Williamsville/Buffalo

877-659-2672

716-632-3800

Dept Hours: M & W 7:30-7; Tu & Thur 7:30-6 Fri 7:30-5; Sat 8-5:30 mmiller@liacars com

Ray Laks Honda

Orchard Park

716-824-7852

Dept Hours: M, Tu, Th 8-8; W, F 8-6; Sat 8-5 jmaybee@raylaks com

NEW YORK

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Curry Acura Scarsdale 800-725-2877 914-472-7406

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WIN Scholarship Walk Aids Women in Collision Repair

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) is once again holding its Scholarship Walk during the 2024 Annual Conference, scheduled for 7 a.m. PT May 7 for both in-person and virtual participants. This initiative is not just a walk; it’s a stride towards empowering the future of women in the collision repair industry.

This year’s conference, themed “Dream Out Loud,” is dedicated to fostering professional growth and providing financial assistance to women pursuing careers in collision repair. The conference, taking place May 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, CA, will offer a robust agenda including industry programming, keynote speakers and networking opportunities, as well as the Scholarship Walk.

“It is important to raise money so we are able to continually increase both scholarship dollars and tool kit supplies amounts,” said Laura Kottschade, WIN Student Relations co-chair. “Because of the excellent fundraiser last year, we were able to provide five additional tools to each tool kit and next year hoping to add more scholarships.

“We’re also hoping for a few

evolved to accommodate wider participation, allowing individuals to join virtually or through community walks.

“This year we have separated the Scholarship Walk and the

additional tier levels planned out, which will expand our scholarship reach once again! In fact, with additional fundraising, we’re planning one to include a new scholarship specifically for techs already in the industry,” Kottschade continued. “All these monies raised increases industry retention rates because once students are out of school, they can utilize their new knowledge and tools and immediately seek fulltime employment.”

The Scholarship Walk has

Scholarship Fundraiser to simplify it for participant involvement,” according to April Keim and Christina Sepulveda, WIN Scholarship Fundraising cochairs. “This will allow those who simply want to network and join in the Scholarship Walk to be

able to while contributing to the scholarship fund with their entry fee. Additionally, we partnered with RallyUp and created the WIN Warriors Scholarship Fundraising that is free to join and will allow those inspired to raising money for the future women technicians of collision to do so as a team or solo and have some added fun with a team competition.”

Last year’s walk set a new benchmark, raising close to $8,000 and drawing more than 130 participants and donors. The top three student winners and four leading industry teams were celebrated for their contributions.

For the 2024 Walk, the top fundraising teams will again be recognized with fun prizes, included in a national collision repair industry news release, and social media posts on all of WIN’s various platforms. Teams will be recognized for total dollars, creativity and more. To register and fundraise on behalf of a team, visit this link.

Find more information at thewomensindustrynetwork.siteym.com/page/Scholarship.

EV Collision Claims Grew by 40% in 2023

A recent report by Mitchell, an Enlyte company, showed a sharp increase in electric vehicle collision claims in the U.S. and Canada. A year-over-year analysis in “Plugged-In: EV Collision Insights” revealed a more than 40% surge in EV claims volume in 2023.

“2023 was a record year for electric vehicles,” said Ryan Mandell, Mitchell’s director of claims performance. “Not only did the frequency of EV collision claims rise to historic levels, but the U.S. also surpassed 1.2 million in new EV sales for the first time ever. As long as consumer adoption remains strong, EVs will continue to have a significant impact on the auto insurance industry – creating challenges for everything from underwriting to the delivery of proper and safe repairs.”

In addition to tracking 2023 claims volume, the Mitchell report compares EVs to automobiles with an internal combustion engine (ICE), highlighting differences in:

Claims severity: Last year, average severity in the U.S. for repairable EVs was $6,018 compared to $4,696

for ICE alternatives, a difference of $1,322. This represents a yearover-year decrease of 5% for EVs and an increase of 3% for ICE vehicles. In Canada, severity was $6,795 for EVs versus $5,122 for

“2023 was a record year for electric vehicles. Not only did the frequency of EV collision claims rise to historic levels, but the U.S. also surpassed 1.2 million in new EV sales for the first time ever.

As long as consumer adoption remains strong, EVs will continue to have a significant impact on the auto insurance industry – creating challenges for everything from underwriting to the delivery of proper and safe repairs.”

RYAN MANDELL MITCHELL’S DIRECTOR OF CLAIMS PERFORMANCE

ICE-powered options, jumping 8% from 2022 to 2023.

Vehicle complexity: For 2020 and newer collision-damaged automobiles, EV repairs were 50% more likely to include an operation associated with the sensors used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) based on 2023 data than ICE vehicles – which also rely on ADAS.

Parts repairability: EVs are more likely to use parts made of lightweight materials, which can impact repairability. In 2023, on average only 12% of EV parts were repaired versus replaced. For ICEpowered options, the percentage of parts repaired was closer to 15%.

Material construction: EVs tend to be heavier than ICE automobiles due to the battery weight. That may be one reason why they had a higher frequency of air bag deployments (3.62%) than ICE options (2.45%) last year, adding to repair costs.

The publication also details the top North American regions and vehicle models associated with EV collision claims in 2023.

DCR Systems is excited to announce the addition of Maria Stump as people development manager. In her new role, Stump focuses on all aspects of working with employees, including hiring and retention, setting up processes, managing training programs and employee development.

Stump graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH, in 2020 with a management and human resources degree. Her experience includes recruitment and retention, human resources, employee development, business operations, financial services and customer service.

With her interest in people, Stump was looking for an opportunity to assist a company with coaching and development. When she learned about the position at DCR Systems, it sounded like a great fit.

Joining the company without prior knowledge of the collision repair industry, Stump visited five of seven DCR Systems’ locations to introduce herself and explain how she was there to support employees.

PGW Auto Glass, LLC, announced it acquired AutoglassCRM, a provider of VIN decoding and point-of-sale software, to equip automotive glass installers with cuttingedge tools necessary to thrive in a competitive market.

“This acquisition supports our strategic mission to provide our customers with the best technologies to compete in this increasingly complex industry,” said Todd Fencak , CEO of PGW Auto Glass. “We are excited to announce the launch of ‘Everything Autoglass,’ a comprehensive set of business tools that will help our customers succeed. Everything Autoglass was created to provide installers with a lowcost, advanced technology that encompasses all aspects of shop management.”

“Everything Autoglass” promises a low-cost, advanced technology solution that covers all aspects of shop management. Visit www. everythingautoglass.com to explore the capabilities.

$1.3 Billion in Federal Grants Available For Safer Roads and Streets

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) opened applications for a funding initiative aimed at bolstering roadway safety across the nation. A total of $1.3 billion is being offered to cities, towns, counties, Tribal governments and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program.

This initiative, a key component of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is designed to support local projects geared towards reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries occurring on the nation’s highways, streets and roads.

“Every community knows some intersection or stretch of road that is dangerous to approach – now we have an opportunity to make them safer,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris administration is proud to make over $1.2 billion available for projects that can save lives on our roads, from highway redesigns to protected bike lanes, and we invite communities of

every size to apply.”

This announcement comes on the heels of last year’s allocation of $1.7 billion in grants under SS4A, which impacted roadway safety for approximately 70% of the U.S. population, addressing more than 60% of traffic fatalities recorded between 2017 and 2021. With

“Every community knows some intersection or stretch of road that is dangerous to approach – now we have an opportunity to make them safer,”

PETE BUTTIGIEG U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY

more than $1 billion available this year, the DOT is encouraging communities, especially those that have not previously applied, to take advantage of this opportunity. The program is placing a special emphasis on communities with higher fatality rates, offering them additional award considerations.

The SS4A initiative not only

supports the development of road safety action plans but also facilitates the implementation of interventions aimed at improving unsafe roadway corridors. This includes experimenting with safety features like separated bicycle lanes and curb extensions at intersections.

The application process has been designed to increase accessibility, especially for smaller communities, Tribal governments and newcomers to federal funding. This includes a simplified application process, multiple deadlines, a pre-application review to determine eligibility for implementation funding, and specific guidance for using Tribal Transportation Program funds as a local match.

Applications for implementation grants are due May 16. Planning and demonstration grant applicants will have three opportunities to apply — the deadlines are April 4, May 16 and Aug. 29.

For further information, visit www.transportation.gov/grants/ SS4A.

The U.S. government’s recent shift to offer immediate electric vehicle tax credits at the point of sale has led to a $135 million disbursement to auto dealers within just over a month, Reuters reported.

In previous years, U.S. auto buyers could only benefit from the $7,500 new EV credit or $4,000 used EV credit at tax filing time the following year.

The new policy, which went into effect Jan. 1, allows consumers to transfer the credits directly to car dealers at the time of sale, effectively reducing the purchase price of the vehicle on the spot. The IRS has processed advance payment requests for 17,500 new EVs and 2,000 used vehicles, with more than 11,000 U.S. auto dealers registered for the program.

“One month into implementation of this provision, there is strong demand for this new upfront discount, which will continue momentum in growing this industry in the United States,”

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.

However, the transition has not been without its challenges. In January, the eligibility for tax credits was revised for several EVs due to new battery sourcing rules, impacting popular models like the Nissan Leaf, some Tesla Model 3s, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford E-Transit. These guidelines, issued by the Treasury in December, aim to decrease the U.S. EV supply chain’s reliance on China, reducing the number of EV models qualifying for tax credits from 43 to 19 at the start of the year.

The August 2022 Inflation Reduction Act law introduced these changes to the EV tax credit system, mandating vehicles must be assembled in North America to qualify and setting income and vehicle price restrictions to ensure the credits benefit a broader range of consumers while promoting domestic production.

PPG is the only coatings company to earn a spot on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list, ranking 43rd among the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. firms, recognizing PPG’s dedication to environmental, social and governance (ESG) excellence.

To make the list, Barron’s and Calvert Research and Management rank companies on their performance in five primary categories: shareholders, employees, customers, community and the planet, across 230 ESG performance indicators. Companies receive a score from zero to 100 based on their performance within each category. PPG received a final score of 70, placing it in the top 5% of all evaluated companies.

PPG’s journey toward sustainability includes being the first U.S.-based coatings company to have its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company has also demonstrated a commitment to employee engagement, with Gallup noting a rate of engagement growth three times faster than that of comparable companies..

Kia Settles For Up To $145M Over Theft Claims

Hyundai Motor Co., which owns the Hyundai, Genesis and Kia brands, and Kia Corp. have agreed to a settlement potentially worth up to $145 million to resolve allegations that certain Kia vehicles were manufactured with design flaws making them easy targets for theft and damage.

The resolution comes after a series of class action lawsuits claimed the vehicles lacked essential engine immobilizers, rendering them susceptible to thefts, especially those propagated via social media platforms like TikTok.

The settlement encompasses a wide range of Kia models purchased or leased between 2011 and 2022 in the U.S. and its territories, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. The agreement does not preclude claims related to personal injury, death or subrogation by licensed insurers, maintaining the rights of individuals affected by these issues beyond the scope of theft and damage.

Under the terms of the settlement, eligible class members,

specifically owners of certain models ranging from the 20112022 Kia Forte to the 2020-2022 Kia Soul, can benefit from various forms of compensation. These

may receive up to $300 in reimbursement per vehicle for antitheft measures. The settlement outlines compensation for out-ofpocket and uncompensated losses

include a free software upgrade designed to prevent the vehicles from starting without the key present -- a response to the method of theft popularized on social media. Additionally, reimbursements for the purchase of steering wheel locks or similar anti-theft devices, as well as for the installation of glass-breakage alarms or other aftermarket anti-theft systems, are available to those impacted.

For vehicles ineligible for the software upgrade, owners

resulting from theft or attempted theft, including up to 60% of the vehicle’s value for total loss and up to $3,375 or 33% for damage incurred.

The settlement establishes a fund ranging from $80 million to $145 million to cover these claims. The deadline to opt out of or object to the settlement is May 3, 2024. The final fairness hearing in the Kia theft settlement is July 15, 2024. The deadline to submit a claim is Jan. 11, 2025.

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Honda To Build First Plug-In Hydrogen EV For U.S. Market

Honda on Feb. 27 announced the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV, set to become America’s first production plug-in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle.

A compact CUV that received a 270-mile EPA driving range rating, CR-V e:FCEV combines an all-new U.S.-made fuel cell system along with plug-in charging capability designed to provide up to 29 miles of EV driving around town with the flexibility of fast hydrogen refueling for longer trips.

“Leveraging Honda fuel cell technology expertise continues to play a critical role in our global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050,” said Mamadou Diallo, senior vice president of auto sales, American Honda Motor Co. “Honda has laid out an electrification strategy leading to 100% zeroemission automobile sales by 2040, including the introduction of both battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles like this new CR-V e:FCEV model.”

The 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV will be available for customer leasing in California beginning later

this year. Standard features include HondaLink® with expanded capabilities including hydrogen station information in addition to charging and power supply data. For

with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles began with introduction of the Honda FCX in December 2002, the world’s first zero-emission fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) to receive certification for everyday use from

additional convenience, the included Honda Power Supply Connector uses a 110-volt power outlet that can deliver up to 1,500 watts of power, turning CR-V e:FCEV into a power source capable of running small home appliances, portable air conditioners, power tools, camping equipment and more.

Honda’s market experience

both the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB), as well as the first FCEV leased to individual customers.

The CR-V e:FCEV will be built at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, OH.

The five-passenger CUV is the first application of the secondgeneration Honda Fuel Cell

Module, which is produced at Fuel Cell System Manufacturing, LLC (FCSM) in Michigan, offering improved durability, higher efficiency, increased refinement and lower cost compared to Honda’s previous generation fuel cell system.

Co-developed with General Motors, the next-generation Honda Fuel Cell Module leverages the knowledge, know-how and economies of scale of both companies and will reduce the cost by two-thirds compared to the cost of the fuel cell system in the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. The cost reduction was achieved by various measures including the adoption of innovative materials for electrodes, advancement of a cell sealing structure, simplification of the supporting equipment and the improvement of productivity.

Moreover, the durability of the system has doubled by the application of corrosionresistant materials and controlled suppression of deterioration, and low temperature performance was also improved significantly.

Mitchell, an Enlyte company, and Classic Collision, LLC, one of the top four largest MSOs in the nation, on Feb. 29 announced they have signed a multi-year agreement. The enterprise licensing agreement gives all current and future Classic Collision locations access to Mitchell Cloud Estimating with Integrated Repair Procedures as well as the company’s Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) calculator.

A Mitchell customer since 2013, Classic Collision already has nearly 100 repair facilities using Mitchell Cloud Estimating. The remaining locations will be onboarded by the end of Q1 2024.

“Classic Collision has experienced exponential growth over the last few years, and we are thrilled to support the organization’s ongoing expansion,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell’s Auto Physical Damage division. “With the aid of Mitchell’s innovative technology, Classic Collision can take advantage of new tools designed to help return customers to the road safely while continuing

to grow its U.S. footprint.”

Released in 2017, Mitchell Cloud Estimating allows repairers to write comprehensive appraisals of collision-damaged passenger, commercial and specialty vehicles. They can then upload photos, submit estimates and communicate with insurance partners and customers using the Mitchell platform.

Created to significantly reduce time spent on research, Mitchell Cloud Estimating features Integrated Repair Procedures that surface OEM information critical to restoring the vehicle to preaccident condition as the estimate is written. With the company’s PDR calculator, estimators can also quickly determine the cost of minor dents, dings and body creases and add them to the appraisal.

Classic Collision is the second U.S. MSO to sign an enterprise license agreement for Mitchell Cloud Estimating. Additional information about the solution is available at www.mitchell.com/ solutions/auto-physical-damage/ estimating/cloud.

Automakers Report February New-Car Sales

Automakers on March 1 began releasing sales results for February, showing strong gains compared to the same month in 2023.

Hyundai

Hyundai Motor America reported record-breaking total February sales of 60,341 units, a 6% increase compared with February 2023.

Hyundai set total sales records in February for Tucson (+8%), Tucson PHEV (+280%), Tucson HEV (+29%), Palisade (+16%), and Kona EV (+15%). Hyundai’s eco-friendly vehicle sales grew 7%, while fleet volume was 8.3%. Hyundai also achieved record-breaking retail sales of 55,341, a 5% increase yearover-year.

Subaru

Subaru of America, Inc. reported 47,189 vehicle sales for February 2024, a 3.1% increase compared with February 2023 (45,790).

February also marked the 19th consecutive month of monthover-month sales increases for the automaker.

Forester was once again the top performer by volume with 14,882

vehicle sales, a 48% increase over the same month in 2023. Crosstrek sales followed closely behind, with 12,553 vehicles sold in February, and Outback sales also remained strong, with 10,412 vehicles sold.

CPO sales totaled 5,640 vehicles in February, an increase of 12% compared to February 2023.

Sales highlights included bestever total February sales; best-ever February sales of CX-50, with 5,480 vehicles sold; and best-ever sales of CX-30, with 10,026 vehicles sold.

Mazda

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) reported total February sales of 32,705 vehicles, an increase of 6.7% compared to February 2023. Year-to-date sales totaled 62,984 vehicles sold, an increase of 17.5% compared to the same time last year. With 25 selling days in February, compared to 24 the year prior, the company posted an increase of 2.5% on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis.

Kia

Kia America closed February with sales of 59,059 units. Sales of Kia’s EV models continued to climb, up 65% year-over-year through February with the ongoing launch of the award winning EV9 three-row EV SUV.

Kia’s SUVs were up 6% year-overyear and accounted for 76% of the February sales total.

Three Kia models set all-time February sales records, including Carnival (+48%), Sportage (+18%) and Forte (+8%).

Honda

American Honda reported its February sales were up 32%

compared to the same month last year, to 110,110 units.

The Honda brand accounted for more than 100,000 of those units in February, an increase of 38% from January, on robust sales of both cars and light trucks. Honda electrified sales set a February record of 20,681 units.

The CR-V topped 30,000 units, up 99%, with a February record of hybrid sales, and HR-V sales were up 45%, with 12,116 sold. Honda light truck models all posted double digit gains over January, led by the Pilot (+26%), Ridgeline (+19%), Passport (+18%) and Odyssey (+23%). Car sales of Accord and Civic combined for more than 34,000 units, with Civic up 37% to more than 20,000 units, and Accord hybrid posting record February sales.

The Acura brand posted February sales of 9,769 units, up 13% over January, led by Acura SUVs topping 6,800 units, with the RDX up 54%. Integra February sales topped 2,000 units as the model continues to lead all luxury gateway competitors.

Ford Invests $2 Million in Auto Tech Scholarships

Ford dealers and Ford Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, are investing $2 million in scholarship funding in 10 regions to help students pursue careers as automotive technicians. Spanning over 20 states and 292 eligible schools, the Ford Auto Tech Scholarship will grant 400 needbased awards to current or future students enrolled in post-secondary auto programs.

The automotive industry continues to face an ongoing shortage of technicians, with more than 400,000 techs needed by 2027. Now in its second year, the Ford Auto Tech Scholarship creates opportunities for rewarding, wellpaying careers as the industry moves toward electrification and software integration.

“As vehicles become more advanced, we need highly skilled technicians to maintain and service them,” said Elena Ford, chief dealer engagement officer at Ford. “Partnering with our dealers to invest in these students helps create job opportunities, shapes

The Ford Auto Tech Scholarship is open to individuals pursuing automotive technology degrees or certificates in the 10 selected regions, covering various costs associated with their education. The scholarship may be used for all attendance costs, including tuition, tools, living expenses and transportation. During the

because diversity drives innovation, we need to make the field more accessible for people of all backgrounds,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “By partnering with Ford dealers and Ford Fund to remove barriers to entry and increase greater economic mobility, we pave the way for more communities to thrive.”

students’ educational journey and career transition, Ford dealers in each region will serve as a support system, offering advice, onsite training and career guidance.

“Every technician plays a vital role in moving our communities forward. In order to solve the shortage of

The Ford Auto Tech scholarships will be administered by TechForce Foundation, a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting students pursuing technical education and careers as professional technicians. Ford is proud to partner with TechForce to grant $5,000 per student in financial assistance for education and training in auto and auto/diesel at a wide range of accredited institutions.

For Makenna Enga, a student recipient from UTI-Phoenix, this scholarship means breaking free

pursuing a technical education in automotive technology for many reasons,” Enga said. “To start with, a pretty obvious one is the lack of women in the industry. No one in my family has studied a trade, but I believe I was made for it.”

Last year’s contribution directly resulted in 200 students receiving $1 million in scholarships across four regions: Greater Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix.

Students eligible for the 2024 Ford Auto Tech Scholarship must be pursuing a degree in one of the following regions: the Greater Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, Kansas City, Memphis, Miami, Seattle and Cincinnati areas. The application process is open from March 4 through Aug. 31. Scholarships will be awarded on a rolling basis and applications reviewed as received.

To learn more about the 2024 Ford Auto Tech Scholarship, or to apply, visit techforce.org/ fordfundv2/.

White

House To Probe ‘Risks’ of Chinese Cars With Connected Tech

By Rob Stumpf InsideEVs

What does your car know about you?

We’ve all seen those little dongles offered by insurance companies that can be plugged into your car’s OBD2 port to collect data, which is used to fine-tune your insurance rate. But what other information does your car know? How about where you like to eat, or go to the gym, or perhaps even that scenic route you like to take home after long days at work? As Mark Twain might say: “There’s gold in them thar cars.” And that’s one reason America is increasingly concerned about cars from China.

The Biden administration confirmed Feb. 29 it will launch an investigation into connected vehicles using Chinese technology. The administration cites national security as the reason behind the probe, noting the risk associated with the potential exploitation of vehicles’ systems, or the collection of troves of valuable data related to the U.S. infrastructure.

President Joe Biden issued the following statement: “These

cars are connected to our phones, to navigation systems, to critical infrastructure, and to the companies that made them. Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this

data back to the People’s Republic of China.”

The investigation will be spearheaded by the U.S. Commerce Department. The path forward is certainly an arduous one. The department will kick off the effort by gathering feedback from industry stakeholders and seeking comments on what actions it should ultimately take.

More specifically, the

administration has concerns that systems present in connected cars — like the ones used to transmit telematics data, driver assistance features that can control acceleration and steering, as well as EV powertrain and battery systems — could be vulnerable to exploits from independent or nation-state cyber threat actors.

“Many of these vehicles can be enabled and disabled remotely. Connected vehicles that have technologies sourced from China could be exploited in ways that threaten U.S. national security,” said White House economic advisor Lael Brainard “China already has restrictions that do not allow connected vehicles to operate in China unless those vehicles only provide data to Chinese entities and use only Chinese software.”

The worry comes amid the concern of Chinese-built cars finding their place in the U.S. market. Lawmakers, auto

manufacturers and industry trade groups have recently expressed concerns of “an extinction-level event for America’s auto industry” caused by the potential of tarriffdodging automakers. And, as a result, could mean an influx of foreign, exploitable tech on U.S. soil. This could be one tool in America’s arsenal to head that off.

To be clear, the U.S. says it has no plans to outright ban Chinese EVs. But this probe will better help it to understand the impact of potential data collection — something China already does for its own domestic connected cars — and exploitation.

“It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out how a foreign adversary like China — with access to this sort of information at scale — could pose a serious risk to our national security and the privacy of U.S. citizens,” said U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo

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New Jersey

Barlow Chevrolet

DELRAN

800-220-1452

856-461-8417

856-764-1498 Fax

M-F 7 - 6; Sat 8 - 4 pseay@barlowautogroup.com

Cadillac of Mahwah MAHWAH

201-579-6497

201-579-6506 Fax

M-F 7 - 5

Malouf Buick GMC NORTH BRUNSWICK

800-669-6256

732-821-5410

732-821-7549 Fax

M-F 8 - 4:30; Sat 8 - 12 kreimann@malouf.com

Malouf Chevrolet Cadillac NORTH BRUNSWICK

800-769-6256

732-821-1517 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5 kdiperi@malouf.com

Nielsen Chevrolet DOVER

973-366-1730

973-366-5867 Fax

M-F 7 - 4:30; Sat 8 - 4:30 parts@nielsenchevy.com

New Jersey

Open Road Cadillac FLORHAM PARK

973-845-3014

973-538-6978 Fax

M-F 7 - 5

Christopher.salgado@openroad.com

Open Road Chevrolet UNION

800-981-9451

908-686-2727

908-687-4267 Fax

M-F 8 - 5; Sat 8 - 4

Christopher.salgado@openroad.com

New York

DePaula Chevrolet ALBANY

800-727-8357

518-489-0184 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 6; Sat 8 - 5 parts@depaula.com

East Syracuse Chevy EAST SYRACUSE

315-437-5464

315-437-0878 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5; Sat 8 - 3 partsdept@esyrchevy.com

West Herr Chevrolet ORCHARD PARK

716-662-7707

716-688-5519 Fax

M-F 7:30 - 5; Sat 8 - 4 sgraham@westherr.com

Pennsylvania

Blaise Alexander Chevrolet

GREENCASTLE

717-597-2131

717-597-6932 Fax

M-F 8 - 5; Sat 8-2 jsnyder@blaisealexander.com

Tom Hesser Chevrolet SCRANTON

800-435-9586

570-558-3677

570-342-8645 Fax

M-F 8 - 5; Sat 8 - 2 mhanson@tomhesser.com

Collision Repairers Place 25 Carriers on Insurer Report Card Honor Roll

Among more than 88 auto insurance companies graded by collision repairers in terms of how well they work to ensure quality repairs and customer service, 25 received a “B” or higher to earn a spot on the Honor Roll in the 2024 CRASH Network Insurer Report Card.

But a record-high 19 companies, including six of the largest U.S. auto insurers, received a grade of “C-” or lower. In fact, none of the Top 10 largest, best-known auto insurers received an overall grade higher than a “C+,” with more than 50 other insurers scoring higher.

Body shops were asked to evaluate how well each insurer’s “policies, attitude and payment practices ensure quality repairs and customer service for motorists.” North Carolina Farm Bureau (A+), Alfa Mutual (A), Chubb (A-) and Erie Insurance (A-) finished with the top grades among all insurers, just as they did last year. While many of the highest-graded insurers -- including Michigan Farm Bureau (B+), Acuity Insurance (B+), North Star Mutual (B+) and

Mutual of Enumclaw (B+) -- do not sell policies in all 50 states, consumers are likely to find one or more of the Honor Roll insurers offering coverage where they live.

“Most consumers are unaware they may have a dozen or more other choices in their state than the insurers whose advertising they see over and over,”

JOHN YOSWICK CRASH NETWORK

More than 1,100 individual body shops around the country each graded as many as 30 different insurance companies in their state.

“Most consumers are unaware they may have a dozen or more other choices in their state than the insurers whose advertising they see over and over,” CRASH Network’s John Yoswick said. “The Insurer Report Card gives the industry a way to communicate what shops see in terms of which

companies are better at taking care of policyholders when they have a claim – and which ones

have room for improvement. That can give consumers something else to consider as they choose an insurer.”

Shops participating in the Insurer Report Card said the highest-graded insurers “trust that the shop is the repair professional,” “want their

customers treated right, with a quality outcome,” are “more willing to pay for quality repairs and parts” and “are quick to respond.”

They criticized the insurers to which they gave lower grades, saying those companies “pay the lowest possible for cheaply made parts,” have “inexperienced staff” and “are super-slow at responding to the customer or shop.”

The list of highest-graded insurers in 2024 was remarkably consistent with the prior year’s findings; among the 10 highestgraded insurers in this year’s Insurance Report Card, seven were in the Top 10 last year as well.

A free report with the 2024 Insurer Report Card findings can be downloaded at www. crashnetwork.com/irc.

NEW JERSEY

Ciocca Parts Warehouse

Fax wholesales@mileone.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Porsche Norwell Norwell, MA

781-261-5230

781-261-5274 Fax porschenorwell.com

Porsche Flemington, NJ 800-221-1256 908-782-9397 Fax rmuir@flemington.com

Porsche Monmouth West Long Branch, NJ 732-483-8560

M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4:30 avacchiano@penskeautomotive.com

NEW YORK

Porsche Huntington Huntington Station, NY 631-424-1310

631-272-1805 Fax

M-F 8-5; Sat 8-4 parts@porschehuntington.com

Porsche Manhattan New York, NY 347-226-3913

212-208-0916 Fax parts@manhattanmotorcars.com

Porsche of Southampton Southampton, NY 631-204-2565

631-204-2559 Fax gspano@porscheofsouthampton.com

Porsche South Shore Freeport, NY 516-277-0542 516-277-0543

M-Sat 8-5:30 mtotaram@mcgovernauto.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Porsche Main Line Newtown Square, PA 610-886-1010

610-886-1020 Fax

M-Sat 8-5 jprice@potml.com

©2023 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seatbelt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times.

Sometimes, “slow and steady” just isn’t an option

CONNECTICUT

Lia Volkswagen Enfield

860-698-6890

Fax: 860-265-7840

M-F 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-12pm aguimaraes@liacars.com

MARYLAND

Ourisman VW of Rockville Rockville

855-417-4511

Fax: 240-499-2488

M-F 8am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-5pm rockvilleparts@ourismanautomotive.com www.rockvillevolkswagen.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Volkswagen of North Attleboro

North Attleboro

508-695-7131

Fax: 508-695-0321

M-F 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-2pm kenr@driveavw.com www.driveavw.com

NEW JERSEY

Ciocca Parts Warehouse Volkswagen Flemington

800-221-1256

Fax: 908-782-1795

M-F 7:30am-5pm www.cioccaparts.com

Open Road Volkswagen of Bridgewater Bridgewater

908-685-1068

Fax: 908-685-1547

M-F 7:30am-5pm; Sat 8am-3pm vwb.parts@openroad.com www.openroadvwparts.com

Paul Miller Volkswagen Bernardsville

908-360-1162

Fax: 908-766-6171

M-F 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-4pm aaitchison@paulmiller.com www.paulmillervw.com

NEW YORK

Hudson Valley Volkswagen Wappingers Falls

845-298-2365

Fax: 845-224-3686

M-F 7:30am-5pm; Sat 8am-5pm billsantoro@thepremiercollection.com

Platinum Volkswagen Hicksville

516-822-4800

Fax: 516-822-4831

M-F 7:30am-5:30pm parts@platinumvw.com www.platinumvw.com

White Plains Volkswagen White Plains

914-909-1630

Fax: 914-372-7056

M-F 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 8:30am-4:30pm echavez@whiteplainsvw.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Ciocca Volkswagen Allentown

610-791-4177

Fax: 610-289-7016

M-F 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-4pm cioccavwparts@cioccadealerships.com

Jeff D’Ambrosio Volkswagen Downingtown

610-363-8250

Fax: 610-363-8227

M-F 7am-5:30pm; Sat 8am-12pm partsteam@dambrosio.us

Piazza Volkswagen of Langhorne Langhorne

215-741-4100

Fax: 215-752-6621

M-F 7:30am-5pm; Sat 8am-5pm www.piazzavw.com

langwholesale@piazzavw.com

“Volkswagen”

Wayne Kelly Returns To Abra As VP of Operations

Abra announced Wayne Kelly has made a return to the network where he began his career. Now serving as the vice president of operations, Kelly’s homecoming is timed with Abra’s 40th anniversary.

When Kelly started out as a technician at a young age, in Minnesota, Abra was a fledgling brand. As it grew – and began franchising in 1987 – Kelly grew with them, running locations, managing operations and recruiting new franchise owners. A member of the original Abra family, he took great pride seeing Abra evolve into a powerful brand in the collision repair industry.

Under the larger umbrella of Driven Brands since 2019, Abra has benefited from enhanced resources, operational expertise and educational opportunities. In his new position, Kelly will capitalize on these advantages, focusing on operational improvements, leadership development and strategic expansion. The introduction of the Driven Brands EPG (EDGE Performance Groups) is one initiative aimed at bolstering Abra owners.

Tesla Engineer Addresses Reports of Cybertrucks

Already Rusting

By Stephen River CarScoops

The Tesla Cybertruck has only been available to customers for a few months and it’s already facing big scrutiny. One of the most recent and glaring concerns is that of surface rust or spots popping up on the slab-sided pickup. Now, the lead engineer on the Cybertruck has piped up to put the rust debate to bed.

Several owners were complaining about apparent rust on the surface of their six-figure Cybertrucks. Photos from those owners appeared to show countless specs of rust forming on various panels of a truck supposed to hang its hat on being tough.

Wes Morrill, the Cybertruck’s lead engineer, posted on X to praise the work of one YouTuber working to tackle the problem. That YouTuber found the issue is actually contaminants that fall from the environment onto the body panels and then make the panel appear as though it’s rusting. In reality, it’s the

particulates that are rusting, not the panel, and the use of simple kitchen products like Barkeeper’s Friend or Windex can remove them.

On top of that, those who use cutting agents are actually taking a microscopic bit of the stainless off every time they use such agents.

Morrill also said another product, Citrisurf 77, also works well, and a non-scratch Scotch Brite pad can help too. While all of that might do the job, there’s still a problem. If these spots develop after only a day or two of exposure to the natural environment, this same type of cleaning is going to have to be a weekly part of surface maintenance on the Cybertruck for most owners.

Will that be enough to be harmful over time? Will cleaning some panels that get contaminated more often leave different shades on different panels over time? Only time will tell.

It might turn out that cleaning a Cybertruck and then almost immediately wrapping it is the only way to own it and care for the exterior as one would with a normal car.

CONNECTICUT

Napoli Indoor Kia

Milford

203-876-3331

(203) 876-3325 Fax 8am-6pm Mon-Fri paulc@napolimotors.com

Gary Rome Kia

Enfield

860-253-5095 (860) 265-2674 Fax 8am-7pm Mon-Thu 8am-5pm Fri; 8am-4pm Sat parts@garyromekia.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Kia of Attleboro

South Attleboro

508-761-9300

(508) 761-0768 Fax

8am-8pm Mon, Wed; 8am-5pm Tue, Thu, Fri 8am-4pm Sat frank@courtesyma.com www.courtesyma.com

Lev Kia of Framingham

Framingham

800-462-1014

(508) 626-1585 Fax 7:30am-6pm Mon-Fri parts@levkia.com

MARYLAND

Bob Bell Kia

Baltimore

800-638-4967

(410) 285-1376 Fax

7am-7pm Mon-Fri

7am-5pm Sat smelson@bobbell.com

NEW JERSEY

Liberty Kia

Ramsey

201-818-8995

(201) 783-8848 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Sat joel@libertykiaofnj.com www.libertykiaofnj.com

NEW YORK

Kia of Middletown

New Hampton

845-374-6575

(845) 374-4718 Fax

8am-5pm Mon-Fri

8am-3pm Sat nissankiaofmiddletownparts@yahoo.com www.kiaofmiddletown.com

Northstar Kia

Long Island City (718) 683-5300

(718) 489-9889 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5pm; Sat 8am-2pm www.northstarkiany.com

Yonkers Kia

Yonkers

914-268-0279

(914) 652-7665 Fax

7:30am-8pm Mon-Thu

7:30am-7pm Fri; 8am-5pm Sat

PENNSYLVANIA

Brown Daub Kia

Easton

610-829-3020

(484) 546-0292 Fax 7am-5pm Mon-Fri 7am-3pm Sat

parts@browndaubkia.com www.browndaubkia.com

Outten Kia

Hamburg 610-562-4166

(610) 562-9436 Fax 7:30am-5pm Mon-Fri 8am-12pm Sat rwagner@outtencars.com

www.outtenkia.com

VERMONT

Berlin City Kia

Williston

800-684-5779

(303) 928-6905 Fax

6am-6pm Mon, Wed, Fri 6am-7pm Tue, Thu 7am-3pm Sat

ableau@berlincity.com

*Kia Genuine replacement parts sold but not installed by an Authorized Kia Dealer are covered for 12 months from purchase date, regardless of mileage, for the part only, and any labor charge is the consumer’s responsibility.

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.

Think Genuine Subaru Parts.

Cityside Subaru

Belmont

(617) 826-5013 (617) 489-0733 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5:30 parts@citysidesubaru.com

Long Automotive Group Framingham (800) 982-2298 (508) 879-1212 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 tschube@longauto.com

Metrowest Subaru LLC

Natick (888) 456-2200 (508) 745-2004 (508) 647-1539 Fax Mon.-Sat. 7-9 parts@metrowestsubaru.com

Liberty Subaru

Emerson

(888) 782-9493 (201) 261-3261 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6 parts@libertysubaru.com www.libertysubaru.com

Ciocca Subaru of Allentown Allentown

(844) 210-1314 (610) 395-6530 (610) 398-2066 Fax

Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 subaruparts@cioccadealerships.com

Belknap Subaru

Tilton

(800) 358-4029 (603) 729-1300 (603) 729-1301 Fax

’re focused on getting you the Genuine Parts you need — fast and competitively priced. Put us to the test on your next Subaru repair or service job.

THE

THE

NISSAN

MARYLAND

Bob Bell Nissan

Baltimore

800-638-4967

(410) 282-2432

(410) 285-1376 Fax

M-F 7-7, Sat. 8-5 smelson@bobbell com

MASSACHUSETTS

Nucar Nissan of Norwood Norwood

781-619-7270

(781) 619-7280 Fax

M-F 7-5, Sat. 7-4 rlindner@nucar com

Dartmouth Nissan

Dartmouth 508-996-3200

(508) 994-1997 Fax

M-F 7:30-6, Sat. 7:30-4 parts@dartmouthnissan�com

Mon., Wed., Fri. 7:30-5 Tue., Thu. 7:30-7; Sat. 9-3 awright@belknapsubaru.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Nissan 24 Brockton

508-513-1816

(508) 513-1858 Fax

M-F 7:30-6, Sat. 7:30-4 parts@nissan24auto�com

Route 9 Nissan

West Westboro 508-389-4300 parts@route9nissanauto com

NEW YORK

Rockland Nissan Blauvelt 845-358-3670

(845) 358-6049 Fax

M-F 7:30-5:30, Sat. 8-4 ldesir@rocklandnissan com www rocklandnissan com

RHODE

ISLAND

Stateline Nissan

East Providence 401-572-3445

(401) 572-3665 Fax

M-F 7:30-6, Sat. 7:30-4 parts@statelinenissanauto com

877-66-VOLVO

609-882-1515

In a year when Americans hit the road more than the last, the National Safety Council (NSC) has reported a counterintuitive trend: a significant decrease in motor-vehicle deaths in 2023. Despite a 2.1% increase in mileage from 2022, fatalities dropped by 4%, totaling 44,450 deaths in 2023, down from 46,270 the previous year. This decline in deaths comes alongside a decrease in the estimated mileage death rate, which fell to 1.36 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, marking a 6.2% decrease from 2022 and a notable 9.3% drop compared to 2021.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reports the official mortality estimates for the U.S. and is used as a comparison to judge the accuracy of NSC preliminary estimates. The publication of NCHS final mortality estimates generally lags about one year or more. The most recent NCHS final estimate shows 46,980 deaths occurring in 2021. This compares to the NSC initial estimate of 46,020, with a difference of 2%.

State-specific data reveal a

contrast across the country. Twelve states experienced a decrease in motor-vehicle deaths by 10% or more, with Alaska leading the way at a 31% reduction. Meanwhile, seven states and Washington, D.C., saw increases of 10% or more, with D.C. witnessing a 42% surge in fatalities. The NSC’s methodology for calculating these estimates involves collecting data from all 50 states and D.C., relying on state Department of Transportation offices and data reporters who also contribute to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This comprehensive approach ensures the NSC’s estimates are both timely and reflective of trends across the nation.

The reduction in motor-vehicle deaths, despite an increase in overall mileage, may reflect the impact of

MARYLAND

Audi Silver Spring Silver Spring

301.890.3015

800.288.6982

301.890.3748 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5pm wholesaless@mileone.com www.audisilverspring.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Audi Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury

888.751.7214

508.581.5880

508.845.1642 Fax M-F 7:30am-5pm audiwholesaleparts@mcgovernauto.com

NEW JERSEY

Audi Meadowlands

North Bergen

201.408.2085

201.223.7842 Fax

M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-2pm jpooler@bbmcc.com

Bell Audi Edison

732.396.9630

732.396.9090 Fax

M-F 8am-5pm

Sat 8am-4pm dmcsorley@bellaudi.com

Paul Miller Audi Parsippany

862.277.0009

973.575.5911 Fax M-F 8am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm www.paulmilleraudi.com Audiparts@paulmiller.com

NEW YORK

Audi Southampton Southampton

631.204.2565

Tue-Sat 8am-5pm parts@audisouthampton.com www.audisouthampton.com

Biener Audi

Great Neck

516.487.0127

516.829.4821 Fax

M-F 8am-4:30pm Sat 8am-4pm www.bieneraudi.com alutchman@biener.com rfeyjoo@biener.com parts@biener.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Audi Devon Devon

610.263.7026

610.263.7027

610.688.1742 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 9am-4pm www.audidevon.com bnawn@audidevon.com wmohler@audidevon.com

Regardless of the age of your customer’s Audi, Audi dealers have access to over 200,000 part numbers and are supported by a nationwide network of distribution centers to help ensure non-stocked parts are delivered the next day.

CERTIFIED PARTS WHOLESALING DEALERS

The only parts that perform as great as they look. Give your customers the power to drive a vehicle you’re both proud of. These trusted Ford dealers below have the OEM parts you need. Place your order today.

CONNECTICUT

Hoffman Ford Lincoln EAST HARTFORD

860-282-0861

860-290-6336 Fax

Hours: M-F 7-5:30 Sat 7:30am-3:30pm fordparts@hoffmanauto.com

MARYLAND

Packer Norris Parts BALTIMORE

855-767-7278

410-574-8305

410-574-8389 Fax

Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 8-3 www.packernorrisparts.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Colonial Ford of Plymouth PLYMOUTH

888-754-3380

508-830-1650

508-830-1658 Fax

Hours: M-F 7:30-5; Sat 7:30-4 www.buycolonialford.com

NEW JERSEY

Malouf Ford Lincoln Mercury NORTH BRUNSWICK

800-959-6256

732-951-1429 Fax

Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-1 fordparts@malouf.com www.maloufparts.com

Nielsen Ford SUSSEX

973-702-4296

973-875-7016 Fax

Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-3:30 gbraden@nielsenford.com

NEW YORK

Biener Ford GREAT NECK

516-466-6406

516-407-3537 Fax

Hours: M-F 8-5 kshakur@bienerford.com www.bienerford.com

Schultz Ford Lincoln NANUET

845-623-5111

845-624-0075 Fax

Hours: M-F 7-12, 12:45-5:30; Sat 8-12 parts@schultzflm.com

PENNSYLVANIA

New Holland Ford NEW HOLLAND

800-367-3232

717-354-9633 Fax

Hours: M-F 7-5:30

By Rob Stumpf InsideEVs

Ford struck gold with the Maverick pickup and Bronco SUV. Buyers flocked to the models upon launch, unleashing pent-up demand and causing backlogs lasting a year or longer on their desired build. It was a true big-brain move for Ford.

Ford had been rumored to be working to build battery-electric versions of the two trucks, as brands commit to shifting their fleets towards electrification in the coming years. But it looks like the models may have hit a snag somewhere along the line, because a new report suggested both products could be delayed into the 2030s.

According to AutoWeek, one of its sources said Ford has decided to delay fully electrified versions of both the Bronco and Maverick until at least the early 2030s.

This potential change would mean buyers delaying their purchase of either truck while waiting for a BEV version may be in for a longer wait than originally anticipated. It’s not clear why Ford specifically would want to

delay either vehicle – perhaps the next-generation platform or its underlying battery architecture isn’t yet ready for the road, or maybe Ford is realigning its strategy to meet the slower-than-anticipated real-world adoption of its existing EVs, like the F-150 lightning.

For example, building out an efficient, long-range, affordable EV is already difficult, but adding a lifestyle option – such as the Bronco’s ability to perform off-road tasks – is a big ask.

Ford Chief Design Officer Anthony Lo spoke about the issue at Detroit Concours d’Elegance in 2023.

A Ford spokesperson declined to comment on speculation regarding future products.

Ford may be running into challenges building out the vehicle to meet the increasing consumer demands surrounding EVs while still mating the cars to purposes desired by their target audience.

“I think the biggest challenge is on the offroad products,” Lo said, via Newsweek. “I really have to understand how people are using vehicles today. Because it’s not just about styling. People ask why don’t you just take that graphic in front of a Bronco and put it on the next EV Bronco? Because the actual need for cooling or lack of need for cooling is very different.

“I think you also need to think about how you can design a future Bronco that also meets all our aerodynamic targets and that you can actually drive more than

400 miles, you know, on a single charge,” he added.

It’s important to note Ford is still building another EV pickup, but it’s not quite clear what that will look like yet. Ford announced Project T3 (that stands for “Trust the Truck”) last year, a truck it plans to build at its BlueOval City mega campus in Tennessee. Presumably, the upcoming pickup will live somewhere between the Maverick and F-150 – at least based on CEO Jim Farley’s comment during the F-150 Lightning launch in 2022, perhaps somewhere close to the segment where the Ford Ranger reigns.

General Motors has reportedly recently cancelled its plans for an Ultium-powered EV pickup. With such strong sales figures behind the Maverick and the masses calling for a fully electric version of Ford’s reasonably-sized pickup, GM has found itself in a strong position to corner buyers with an affordable battery-powered S-10 revival. But now, with both key players backing down on their tiny truck, it would appear the market will have to wait.

Ford Motor Co. is imposing a training requirement on its dealership technicians, aimed at enhancing the quality of field service actions (FSA), including crucial air bag repairs, to rectify systemic issues that have surfaced, the Detroit Free Press reported.

restraints, covering air bags and seat belt pretensioners.

410-841-2593

Parts

888-30-PARTS

Parts

551-777-5939 24 Hr Fax

7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm

Ford’s decision came after it determined only 46% of its repair technicians have completed the necessary training to carry out FSAs effectively. These actions, encompassing recalls and customer satisfaction programs, are vital for maintaining vehicle integrity and safety.

In a letter dated Jan. 29, Ford told dealerships they have until April 1 to get the other 54% of technicians up to speed on the training, which includes a new course on supplemental

A recent investigation by the Detroit Free Press uncovered lapses in air bag repair procedures. Ford is currently reevaluating the work on 41,600 vehicles whose air bags were replaced by technicians, dubbed “rogue” by a Ford spokesperson, who failed to complete repairs adequately despite claiming to have done so. Another 232,000 Rangers have been recalled in which replacement air bags may not have been installed correctly because technicians failed to follow instructions.

This training mandate also addresses concerns raised by a whistleblower, who spoke up about an issue with repair fraud and a dilution of standards within Ford’s repair processes.

Lead the Charge released a report on its annual Leaderboard assessment of automotive supply chains, which found Ford unseated Mercedes-Benz.

The Lead the Charge Leaderboard looks at 18 global automakers and evaluates them on more than 80 indicators representing their efforts to eliminate emissions, environmental harms and human rights violations from their supply chains.

The leaderboard covers two main aspects of company policies and practices: those focused on building fossil-free and environmentally sustainable supply chains, and those focused on ensuring respect for human rights and responsible sourcing throughout their supply chains.

Companies are given a percentage score enabling an assessment of both how close each automaker is to the scorecard’s expectations of what constitutes a clean car, as well as comparisons between automakers.

In the second year for the Lead the Charge Leaderboard, Ford came out on top, with an overall

score of 42% – an increase of 9% from its 2023 score, and enough to take the lead from last year’s winner, Mercedes-Benz, which scored 40%.

future, our global supply chain is a critical part of the equation, and working with credible third parties helps us drive continuous improvement globally,” said Bob

Ford scored particularly well for its approach to responsible transition mineral sourcing, scoring 86% – the highest score for a single subsection across the Leaderboard. It was also one of only three automakers to ensure its workers are paid a living wage, along with Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

“As we continue to advance our commitment to a carbon neutral

Holycross, vice president and chief sustainability, environment and safety officer for Ford. “We’re honored to be recognized by Lead the Charge Coalition as the top global automaker for our efforts to build a supply chain that is good for people and the planet, reflecting Ford’s purpose to help build a better world.”

Tesla came third with a score of 35%, and was the biggest improver

within the year, increasing its score by 21 percentage points and moving from ninth to third position. The EV manufacturer was the only company to make improvements across all eight of the indicator categories.

GM also made noticeable progress – a 7% improvement overall – and has moved mainly on the fossil-free and environmentally sustainable supply chain indicators, particularly with regard to setting targets and securing offtakes for low-carbon steel and aluminum.

Toyota and Honda continue to be the climate laggards of the auto industry, failing on both the EV transition, as well as on supply chain decarbonization. However, Kia and Nissan were not much further ahead and have barely made any progress over their 2023 performance. Moreover, all four automakers also scored low on human rights and responsible sourcing.

The full report can be viewed at leadthecharge.org/wp-content/ uploads/2024/02/LeadtheCharge2024-Leaderboarden.pdf.

Original BMW Parts & Accessories.

Connecticut

BMW of Darien Darien

203-328-1325

203-978-0043 Fax

M-F 8am-5pm wholesale@bmwdarien.com

BMW of Waterbury Waterbury

844-895-6839

860-274-5471

860-274-0617 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 7:30am-4pm John.musco@hoffmanauto.com

Maryland

BMW of Catonsville Catonsville

855-996-2906

410-818-2600 Fax

M-F 8am-5pm www.bmwofcatonsville.com

BMW of Silver Spring Silver Spring

301-890-3015

800-288-6982

301-890-3748 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5pm wholesaless@mileone.com www.bmwofsilverspring.com

New Hampshire

BMW of Stratham Stratham 800-989-5200

vfollansbee@group1auto.com www.bmwofstratham.com

New Jersey

BMW of Bloomfield Bloomfield 888-261-6471

973-748-8373

M-F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-4:30pm psantos@dchusa.com

BMW of Morristown Morristown

973-796-3145

973-796-3146 Fax M-F 8am-6pm wholesaleparts.bmw@openroad.com www.bmwofmorristown.com

BMW of Newton Newton

973-579-6020

973-579-6702 Fax M-F 8am-5:30pm www.bmwnewton.com

Circle BMW Eatontown

732-440-1238

732-440-1239 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5pm Sat 8am-3pm Wholesale@circlebmw.com www.circlebmw.com

Park Ave. BMW

South Hackensack 888-349-5168

201-291-2376 Fax M-F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-4pm al@parkavebmw.com www.parkavebmw.com

New York

BMW of Bayside Bayside

516-304-3733

516-570-4268 Fax M-Sat 8am-5pm bmwparts@bmwbayside.com www.bmwbayside.com

Competition BMW

St. James 631-724-3322

631-265-0501 Fax

M-F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-4:30pm asolla@competitionbmw.com www.competitionbmw.com

Habberstad BMW

Huntington Station

631-271-7488

631-271-7931 Fax

M-F 8am-5pm Sat 8am-4pm parts@habberstadbmw.com

Keeler BMW

Latham

877-553-3909

518-785-4197

518-785-4710 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-4pm

bmwparts@keeler.com www.keelerbmw.com

Pennsylvania

BMW of York York

717-849-6597

717-843-2948 Fax

M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-12pm

applebmwparts@appleauto1.com www.applebmwofyork.com

Rhode Island

BMW of Newport Middletown

401-847-9600

401-841-0680 Fax

M-F 7:30am-5:30pm gromani@metromotorgroup.com wwwbmwofnewport.com

Co-President & Publisher

Nathan Gregory

Co-President & Publisher

Paul Stepanek

Editor

Abby Andrews

Contributing Writers

Mike Anderson, Stacey Phillips, Cole Strandberg, John Yoswick

Advertising Sales

Joe Momber, Norman Morano, Steve Sklenar

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 New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Northern Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont 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.

©2024 Autobody News, LLC.

Autobody News

P.O. Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax

www.autobodynews.com

editor@autobodynews.com

AkzoNobel’s Modern Classikk Line Available

AkzoNobel announced the nationwide availability of the Modern Classikk by Kindig custom automotive paint line at select Advance Auto Parts and Carquest Auto Parts stores. This collaboration brings together AkzoNobel’s advanced Sikkens base coat technology with the design expertise of Dave Kindig from Kindig-It Design and the popular television show, “Bitchin’ Rides.”

Currently, nearly 400 Advance and Carquest stores offer the Modern Classikk paint line, with additional locations being added

regularly. Customers can check the availability of the product at their nearest store by visiting Modern Classikk’s website or contacting their local Advance or Carquest store team. The paint products are also accessible online at ModernClassikk.com.

Each store will provide literature and paint chip fan decks. Once customers select their preferred colors, store personnel will place an order, and AkzoNobel will deliver the customized paint order to the nearby Advance or Carquest store for convenient pickup.

DELAWARE

Mercedes-Benz of Wilmington Wilmington

302-995-5030

302-995-5033 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 5pm Sat 8am - 2pm parts@mbofwilmington.com www.mbofwilmington.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Mercedes-Benz of Burlington Burlington

833-768-5924

617-275-2182 Direct 781-229-1600 Main M-F 7am-6pm Sat 8am-5pm parts@mbob.com www.mbob.com

Mercedes-Benz of Hanover Hanover

781-924-4210

M-F 7:30am-5pm Sat 8am-4pm mbhanoverparts@gp1auto.com

Smith Motor Sales of Haverhill, Inc Haverhill

877-764-8462 Direct

877-SMITH MB

978-702-5020 Fax

M-F 8am-5pm

NEW YORK

Mercedes-Benz of Goldens Bridge Goldens Bridge

914-232-8146

914-232-4770 Fax

M-F 8am - 5:30pm Sat 8am - 2pm achristiano@mercedesbenzgb.com www.mercedesbenzgb.com

Mercedes-Benz of Smithtown St. James 631-265-5339

631-265-8146 Fax

M-F 8am - 5pm Sat 8am - 4:30pm mlevantino@mbofsmithtown.com www.mbofsmithtown.com

NEW JERSEY

Mercedes-Benz Atlantic City Pleasantville

609-645-9310

609-272-1535 Fax

M-F 8am - 6pm Sat 8am - 4pm bmorey@mbofatlanticcity.com

Mercedes-Benz of Newton Newton

800-842-0557

888-302-2369

973-383-1284 Fax

M-F 8am - 5pm realmercedesparts@mbofnewton.com

Mercedes-Benz of Paramus Paramus

888-30-PARTS

201-265-7808

201-483-2782 Fax

M-Th 7:30am - 7:30pm F 7:30am - 5pm Sat 8am - 5pm parts@prestigemb.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Mercedes-Benz of Fort Washington Fort Washington

267-419-1414

201-765-9760 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 7:30am - 5pm mbpartswholesale@yourmercedes.com

Mercedes-Benz of West Chester West Chester

484-313-1110

484-313-1002 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 6pm Sat 7:30am - 5pm parts@mbofwestchester.com

Viti Mercedes-Benz Tiverton

800-544-5580

401-624-6181

401-624-4817 Fax

M-F 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 9am - 5pm eric@viti.com www.viti.com

RHODE ISLAND

Cromax® EZ

WATERBORNE MADE EASY

With a waterborne basecoat that’s easy to mix, match and apply and that uses the same coat flash application you’ve already perfected, Cromax® EZ makes an exceptional finish feel effortless. Discover how easy an outstanding finish can be.

axalta.us/ez