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Recently, a deserving Jacksonville, FL, family experienced a life-changing event—the presentation of a vehicle to provide them independence and the ability to work and take care of their families—thanks to Gerber Collision of Jacksonville, FL, and car donor Esurance, along with the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides program. The presentation was held at Gerber Collision of Jacksonville. The deserving recipients were selected by Family Promise of Jacksonville. The recipients, James and Stephanie DuPont , were presented a 2016 Mazda CX5. The DuPonts are a hard-working couple that have struggled since COVID-19. James’ family lost their jobs, home and transportation due to this situation. He has a job now, teaching CPR, but struggles due to not having transportation. Stephanie also works, but must use Uber or Lyft to get to work. Having this car means James will be able to teach many more classes in areas not reached by the bus lines. Plus, the DuPonts can save money on Uber and Lyft. They have continued to improve their situation, and this car donation allows them to be totally self-su cient. NABC Recycled Rides is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the program’s inception in 2007, members of the NABC have donated more than 2,600 vehicles valued at more than $36 million. Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides presentation included 1-800 Charity Cars.

Source: N ABC

www.autobodynews.com

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in the segment’s combined ratio for 2020, from 94.4 to 98.8. At the start of last year, personal auto insurers had been benefi ting from a couple of years of positive underwriting and operating performance momentum. This re ected the robust risk-adjusted capitalization of most writers and the positive impact of technology and data analytics on their underwriting, ratemaking and claims handling, AM Best said. These factors, along with the unexpectedly positive impact of COVID-19 on auto travel, improved the sector’s profi tability signifi cantly. Twenty-one insurers generated more than $1 billion in private passenger auto direct premiums through the third quarter. However, for 10 of those 21, their topline premium showed a decline compared with the prior-year period. Three experienced premium growth of 1% or less, and most of the sector’s leading auto insurers offered premium discounts, rebates or refunds during the COVID-19 surge. U.S. roads are expected to remain less congested than normal for an indeterminate period in 2021, which could extend the favorable loss frequency trend, AM Best said. However, cars traveling at faster speeds on less congested roads can cause more serious accidents, increasing the severity of claims.

W e thank Insurance Business Magazine for reprint perm ission.

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Classic Collision, LLC, a leading national multi-site collision repair operator based in Atlanta, announced its second multi-shop acquisition in less than 30 days, with the acquisition of both O rlando’s Supercenter Auto Body Repair locations in Orlando, FL. Classic Collision now has 20 Florida locations and operates 62 centers total in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and California. Orlando’s Supercenter Auto Body has been providing friendly and quality repairs to the Orlando community for almost 20 years. Centrally located near Orlando International Airport, now Classic Collision Orlando Supercenter and Classic Collision Orlando Airport will serve Orange and Osceola communities. “We are excited to be part of Classic’s expansion into new markets and look forward to the opportunity to serve the community under the Classic name,” said Kevin Beattie, former president of Orlando’s Supercenter. “Orlando’s Supercenter Auto Body has an impeccable reputation in Orlando and we are pleased to welcome all of the team members to the Classic Collision Family,” said Toan Nguyen, CEO of Classic Collision. “With this acquisition, we enter a new Florida market and we continue to advance our presence and growth across the country.”

Source: C lassic C ollision

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Electric cars may very well enter a golden age of sorts in the U.S., if a newly-proposed bill makes it through. Dubbed the Electric CARS Act, the bill aims to update the EV tax credit by extending it for 10 years and removing the number of eligible vehicles per manufacturer. The bill also seeks to support the buildout of more electric car charging infrastructure. A federal tax credit of up to $7,500 is currently available for customers who purchase an electric vehicle. However, the current system phases out this credit after an automaker sells its fi rst , electric cars. Tesla and General Motors have both passed this threshold, which means buyers of both companies’ electric vehicles no longer receive a credit. With this system in place, the U.S. practically makes incentives for car buyers to purchase imported EVs instead of those from local automakers like GM. Tesla has been pushing its electric vehicles without the $7,500 tax credit since the end of 1 —reduced credits were implemented over 19—when the company passed its , -vehicle threshold. Fortunately, Tesla’s vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y have stood well on their own merits, garnering critical and consumer support even without tax credits. If the Electric CARS Act passes, companies like Tesla could make an even stronger push into the automotive sector. The Electric CARS Act aims to improve the federal tax credit through the following means: • The elimination of the cap for EV makers. The bill would allow consumers access to the tax credit for the next 10 years, regardless of the manufacturer they buy their EV from. Under these terms, Tesla and GM electric car buyers would be able to get their tax credits once more. A fi ve-year use period. The bill would allow buyers to use their respective tax credits over a fi ve-year period, meaning EV customers could apply the credit either at the point of purchase or later on. Such a system would make the tax credit more applicable to buyers without large tax liabilities. • Charging infrastructure support. The bill would provide a 10-year extension of tax credits for alternative fuel vehicles and charging infrastructure. This incentivizes the buildout of EV charging systems like Tesla’s Supercharger Network and other rapid charging services like Electrify America. The Electric CARS Act is sponsored by U.S> Sen. Jeff er e (D-OR) and U.S. Rep. e er e ch (D-VT), both of whom highlighted the importance of the electric vehicle sector in the .S. In a statement to Channel 1 News, Merkley said the bill is apt, considering the ongoing climate chaos. He also highlighted the importance of supporting EVs made by American workers in American factories. “As climate chaos continues to ramp up with record-setting winter storms, violent hurricanes and catastrophic wildfi res, it is imperative that we transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles, which are fanning the ames of the crisis. Consumers are already looking for electric cars, and this bill will help drive adoption faster— and make sure more of those cars are made by American workers in American factories,” Merkley said. Welch explained supporting electric cars would be a common-sense win for consumers, especially considering EVs are practical to own. “We need to quickly and aggressively invest in electric vehicles to combat the global climate emergency that threatens all of our local communities,” Welch noted. “Owning an electric vehicle can be cheaper and off ers signifi cant public health and environmental benefi ts, but for many Americans, they are unaff ordable at the dealership. This bill makes the next generation of electric vehicles accessible to more people by allowing them to receive the electric vehicle tax credit right away. “Encouraging electric vehicle adoption is a common-sense win for consumers, the environment and American workers.” Led by Tesla and its S3XY line, electric vehicles have disrupted the automotive industry, even without the presence of the $7,500 tax credit. With the Electric CARS Act in eff ect, companies like Tesla could reach an even bigger consumer market, bringing EVs further into mainstream buyers. Ultimately, the newly-proposed bill has the potential to usher in a golden age of electric cars in the U.S. W e thank Teslarati for reprint perm ission .

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A group of hackers attacked Kia Motors America and subjected the automaker to ransomware that has allegedly shut down vital services like its UVO Link apps, payment system and the sites dealers use, according to Bleeping Computer.

The hackers are requesting 404.5833 bitcoin to decrypt the data, which at current values, is equivalent to $20,899,559.53.

If Kia doesn’t pay quickly enough, then the ransom increases to 600 bitcoin ($30,994,200.)

Bleeping Computer also obtained the alleged ransom note the hackers sent to Kia. The letter says if Kia doesn’t make any attempt to contact the attackers within three days, a portion of the obtained data would be made public.The demands don’t specifically say what type of data this hack stole.

Motor1.com reached out to Kia for info about the current status of this attack and the company’s intention. In a statement to Bleeping Computer on Feb. 17, the automaker denied it was subject to ransomware.

“We are also aware of online speculation that Kia is subject to a ‘ransomware’ attack. At this time, we can confirm that we have no evidence that Kia or any Kia data is subject to a ‘ransomware’ attack,” the announcement said.

Something odd is the letter addresses Hyundai Motor America, which is closely related to Kia. At this time, it doesn’t seem Hyundai is affected by the attack, but Motor1. com is reaching out to the automaker for confirmation.

As automakers use increasingly networked technology, hacks and ransomware attacks become a larger risk of disrupting their business. For example, ransomware in 2017 forced Renault to stop production in France temporarily, and Nissan had to do the same in the UK at the time.

UPDATE: An anonymous tip to Motor1.com alleges Hyundai dealership technicians are unable to access part of the system for using diagnostic equipment. This has allegedly been the case since Feb. 13, according to the person who contacted us.

We’ve contacted Hyundai and Kia with these new details for confirmation.

UPDATE 2: Kia responded Feb. 18 with a statement regarding the issue:

“Kia Motors America, Inc. has been experiencing an extended systems outage since [Feb. 13] but can confirm that the VO app and owner’s portal are now operational,” the statement said. “We anticipate remaining primary customer-facing affected systems will continue to come back online within the next 24-48 hours, with our most critical systems first in line.

“We apologize for the inconvenience to affected customers, especially those impacted by winter storms, who felt the outage of our remote start and heating feature most acutely. Kia is wholly focused on fully resolving this issue and would like to thank our customers for their continued patience.

“We are aware of online speculation that Kia is subject to a ransomware attack,” the statement concluded. “At this time, and based on the best and most current information, we can confirm that we have no evidence that Kia or any Kia data is subject to a ransomware attack.”

UPDATE 3: Hyundai also responded to our request for comment. Like Kia, it is denying the allegations of a ransomware attack.

“Hyundai Motor America is experiencing an IT outage affecting a limited number of customer-facing systems,” Hyundai told Motor1. “Those systems are in the process of coming back online. We would like to thank our customers for their continued patience. At this time, we can also confirm that we have no evidence of Hyundai Motor America or its data being subject to a ransomware attack.”

W e thank Motor1.com for re print perm ission .

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