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Elon Musk Shares Update on Tesla’s In-House Collision Repair and Insurance Efforts by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated Tesla is building up its collision repair capabilities. He added Tesla Insurance would ensure collision repairs would make the experience smoother for customers. “Tesla is building up collision repair capability to help address the grief that you went through, but usually insurance companies make you go [to] their ‘approved’ collision repair partners. Tesla Insurance will make it smooth sailing,” Musk tweeted in response to a tweet from “Everyday Astro-
naut.” After Tesla Model 3 owner and SpaceX enthusiast Everyday Astronaut received his car from a Tesla certified body shop, he noticed the driver’s side mirror wasn’t working, and a loud whistling noise came out of his windshield. A Tesla Mobile Service technician fixed the side mirror and windshield in minutes. In 2018, Musk announced Tesla was bringing collision repairs in-house. He noted outside firms were taking too long on repairs, and it was “driving Tesla owners (and us) crazy.” Musk shared Tesla was aiming to complete repairs See Musk Shares Update, Page 10
GM, LG Energy Solution Investing $2.3 Billion in 2nd Ultium Cells Manufacturing Plant in U.S. Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, on April 16 announced a more than $2.3 billion investment to build its second battery cell manufacturing plant in the U.S. The facility will be located in Spring Hill, TN. Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from GM. The new battery cell plant will create 1,300 new jobs. Construction on the approximately 2.8 million-square foot facility will begin immediately, and the plant is scheduled to open in late 2023.
Once operational, the facility will supply battery cells to GM’s Spring Hill assembly plant.
Early conceptual rendering of Ultium Cells LLC battery cell manufacturing facility in Spring Hill, TN. See GM, LG Energy Solution, Page 18
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AUTOBODYNEWS.COM Vol. 12 / Issue 3 / May 2021
President Biden’s $174 Billion EV Package Broken Down Dollar by Dollar by Joey Klender, Teslarati
President Joe Biden’s $174 billion aid package for electric vehicles has been broken down in an email sent by officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Biden’s plan to increase EV production and adoption across the U.S. is fueled by the massive spending package that aims to woo car buyers away from gas-powered engines, favoring electric cars instead. The $174 billion package can be broken down into several categories of different spending allocations.
The largest is the consumer rebates portion of the package, accounting for $100 billion of the $174 billion package, Reuters said. The rebates would be a significant boost to U.S. automakers, especially ones like Tesla and General Motors, who cannot offer $7,500 rebates when a vehicle is purchased. Previous limits axed the EV tax credit after manufacturers sold 200,000 electric cars. The reintroduction of the $7,500 tax credit would undoubtedly convince some car buyers to consider all-electric options, bringing down See $174 Billion EV Package, Page 18
Sales of Electrified Vehicles Jump Up 81% in the First Quarter of 2021 According to an analysis of the U.S. auto market by Cox Automotive and Kelley Blue Book, sales growth of both electric and hybrid vehicles outpaced overall market performance in the first quarter of 2021. Electrified vehicles—automobiles featuring large battery packs and electric motors in the propulsion system—accounted for 7.8% of the total U.S. market, up from 4.8% in Q1 2020. Electrified vehicle sales growth of 81% far outpaced industry growth. Sales of electric vehicles (EVs)—battery only—grew by 44.8% year over year, reaching nearly 100,000 sales in the quarter, a record. Sales of hybrid vehicles outpaced both the market and EVs, doubling to more than 200,000 in the quarter. The overall automobile market increased by 11.4% in Q1. The EV market continues to be dominated by Tesla, which sold an estimated 69,300 vehicles in Q1 and remains the only significant automaker in the U.S. with an EV-only lineup. Tesla accounted for 71% of total EV sales in the quarter, down from 83% share in Q1 2020.
The new Tesla Model Y is the best-selling EV in the U.S., followed by the Tesla Model 3. The Model 3 was the No. 1 best-selling EV in 2020, but sales in the U.S. market declined by more than 50% year over year in the first quarter of 2021. The Chevrolet Bolt was No. 3 on the EV list, with nearly 10,000 sales in the quarter. The all-new Ford Mustang Mach-E, which went on sale in December, was No. 4, outselling both the Tesla Model S and Model X. While sales of EVs are increasing, hybrid sales are increasing more quickly, according to the Cox Automotive analysis. Sales of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles jumped by 106% in Q1. Toyota, a hybrid pioneer, delivered most of that growth, selling 124,449 electrified vehicles in Q1, up from 49,576 in Q1 2020. Nearly 25% of new Toyota vehicles are now hybrids. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is now the best-selling hybrid in the U.S., with sales of 32,263 vehicles in the first quarter. The new Toyota Sienna minivan, which is available excluSee Jump Up 81%, Page 12
4/21/2021 5:13:37 PM