July 2023 Southwest Edition

NHTSA Tells Automakers Not To Comply With MA’s Right To Repair Law

The National Highway and Transportation Safety Authority (NHTSA) on June 13 sent a letter to 22 automakers, telling them not to comply with a Right to Repair law recently enacted in Massachusetts, citing “significant safety concerns.”

to dealership service centers.

It was first approved by Massachusetts voters in 2020, but delayed for years by a lawsuit brought by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing automakers.

REGIONAL NEWS

TSTC Program Immerses Students in Art of Auto Refinishing

The color of a vehicle can make a statement, but getting the perfect shade can be a challenge.

Texas State Technical College’s auto collision and management technology program offers a refinishing component for students who have an interest in auto body work and painting. The program is taught in a hybrid format, with students watching lectures online and doing hands-on labs on campus.

“Most students come in and never have held a paint gun or worked in a shop,” said William Graham, a program instructor.

The Program

All students wear personal protective equipment when working with paints,

REGIONAL NEWS

whether mixing or in paint booths. This involves a suit, respirator, gloves and glasses or goggles.

Graham said students start the first semester learning how to use and clean a paint gun. He said students learn to read technical data sheets for spraying products and how to color, sand and buff.

Graham said second-semester students purchase their own paint guns and mix their own paint, along with doing scratch repairs. They also do block sanding.

Philip McKee, lead instructor in the program, said some students are surprised at the mathematics and science involved in creating colors and painting.

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Credit: Shutterstock

“While NHTSA has stressed that it is important for consumers to continue to have the ability to choose where to have their vehicles serviced and repaired, consumers must be afforded choice in a manner that does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety,” the NHTSA said in the letter.

The law requires automakers to allow access to their vehicles’ data, so owners can get them fixed by independent repairers if they choose, rather than be forced to go

Colorado Hikes EV Tax Credit to $5,000 On Top of $7,500 Federal Credit

Finally, in March, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced she would begin enforcing the law June 1, despite the lack of a decision in the federal lawsuit. A last-minute motion to block the enforcement by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation was denied.

The letter from the NHTSA claims the Massachusetts law is in conflict with and is therefore preempted by the Safety Act, which

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By Dan Mihalascu InsideEVs

Colorado will soon become the state with the most generous EV tax credits in the U.S., offering electric vehicle buyers a $5,000 credit that can be stacked with up to $7,500 in federal incentives.

The Colorado legislature passed several bills in May designed to help accelerate the adoption of cleaner transportation, complementing

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Credit: Shutterstock

Columnist

Columnist John Yoswick: Auto Body Shop Owners Decide Where to Focus Attention, Resources in Near Future

Columnist Mike Anderson: How to Create a Winning Customer Experience

Columnist Abby Andrews: Mitchell Hosts High School Students to Show Career

in the Collision Repair Industry

Stacey Phillips: Solving the Tech Shortage: Providing Direction, Showing Vulnerability & Re-messaging the Collision Repair Job

COLUMNISTS

Mike Anderson How to Create a Winning Customer Experience 16

Abby Andrews Inaugural Episode of Webinar Series Looks at IIHS’ Study of Issues Reported with ADAS Repairs 20

Mitchell Hosts High School Students to Show Career Opportunities in the Collision Repair Industry 34

Stacey Phillips

Providing Direction, Showing Vulnerability & Re-messaging the Collision Repair Job

Index of Advertisers

NATIONAL NEWS

2023 Techs Rock Awards Announces Winners

TechForce Foundation® announced the category winners in the 2023 Techs Rock Awards, created to honor professional technicians who are full of passion and grit, exhibit true excellence in their work and inspire the next generation of techs.

Meet the category winners at TechForce.org/Vote. Voting for the grand prize winner is closed, but the results will be announced soon.

More than $18,500 in prizes will be awarded to this year’s honorees. Each of the five category winners received prizes valued at more than $1,900 from TechForce partners Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Cengage Learning, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company.

In addition to their category winner prizes, the grand prize winner, chosen by popular vote, will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to STX 2024 in Nashville, TN, valued at $3,000, courtesy of Advance Auto Parts; and additional prizes valued at $6,000 from AutoZone, CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Nissan, Snap-on Industrial and WD-40 Company.

Source: TechForce Foundation

Dallas Veteran Receives Refurbished Vehicle from NABC Recycled Rides® Program

On May 20, a deserving Dallas area veteran was presented with a vehicle to provide her independence and the ability to work once she graduates in June, thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, along with car donor Allstate and repair partners Maaco Wylie and Maaco Plano.

The presentation was held at the Maaco Wylie Auto Body Shop and the deserving recipient was selected by the VA Medical Center.

“It is an honor to present a NABC Recycled Ride to this deserving veteran and help her continue her path forward,” said Jennifer Hubbard, board member and secretary for the NABC. “Thank you to our partners Allstate and Maaco for making this possible. Together we really are changing and saving lives.”

“We always work to give back to our community, and the NABC Recycled Rides program is a great way to bring our industry together to help a member of our community

on their path to success,” said Helmuth Mayer, owner of Maaco Wylie, Maaco Plano and numerous other Maaco locations in the Dallas area. “We’re honored to give this vehicle to a deserving veteran who bravely served our country.”

in June and hopes to secure a position in the IT field. Having reliable transportation will help her achieve that goal.

“I am so grateful to receive this beautiful blue car and the people at Maaco are so nice and friendly. I appreciate them, NABC and other organizations involved with providing me this very needed transportation,” said Thompson.

The recipient of a 2015 Buick Verano was Ms. Thompson, a U.S. Army veteran who served from 1985 to 1990. She currently does not have a car, is attending school full-time and must walk to school daily or use public transportation. Thompson has a grade point average of 4.0 and is committed to achieving her short and longterm goals. She will be graduating

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 inception of the NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the NABC have donated more than 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.

Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides presentation included Meineke Car Care, Copart and 1-800 Charity Cars.

Source: NABC

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Everyone in Collision Repair Process Plays a Part in Solving Problems With Supplements

By John Yoswick Autobody News

Virginia shop owner Barry Dorn said he doesn’t see “who is winning” as the time involved with processing supplements grows.

“My concern is that we all lose that trust with that customer,” Dorn said, during a panel discussion on supplements during this spring’s Collision Industry Conference (CIC). “They see a $1,000 photo estimate turn into a $20,000 blueprint. The trust is lost. The customer knows somebody is lying to them. They just don’t know who.”

He said it’s also hard on frontline employees---both at shops and insurance companies—who have to “go through this frustrating, laborious process,” and might question if it’s something they really want to continue to do, at a time when there’s already a labor shortage.

supplement, the vast majority had two supplements, and some had three or more supplements,” Amberson said, noting about three-quarters of the 100 jobs were non-DRP. “The average response time, from the time we submitted the first supplement, to when we got the response from the insurer, was 4.2 days. When you looked at the DRP jobs, those were obviously much lower because we get almost immediate response. Those were less than one day.”

But one of the larger insurers had average response time of more than six days, and another more than eight days.

“And I’m not talking about resolution. I’m just talking about a response,” Amberson said. “This is detrimental to all of us, including the insurer. My question is: How long is it going to take the insurers to figure this out so they can get response times down? Those of us who have been around a while recall a time when non-DRP response times were far less than that.”

Andrew Batenhorst of Pacific BMW Collision Center in Glendale, CA, said his shop also measures insurer response time.

Wright said the pandemic may have sped up insurers’ move toward “no-touch” or “low-touch” claims processing, but that transition started at least a decade ago in an effort to reduce claims processing costs.

“That’s measurable to the guys in the ivory tower,” Wright said. “They can’t control severity. Severity is biproduct of the technology we have today and the complexity of the car. So what’s important to the insurance executives, is controlling [claims processing] costs. That means finding a way to handle claims faster—not necessarily better, but faster. Unfortunately it’s caused this [supplement] dilemma we have that’s gotten worse.”

“We’re caught in the middle most times on the supplement process,” he said. “We don’t get paid in general to write supplements. When we have to come back, that’s a cost. It’s factored into our cost of doing business, but when there’s not documentation, or if we can’t find the vehicle or there’s nobody there to walk through the vehicle with us, we almost have to start over.”

Documentation Should Help

Aaron Schulenburg of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists agreed shops that aren’t providing adequate photos, OEM procedures and other documentation to support the supplements they submit need to start doing that.

“It’s almost cruel and unusual punishment,” concurred Mike Giarrizzo, CEO of DCR Systems, which operates eight collision repair shops under partnerships with dealers. He said his company explains to customers what to expect.

“We tell them we’re going to provide their insurer with every bit of evidence and documentation necessary to fix the vehicle correctly,” he said. “We’re going to go out of our way to provide any information that their insurer needs, and convey what needs to be done and why. But we can’t control the way they respond to that.”

Cycle Time Impact

Darrell Amberson of LaMettry’s Collision in Minnesota pointed to the cycle time ramifications of getting supplements approved. He said his company looked at 25 insurance jobs from each of four of the company’s locations.

“Virtually all of them got one

“And I have a conversation with the local [claims] managers about how they’re doing,” Batenhorst said. “If we get measured all the time on [key performance indicators], I like to flip the table back on them, and a lot of them are really surprised by what we show them. Having that open conversation can make a difference. Not every carrier is going to be open to that. But one by one, if you start opening up a dialogue, and you realize there’s a way to talk about these things, you can make a difference. They have different metrics than we do, obviously, but we all need to figure this out together.”

The Insurer View

Two of the panelists representing the insurance industry during the CIC discussion shared their perspectives on what could improve the supplement process. Consultant Roger Wright, a former vice president of claims at AIG, sees a role for the automakers.

“We really need the OEs to help clarify some of the procedures they have,” Wright said. “They just don’t make sense to insurance companies, and that’s why they’re so resistant sometimes to paying for certain things.”

Wright said while many shops are doing better at blueprinting and documentation, much of the industry still isn’t, also contributing to supplement processing issues. Phil Langley, vice president of client services for SCA Claim Services, agreed.

“But a big part of the problem is that if the repair industry does a better job of meeting those expectations, there should be a change in outcome,” Schulenburg said. “I think where the frustration rises is there are so many shops who have prioritized doing exactly that, and are doing it very well, and instead face almost a more difficult challenge” in getting supplements approved.

Shop owner Dorn agreed shops should provide good documentation supporting the supplements they submit.

“But I think that needs to be a twoway street when there’s a denial,” Dorn suggested. “If we have to fully document why we are doing something, I think the other industry stakeholders need to document why they’re not [paying for] it.”

Dorn said he sees the industry at a turning point in terms of supplements.

“I can guarantee you that already today—it’s what, about 11 o’clock— we’ve probably already had 100 shop visits where someone from our company shows up and no one is there to even show us where the vehicle is,” Langley said. “If we could work on that, that would be a good first step.”

He said after working with hundreds of insurance companies and thousands of shops, each with their own processes, some standardization across the industry would help.

Credit: Shutterstock

“We can’t continue to go down this path,” he said. “Fundamental change has to happen. We have to get away from the archaic ways that we’ve been doing things for 30 years. Everyone is frustrated. No one is winning. No one is happy about this. So let’s agree we have to change the process.”

Mike Giarrizzo of DCR Systems said making shop employees negotiate through the supplement process has become “almost cruel and unusual punishment.”

Phil Langley of SCA Claim Services said more standardization in how shops and insurers handle supplements would be a positive step

“We have to get away from the archaic ways that we’ve been doing things for 30 years.”

— BARRY DORN

OWNER, DORN’S BODY & PAINT

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Program

Refinishing students in the third semester learn about application techniques for water-based paints and are introduced to blending

and how people perceive colors, how colors work, and how to tint colors to do blending matches.

The Painting

The program uses Sherwin-Williams paints. Students in the first and second semesters use solvent-based paint, while students in the third and fourth semesters use waterbased paint.

“They (the students) are getting introduced to both,” McKee said. “It is not a culture shock when they go out into industry.”

Both kinds of paints have their differences.

evaporation process.

Sherwin-Williams conducts a class for students to get certified in its Ultra 9K Waterborne Refinish System.

Workers Needed

Automotive body and related repairers in Texas made a yearly median salary of more than $46,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s CareerOneStop website.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and The Woodlands-Houston-Sugar Land metropolitan areas had the highest concentration of automotive body and related repairers in Texas as of May 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Carbeat Ignites Digital Transformation

AkzoNobel’s automotive refinishing customers are experiencing a digital transformation using Carbeat, a datadriven digital project management process simplifying the shopfloor workflow, while tracking critical data using a seamless blend of technology and services.

Historically, collision repair shops used manual processes to monitor a vehicle’s repair process. Carbeat transformed this process with a powerful and intuitive digital production workflow dashboard that collects all datapoints while a vehicle cycles through the repair shop.

methods. Students also learn how to paint on aluminum, fiberglass and plastic.

Graham said each vehicle has its own manufacturer’s paint code, which means that students have to be careful in matching paint colors for refinishing work.

Refinishing students in the fourth semester learn about color theory

McKee said solventbased paint is quicker to use in painting. He said unlike solvent-based paint, students and those in industry cannot control the evaporation pace of water-based paint. Venturi dryers are used to dehydrate the paint so it does not have a wet look.

The program has used waterbased paint since the early 2010s.

McKee said the water-based paint has a different smell and looks more like house paint when being mixed. The water-based paint has a longer

Texas will need more than 13,000 automotive body and related repairers in 2030, according to the CareerOneStop website.

What to Study

TSTC offers associate’s degrees in auto collision and management technology with refinishing and repair specializations at its Harlingen and Waco campuses. Certificate options and an occupational skills achievement award also are available.

Registration continues for the fall semester at TSTC. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

AkzoNobel’s customers are experiencing a 10% to 15% reduction in vehicle cycle time by applying the Carbeat visual communication and data management processes, which depending on a shop’s volume of vehicle repairs, may result in reducing the total time required to repair a vehicle by one to three days.

For more information and additional customer transformation success stories using Carbeat, access the Carbeat website at www. carbeat.com.

Source: AkzoNobel

Auto collision and management technology students work in a recent lab class at Texas State Technical College’s Waco campus. Photo courtesy of TSTC

the Inflation Reduction Act and American Recovery Act to incentivize consumers to buy new electric vehicles and home appliances.

Gov. Jared Polis signed HB231272, which not only increases and extends the state EV tax credit for passenger cars, but also for electric medium and heavy-duty trucks. The bill also sets up a new statewide point-of-sale incentive for e-bikes and expands tax credits for in-home heat pumps.

Starting July 1, the Colorado EV tax credit increases from the current $2,000 to $5,000 for vehicles with a starting MSRP up to $80,000. This is a significant rise that translates into total potential tax credits—state plus federal—of $12,500, assuming the consumer qualifies for both.

But wait, it gets even more interesting. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, the new bill also establishes an additional tax credit of $2,500 for EVs with an MSRP under $35,000. This means Colorado residents who buy an EV that costs under $35,000 will get both the $5,000 state EV tax credit and the $2,500 additional incentive—on top of the $7,500 federal tax credit.

Under this best-case scenario, Colorado residents could get a total of $15,000 in state and federal incentives by stacking all three tax credits. This means Tesla’s rumored $25,000 compact car would effectively cost eligible Colorado residents just $10,000.

The Colorado state EV tax credit steps down annually through 2029. It’s worth noting Colorado’s EV tax credit used to be $5,000 but was reduced to $2,000 in 2021.

Moving on to electric trucks, the bill increases the state tax credit to $12,000 for medium and heavyduty (MHDV) electric trucks through 2032. This is designed to help fleets in Colorado comply with the recently adopted Advanced Clean Truck and Low NOX rules. The tax credits can be layered with federal tax credit for maximum savings up to $40,000 per truck.

Finally, the bill establishes a new statewide incentive of $450 for e-bikes beginning April 2024. The credit is taken at point-of-sale, which means the customer experiences it as a direct discount when paying for the bike.

www.autobodynews.com

Driven Brands Collision Group Holds First MultiBrand EDGE Performance Group Meeting in Denver

The Driven Brands proprietary EDGE Performance Group (EPG), originally founded by CARSTAR, is now encompassing additional brands from the Driven Brands family as the organization grows. The inaugural Driven Brands EPG meeting was held recently at the Hyatt Regency Denver Tech Center in Denver, CO.

More than 100 locations from the CARSTAR and Abra networks were represented at the event, including franchise owners, managers, repair professionals, vendors and corporate team members.

The Driven Brands EPG program continues to drive performance improvements across the network through national repair processes, performance standards, and dedicated training on delivering those standards. The Denver event featured learning sessions that focused on increasing each location’s performance and profitability. The Driven Brands central review team was on hand

to introduce several new programs to improve estimate accuracy and reduce time on total loss estimates.

A franchisee panel led by owners and general managers addressed parts sourcing efficiency and solutions for improving this important aspect of the business. The vendor trade show provided an opportunity to meet current vendors, see new products and meet new vendor partners.

“The Driven Brands EPG program, founded on the program pioneered by CARSTAR, continues to accelerate our strong performance and helps us deliver the collision repair industry’s highest-quality vehicle repairs,” said Damien Reyna, COO for U.S. Collision, Driven Brands. “Through these events, we provide hands-on, solution-focused support for our franchise partners. This is a great resource to achieve industry leading levels of operational excellence as well as new levels of customer satisfaction.”

Source: Driven Brands

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Stacey Phillips — Solving the Tech Shortage

Providing Direction, Showing Vulnerability & Re-messaging the Collision Repair Job

With a passion for creating new products, Erin Suchara joined 3M as a research and development intern in 2019. After graduating from the University of Michigan the following year with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, she took on a full-time role at the company as an advanced application engineer in Maplewood, MN.

a key role in structuring Caliber’s Technician Apprentice Program (TAP), created for aspiring auto body technicians to acquire the skills necessary to begin a career in the industry. Sorensen also encourages others to get passionate about taking steps to solve this challenge.

“We all need to have a driving force,” he said. “If we don’t have that

part of a local collision repair program to help influence the curriculum for producing skilled technicians and getting involved in the community to raise awareness about the industry. He also encouraged participation in programs such as SkillsUSA.

“It’s one of my favorite activities and has been so rewarding,” he said. “I’ve seen so many incredible stories of young adults getting involved with SkillsUSA and building a career.”

In addition to young people coming out of school and entering the industry, Sorensen has found adults are also interested in a collision repair career. As a result, he said shops need to work toward providing a career path to help them reach their potential.

“We need to be there to guide them through that,” he said. “I’m up here on stage because somebody at my company wanted me to reach my full potential.”

Show Vulnerability

USA. “I think it’s easier when you’re surrounded by people to take time to reflect.”

“Part of it is that we get back to our normal life—the day-to-day operations—and we have so many different things going on,” added Bartanen. “We need to plan better, think about these things, embrace them and feel like we are going to make a change.”

This includes listening to staff, being empathetic and having a sense of purpose.

He pointed out the industry might not be attractive to many based on comments industry professionals make on social media and some of the regular exchanges that take place in shops. “We need to be better behaved if we’re going to attract and retain talent,” he recommended.

Re-messaging the Job

“I’m from the Gen Z generation… We like to know what we’re doing and why it has a purpose,” explained Suchara. “My job is exactly that. I know what I’m making, who is using it and the difference it’s making.”

Hoping to encourage other Gen Zs to join the collision industry, Suchara participated in a panel discussion in April at IBIS USA focused on overcoming the talent shortage. The panel was moderated by IBIS Worldwide CEO Jason Moseley and included Jason Bartanen, Collision Hub’s director of industry relations, and Max Sorensen, senior vice president of operations for Caliber Collision.

Panelists provided the following insight on providing direction, showing vulnerability and remessaging the job.

Provide Direction

Sorensen oversees approximately 375 collision centers in the Midwest and Northeastern regions of the U.S., and is dedicated to educating young people about the collision repair industry and helping them reach their potential. He estimates the industry will require around 110,000 technicians over the next five years.

In response, Sorensen has played

force as an industry, in five years from now, we will be in a bad spot.”

He stressed the importance of providing new entrants structure, so they can continue their journey to become technicians.

Suchara agreed. Joining 3M during the pandemic, she said it was difficult to connect and learn with people in the lab. She soon realized the importance of creating structure to be successful.

“My job changes on a daily basis,” she said. “I talk to everyone from product developers to marketers, so having structure for what I do has helped me at the start of my career.”

Bartanen recommends having employees specialize and learn to excel in certain areas.

“By doing that, I think we’ll have safer and more efficient repairs,” he said.

Create a Culture & Career Path

According to panelists, creating a culture and career path is critical to a business’s success.

“Make sure that you have the culture set and there’s an expectation of it down the line,” said Bartanen, who leads Collision Hub’s in-shop virtual training and coaching program.

Bartanen suggested becoming

Since she didn’t grow up in a body shop environment, Suchara has learned everything from scratch. Being able to ask questions and learn from mentors has helped her advance in her career.

As a younger employee, Suchara has tried to be more vulnerable.

“Sometimes, I play the new card and say, ‘I don’t know,’ and ask questions,” she shared. “It’s not always easy to do and doesn’t always come naturally.”

“I couldn’t agree more with that, whether you call it vulnerability or humility,” said Bartanen. “That’s not inherently what we have done in the collision industry.”

Rather than saying they know everything, Bartanen encourages employees to have the humility to admit they don’t always know, put trust in their research and leverage the expertise of other staff and peers for assistance.

“I think a lot of self reflection needs to happen,” he recommended. “Taking the humble route is a great way to go.”

Be a Disciple

After talking about talent shortage solutions, many find it is challenging to implement new ideas.

Suchara said it’s often more natural to reflect on these issues while attending conferences like IBIS

When Suchara entered the industry, she was surprised her role wasn’t advertised as a job that required a lot of skill and had the potential to earn a good wage. “I think the messaging could use a little refresh,” she acknowledged.

“We definitely have to change the narrative because it’s not just working with your hands anymore,” said Sorensen. “Technicians need to know the ins and outs of that vehicle because it’s a supercomputer on wheels.”

“Who better to do that than the digital natives… who were born with a tablet in their hands,” added Bartanen.

When people share information about a collision repair career, Bartanen often hears them start by saying not everybody will be a doctor or a lawyer.

“That immediately sets the tone that technical education is a secondary option,” he said. “Why can’t we go after the valedictorians? Many of them surely like to work with their hands, are creative and like technology.”

He encourages the industry to look at everybody as a potential job candidate. “Let’s not just isolate it based on our preconceived beliefs of what happened when we were younger, when kids were shuffled to ‘that end of the school’ because they weren’t the best at math or English,” he said. “You need all those skills now.”

Pictured, left to right, are IBIS Worldwide CEO Jason Moseley; Max Sorensen, senior vice president of operations for Caliber Collision; Erin Suchara, advanced application engineer at 3M; and Jason Bartanen, Collision Hub’s director of industry relations.

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GM Investing $500M+ in Arlington, TX, Assembly For Future SUVs

General Motors Co. announced June 8 plans to invest more than $500 million in Arlington Assembly in Texas to prepare the plant for production of future internal combustion engine (ICE) full-size SUVs, subject to successful discussions with local government officials.

This investment will enable the company to strengthen its industryleading full-size SUV business. Product details and timing related to GM’s future full-size SUVs are not being released at this time.

The announcement brings GM’s U.S. manufacturing and parts distribution facility investment commitments to more than $31 billion since 2013.

“Today we are announcing plans for a significant investment in Arlington to strengthen our industryleading full-size SUV business,” said Gerald Johnson, executive vice president, Global Manufacturing and Sustainability. “Preparing the plant to produce future ICE fullsize SUVs reflects our commitment to our valued customers and the efforts of the dedicated Arlington Assembly employees, who have

Not To Comply

requires automakers to initiate a recall of vehicles that contain a safety defect—which, according to the NHTSA, includes the open remote access to vehicle telematics required by the state law.

“Open access to vehicle manufacturers’ telematics offerings with the ability to remotely send commands allows for manipulation of systems on a vehicle, including safety-critical functions such as steering, acceleration or braking, as well as equipment required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards such as air bags and electronic stability control,” the NHTSA said. “A malicious actor here or abroad could utilize such open access to remotely command vehicles to operate dangerously, including attacking multiple vehicles concurrently.

“Vehicle crashes, injuries or deaths are foreseeable outcomes of such a situation,” the NHTSA said.

The Massachusetts Right to Repair Coalition released a statement condemning the NHTSA’s letter, calling it the “latest auto manufacturers’ stall tactic.”

been breaking production records this year.”

This investment bolsters GM’s U.S. manufacturing operations, which includes more than 50 assembly, stamping, propulsion and component plants and parts distribution centers nationwide.

It also highlights the company’s commitment to continue providing customers with a strong portfolio of ICE vehicles for years to come.

Arlington Assembly builds GM’s entire portfolio of full-size SUVs: Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade-V—helping the company lead the industry in this segment for the 48th straight year in 2022.

In addition to the overall segment leadership, the Cadillac Escalade led the full-size luxury SUV segment for the ninth straight year in the U.S. The Chevrolet Tahoe was the bestselling full-size SUV in 2022 and added to GM’s trophy case by ranking first in the Large SUV category in the J.D. Power U.S. Initial Quality Study. The GMC Yukon, the brand’s flagship nameplate, continues to see growth in the

“On behalf of 2 million voters and thousands of independent auto repair shops across Massachusetts, we are outraged by the unsolicited, unwarranted and counterproductive letter from NHTSA that conflicts with the Department of Justice’s statement submitted two years ago in federal court stating that there was no federal preemption,” said Tommy Hickey, executive director of the Right to Repair Coalition.

“NHTSA’s letter is irresponsible, having been transmitted without any new evidence and after the conclusion of the federal trial, despite having been asked by the judge to participate in the court proceeding and declining.

“NHTSA’s letter fails to acknowledge the evidence and testimony presented at the trial that demonstrated the viability and security of an open access platform,” Hickey continued.

“This is yet another delay tactic the manufacturers are using to thwart the will of their customers, Massachusetts voters who voted 7525 in favor of their right to get their car repaired where they choose. The FTC, the Biden Administration and many members of Congress have all come out in support of Right To Repair.”

mainstream full-size SUV segment, significantly outperforming the segment average. The Yukon Denali Ultimate trim also tied for first in the J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Ranking of the top large SUVs.

Through this more than half-abillion-dollar investment, Arlington Assembly will receive new tooling and equipment in its stamping, body shop and general assembly areas.

“When business is booming as it has been for the past decade—due to the hard work of UAW members— the company should continue to invest in its workforce,” said Mike Booth, UAW vice president, GM department. “It is good to see that GM recognizes the hard work you, the UAW membership, contribute to the success of this company. We are proud that UAW-GM members will continue to build quality, unionmade products here in the USA.”

“For more than half a century, Arlington Assembly has played an integral role in the economic success of the Dallas-Fort WorthArlington metroplex,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “General Motors’ over half-a-billion-dollar investment

in their North Texas assembly plant will strengthen Texas’ position as a global manufacturing leader and continue creating good-paying jobs for generations of Texans. I thank General Motors for continuing to invest in our state’s diverse, highly skilled workforce and look forward to maintaining the strong partnership between this great company and the State of Texas.”

GM has announced nearly $2 billion in investments for Arlington Assembly since 2013.

Source: GM

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How to Create a Winning Customer Experience

A lot of people think Collision Advice is just Mike Anderson, but I think it’s important people understand it’s so much more. We have 12 people on our team right now, amazing teammates who all have certain expertise. We have Maria Quintero and Mark Head, who both specialize in accounting assistance, for example, and we have Jeff Oldenettal and Danny Gredinberg, who specialize in estimating and parts. So we’re really a complete team.

Every year, we have a theme that shapes the work we do as we train and coach the shops we work with. This year’s theme is: Be extraordinary. Kevin Brown, author of “The Hero Effect,” spoke at our recent conference, and said he believes nobody notices normal. That’s why we need to be extraordinary in everything we do.

Sheryl: Sure. Customer service and customer experience are definitely two different things. When you think of customer service, those are individual moments or aspects of the customer experience. The customer experience is the entire customer journey: How are we making the customer feel, what are the emotions they feel when they interact with our brand?

system in place where I can schedule an appointment, or request a photobased estimate? Again, is it easy to do business with you?

Mike: Right, and you’re not talking about a photo-based estimate as a claims settlement strategy, but more as a marketing strategy. Because we’ve found that when customers have had an accident, they’re feeling a high level of anxiety. If they can submit photos to you or request information from you outside of normal business hours, it kind of lowers their anxiety because they feel like at least they’ve got the ball rolling. We’re not trying to write a repair plan based on photos. We’re trying to provide convenience for our customers to get the process started.

acknowledging the emotions you’re hearing from them. It can be as simple as, “I understand how frustrating this is, and I am here to help you every step of the way.”

And then that leads us to guiding them through the process. They need our direction. Unless they just got their car repaired by you just a couple weeks ago, they need you to guide them every step of the way on what the repair process looks like. All this has to be authentic, so it should never be scripted. You can use scripts to practice with, but if that wording doesn’t feel natural, do not say it that way. You don’t want to come across as inauthentic. Think about what you would say if a friend called you and told you they had been in an accident.

So for my column this month, I wanted to have one of my awesome teammates, Sheryl Driggers, share some of her insights on something she’s very passionate about: creating the extraordinary customer experience. Sheryl is a former shop owner in Florida, and she and I recently presented together on this topic at the Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show in Kansas. Here’s what we talked about.

Mike: Sheryl, let’s start out with what you see as the difference between “customer service” and the “customer experience.”

The customer experience actually starts with your employees’ experience. In order to create an extraordinary customer experience, we first have to create an extraordinary experience for our employees. How we talk to our employees, how we treat our employees, their ongoing experience with your company directly influences the experience of your customers. So that is No. 1.

Mike: And the customer’s experience is shaped even before they start to interact with those employees, doesn’t it?

Sheryl: Yes, even before they pick up the telephone and call us. It starts the moment they have any kind of interaction with our brand. We have to make it radically easy for customers to do business with us. And I don’t mean just easy, I mean radically easy.

We live in a world where you can order almost anything and get it the next day, if not the same day. Customers want that instant gratification, that instant response. So if I were to do a Google search, would your shop come up on the top of the list? Is there a chat feature on your website? And can I do business with you at 2 a.m. when I’m actually finally getting to my todo list? Is there an auto-reply set up, so when I reach out at 2 a.m., I’m not wondering whether I actually submitted something and you’ll get back to me in the morning, or if it went into a black hole. Do you have a

Sheryl: Exactly. Next, when they pick up the telephone and call your shop, what kind of information are they going to get from your customer service team? We of course have to have the conversation about insurance and the claim information, but that is not what we should lead with. We should first and foremost be building relationships from the first moment that we interact with a customer.

We can do that through the three things that you’ve taught for years, Mike, and that’s trust, empathy and direction. Start to build trust with the customer by pointing them to your online reviews, to your social media pages, to what other people are saying about your shop. If you have certifications, are you mentioning that to the customer, and then explaining what that means to them? Demonstrate empathy with at least one statement

Mike: So how about when they arrive at your shop?

Sheryl: When a customer walks through our doors, studies show that we have seven seconds to make a first impression. Even if we’re on the telephone with another customer, we can absolutely acknowledge the customer who walks through our doors through non-verbal cues. We should never communicate that we’re thinking about all the other tasks we need to complete. We should be completely focused on who is in front of us, actively listening to that customer, providing a personalized customer experience.

One of the best questions to ask during a repair consultation is: What is concerning you the most about this process? Whether it’s the claims process, or the repairs process, every single customer is different. And so that really helps us not just regurgitate information, or just check things off a task list.

We don’t want to just “process” a customer. We want to build relationships. So even in that first interaction, our focus needs to be on listening in order to understand what is most important to them so we can provide an individualized, extraordinary customer experience

I’ll share more about what Sheryl and I talked about in my next column.

Sheryl Driggers, one of the teammates at Collision Advice and a former shop owner, shares some of her insights on creating the extraordinary customer experience.

“One of the best questions to ask during a repair consultation is: What is concerning you the most about this process?” SHERYL DRIGGERS COLLISION ADVICE

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VEHICLE MFD .BY: TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, GVWR 4233LB GAWR FR 2668LB RR 2668LB THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY , BUMPER , AND THEFT PREVENTION STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE . PASS. CAR C⁄ TR : 4Q2 ⁄ LA43 ACV30L--CEPGKA A ⁄TM: --01A ⁄ U241E MADE IN U.S.A. 08270 00000000000000000 KENTUCKY, INC. 02⁄ 04 STK A AA5 To Visit Our Website SCAN HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT AUTO DATA LABELS: visit our website at www.AutoDataLabels.com email us at labels@AutoDataLabels.com or call us at (631) 667-2382 4 EASY WAYS TO ORDER LABELS! DON’T RISK LOSING YOUR VEHICLES IDENTITY! ORDER REPLACEMENT VIN LABELS TODAY! Federal Safety Certification (VIN) Label C /TR : 218 ⁄ FA2 0 AXAA54L– ANZMBA A/TM : -01A ⁄U B 80F MADE IN U.S.A. 512 THIS VEHICLE CONFORMS TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFE TY AND THEF T PREVENTION STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOWN ABOVE. 11 /18 VEHICLE MFD. BY: TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GVWR: 2090KG ( 4610LB ) GAWR: FRT. 1150KG ( 2535LB ) WITH 225/65R17 TIRES, 17X7J RIMS RR. 1150KG ( 2535LB ) WITH 225/65R17 TIRES, 17X7J RIMS E Replacement label: Not from Toyota JTMP1RFV1KD000000 MPV Contact Us : Contact your LKQ/Keystone Local Sales Rep Upload your photos to the Website: www.AutoDataLabels.com Email your photos: Labels@AutoDataLabels.com Use the App: Download the ADL App And Upload your Photos VIN labels contain vehicle-specific safety information. This information is critical for safe operation and proper repair procedures. • Tire Pressure • Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) • Paint and Trim Codes • Spare Tire Size

Autel released the MaxiFLASH XLink, a 3-in-1 programming, communication and Remote Expert-ready touchscreen device. With the 6.5-inch standalone XLink, technicians can use Autel’s widely-used Remote Expert platform to contract experienced programmers and diagnosticians with OE software subscriptions and tools to complete needed tasks.

The XLink enables technicians via the Remote Expert platform to obtain expert help and access to OE data remotely, a J2534 passthru programming capability allows techs to flash modules with a Windows PC and OE subscriptions onsite, and an enhanced VCI that supports the latest communication protocols and is compatible with all Autel MaxiSYS tablets.

The XLink’s standalone Remote Expert capabilities enable technicians to use the Remote Expert platform without tying down their MaxiSYS Ultra, MS919 or MS909 tablets.

Visit Autel.com to learn more about the MaxiFlash XLink.

Source: Autel

Quality Collision Group Acquires Stuart’s Paint & Body in Plano, TX

Quality Collision Group (QCG), a private-equity-backed venture of multisite OEM-certified collision repair centers, on June 6 announced the continued growth of its organization with the acquisition of Stuart’s Paint & Body.

QCG continues its strategic focus on building the nation’s largest and most trusted OEMcertified collision repair company

QCG’s first acquisition in the state of Texas.

“Securing a foothold in Texas has been a top priority for QCG since day one, and the addition of Stuart’s Paint & Body underscores our dedication to that goal,” said Executive Vice President of Operations Brent McKinney

Since 1983, Stuart Singer has developed a strong and loyal following for providing the highest quality repairs in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. QCG

QCG will allow us to expand and continue delivering the best results for our customers and clients in the Dallas/Fort Worth market.”

Singer will retain his role within Stuart’s Paint & Body, which will keep its name and branding. It will be business as usual, with Singer and his team providing the same strong commitment to detail and personal attention they have for the past 39 years.

by using an acquisition strategy that maintains the high standards, commitment and quality of service at the repair facilities it acquires.

Headquartered in Plano, TX, Stuart’s Paint & Body provides an expanded national footprint for QCG as it furthers its mergeracquisition strategy. Stuart’s will be

COO Matt Robbins recognized Stuart’s Paint & Body’s approach to prioritizing the customer experience: “The team at Stuart’s treats every repair as if they are working on their own personal vehicle. We are honored to welcome Stuart’s Paint & Body as we continue our mission of building the most prestigious collision repair company.”

QCG’s original equipmentfocused approach pairs perfectly with Stuart’s Porsche and Maserati OE certifications. Singer added, “Maintaining integrity and taking pride in our work is our priority. Partnering with the team at

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

Source: Quality Collision Group

Stuart’s Auto Body is located in Plano, TX. Credit: Business Wire

Tesla Diagnostics

Autel added significant Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicle diagnostic coverage with a new software release and Teslacompatible cable.

Tesla update 2.0 for the Ultra series of tablets includes Read and Erase Code capabilities for Tesla Models 3 and Y on the following systems: Compressor (CMP), Steering Column Control Module (SCCM), Electric Power Assisted Steering 1 (EPAS1 ) and 2 (EPAS2 ), Center Radar (RADC), Restraints Controller Module (RCM), Electric Stability Program (ESP), iBooster (IBST), Park Assist System (PARK). ECU Reset and Connection Test are two Special Functions also included in Tesla version 2 software version.

Additional coverage for both Model Y and 3 includes Vehicle Controller-Front, Left and Right, Electronic Parking Brake-Left and Right, Pedal Monitor, Potentiometer System, and Electric Power Assist Steering- 1 and -2, and Center Radar. Visit Autel.com for information.

Source: Autel

Electrify Commercial To Install 20 Fast-Charging EV Stations in Utah

Electrify Commercial on May 17 announced plans to support Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacificCorp, with the installation of 20 EV charging stations in Utah. The project will include more than 80 individual chargers at 15 stations in the Salt Lake City area and five stations in surrounding regions, a total of 20 charging stations.

more than 800 stations and 3,500 individual chargers. Electrify Commercial will provide industryleading charging equipment, installation, networking and ongoing operations and maintenance.

Each station will have a minimum of four chargers that can charge capable vehicles at speeds up to 350 kW offering speed and convenience for EV drivers. Rocky Mountain Power will set pricing at these charging stations, and customers will be able to access and seamlessly pay for charging through the Electrify America mobile app.

Electrify Commercial presents a unique opportunity for companies like Rocky Mountain Power to own their own charging stations while leveraging Electrify America’s experience building the largest open, DC-fast charging network in the U.S. The collaboration will help Rocky Mountain Power to expand critical EV infrastructure needed for Utah’s future growth.

As a business unit of Electrify America, Electrify Commercial provides customized end-toend EV charging solutions to businesses, utility companies, fleet owners, travel centers and convenience stores.

The new charging stations, owned by Rocky Mountain Power, will be featured on Electrify America’s coast-to-coast “locate a charger” map, which includes

“As electric vehicles continue becoming more mainstream, it’s important to expand access and range confidence in all parts of the country,” said Aaron Young, senior manager, commercial networks and fleets, Electrify America. “With a shared commitment to increase EV adoption, reduce tailpipe emissions and improve air quality, we are excited to collaborate with Rocky Mountain Power to deliver 350 kW charging capability to EV drivers in Utah.”

“Salt Lake City is the top city in the U.S. to own an electric vehicle, making it more important than ever to provide accessible charging in the region and in other parts of Utah,” said James Campbell , director of innovation and sustainability, Rocky Mountain Power. “Electrify Commercial will play an important role in helping us achieve our electrification goals and enable seamless EV travel throughout the state of Utah.”

The first charging stations from this collaboration are expected to open in 2024 in Salt Lake City, the Wasatch Valley Front and Moab.

Source: Electrify America

Inaugural Episode of Webinar Series Looks At IIHS’ Study of Issues Reported With ADAS Repairs

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

AirPro Diagnostics’ new webinar series, TechTalk 360, hosted its firstever episode May 17, “Consumer Experiences with Crash Avoidance Feature Repairs,” presented by David Zuby, executive vice president and chief research officer for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS.)

A full replay of the presentation is available on AirPro Diagnostics’ YouTube channel, at youtube.com/@ airprodiagnostics1282.

The webinars, co-hosted by Jordan Hendler and George Avery, will be presented every other month.

During the roughly one-hour webinar, Zuby discussed IIHS’ recent report on its survey of owners

repaired ADAS feature; 85% were the vehicle’s original owner. Most sought a repair of the feature due to a recall or service bulletin from the automaker, but one in five owners did so because the vehicle had collision damage. The least common reason to seek a repair was because the car displayed an error code.

Of the respondents, about two-thirds took their vehicle to a dealership service center. The rest either went to an independent repair shop or didn’t know.

Zuby said a majority of the respondents said the features were recalibrated as part of the repair, which he said is good news.

“We have heard a lot of windshield repairs and others aren’t getting the recalibrations required,” Zuby said. “So at least from this sample of owners’ perspectives, [recalibration] is by and large taking place.”

Since most of the vehicles owned by survey respondents were newer, they were covered by insurance or a warranty, and respondents were largely satisfied with how much they had to pay out of pocket for the repair.

“It just takes time for these new issues to be fully addressed.”

Zuby said there is a concern that if consumers continue to experience problems, there will be less interest in the technology, and car buyers as a whole will be less likely to purchase vehicles with those features.

“As a safety organization, we’d like to see more cars equipped with them,” Zuby said.

The IIHS will continue to study the reasons behind the high rate of postrepair issues.

of vehicles with repaired crash avoidance features, also known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS.)

Zuby said U.S. roadway deaths hit a low of about 32,000 in 2011, but since then, they have been steadily rising—increasing 32% over the next decade to about 43,000 deaths in 2021, the most recent year of data available.

The popularity of ADAS features is also increasing, Zuby said. Nearly half of the entire car parc on U.S. roads has a rearview camera at this point, while other features, like active lane centering, are still only available on a few new models.

“These features are important because [data] shows they are helping drivers avoid crashes,” Zuby said. “They work, so we want to make sure when they’re involved in a crash, they go back on the road working properly.”

However, the features also drive up the cost of repairs, requiring more labor for recalibrating and more expensive replacement parts.

“Mistakes in repairs are leading to a decrease in effectiveness,” Zuby said.

IIHS surveyed 500 people who owned vehicles, mostly from model years 2015-2021, with at least one

Significantly more respondents reported problems with the feature after it was repaired by an independent shop compared to a dealership service center. “That speaks to the lack of availability of repair information to independent repairers, which Right to Repair legislation would make more widely available,” Zuby said.

Post-repair issues were also more likely if the vehicle went to the shop for collision damage or a windshield replacement, as compared to a recall or service bulletin.

“That reflects that crash repairs have gotten complicated,” Zuby said. “The info needed to get it done is not fully available to all repairers yet.”

Zuby said those results surprised IIHS researchers.

“It speaks to fact the calibrations are complicated, and even when they’re being carried out, they’re not being done right,” he said. “Calibration instructions are often not clear, and they can change year to year, model to model within the same OE.

“It’s a cause for concern that the industry needs to pay more attention to making sure information about calibrations is not only clear, but also followed,” Zuby added.

Respondents also reported some features had to be repaired more than once---about a third had more than one repair, and about a third later needed a repair for a separate problem. But the repairs generally improved the feature’s performance, the survey showed.

“As the number of features on cars on the road is growing, it may lead to more repair issues initially, but over time, I think the problems people experience will decrease,” Zuby said.

As an example, he pointed to Ford’s introduction of an aluminum body on the F-150.

“The repair costs initially were higher and took longer [than for steel], but in the most recent update, there was no difference,” Zuby said.

“We suspect part of it is growing pains, but we also suspect we need to make repair info more readily available, to not just OE shops but also independent shops,” Zuby said.

“Self-diagnostics were the least common reason to seek repair; we also think the auto industry could do more to make systems capable of alerting when a repair is needed,” he added.

Zuby said automakers have an obligation to make repair processes as simple as possible, and insurers also have to understand what they’re insuring so they’re not pushing back against estimates.

“It’s a cause for concern that the industry needs to pay more attention to making sure information about calibrations is not only clear, but also followed.”

DAVID ZUBY IIHS

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Rivian Joins SCRS As Corporate Member

Rivian Automotive is the newest automobile manufacturer to join the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) as a corporate member.

The collaboration is the foundation of the relationship between SCRS and automakers, building channels for connectivity and communication between the companies designing and building complex vehicles, and the collision repair community who is committed to repairing them correctly.

Rivian and SCRS have shared a mutually strong working relationship since the automaker’s entrance into the market, with collaborative work stemming from educational opportunities during SCRS’ Repairer Driven Education at SEMA, interactions between the many certified network members involved in SCRS, and mutual activity through the OEM Collision Repair Roundtable.

For more information about SCRS or to join as a member, visit www.scrs.com, call 1-877-8410660 or email info@scrs.com.

Source: SCRS

Tesla Proposes $3.8 Million Donation For Roads Near Lithium Refinery

By Maria Merano Teslarati

Tesla proposed a $3.8 million donation to improve roads near its lithium refinery in Robstown, TX, in Nueces County, to improve county roads 30, 79 and 81.

Nueces County commissioners will discuss the proposal at their next meeting June 7. Commissioner John Marez explained the approval process is complicated.

“That’s why it does have to go through the commissioner’s court to be able to review and accept the agreement. It will help the roads directly tied into their proposed plan or property they currently own in Nueces County,” he told a local news outlet.

Marez said Tesla’s donation would go towards widening roads and pavement improvements. The roads Tesla aims to improve lead to its Corpus Christi, TX, lithium refinery. Most of the donation will ensure the roads accommodate the heavy-duty equipment and

vehicles passing through to the lithium refinery.

Marez saw Tesla’s donation in a positive light, commenting he expects the proposal will be well-received by the other commissioners.

“We feel the road improvements are needed,” Marez said. “And maybe something we typically couldn’t afford, but also provides the guidelines they need to meet their needs as far as vehicles coming to and from their facility. I believe in the end it’s a win-win project.”

Tesla broke ground on its $375 million lithium refinery in Corpus Christi in May. The facility is located southwest of Robstown, but within the Robstown Independent School District (ISD). Robstown ISD will generate tax revenue from Tesla’s lithium facility.

“Our goal is to start commissioning portions of the facility before the end of the year,” Andrew Baglino, senior vice president of powertrain and energy

engineering at Tesla, explained in this year’s first quarter earnings call.

“The refinery uses the sulfatefree spodumene refining process with reduced process costs, no acid or caustic reagents, lower embodied energy. It actually produces a beneficial byproduct that can be repurposed in construction materials,” Baglino said.

Tesla aims to start operations at the lithium refinery by the end of the year. The company estimates the lithium facility will have a capacity of 50 GWh annually.

Cole Strandberg

The Benefits of Bringing More Services In-House for Auto Body Shops

Body shops have always focused on repairing vehicles after an accident, but there are many other services they could provide to increase revenue and profits and improve customer satisfaction. One way to expand their offerings is by bringing in-house some services they currently outsource, such as ADAS calibration,

ADAS calibration tools, software and training for technicians. Body shops will also need to ensure that they have the necessary processes in place to manage these services, including developing new workflows for ADAS calibration, training staff on new processes, and developing pricing strategies for these services.

include a wide range of options, such as aftermarket wheels, vinyl wraps, ceramic and protective coatings, performance upgrades and more. These services can provide customers with the ability to personalize their vehicles and make them stand out from the crowd.

There are several benefits to adding a customization component to a collision business. Firstly, it can provide an additional source of revenue and profitability for the body shop. This can help to diversify the business and reduce its dependence on collision repairs.

Secondly, offering customization can improve customer satisfaction, build loyalty, generate repeat business and meet the needs

looking for things beyond repair and give clients more excuses to walk into your building. As an added benefit, customers for these services tend to be in a bit of a better mood and more willing to spend on non-insurance, more profitable work.

Bringing things like ADAS calibration, alignment and customization services in-house can provide numerous benefits for body shops. By investing in the necessary equipment, training and processes, body shops can offer a more complete and efficient repair service to their customers while also increasing profitable revenue and improving customer satisfaction. It is important for body shops to evaluate their current offerings and

alignment and customization services. As an added benefit, most of these services have high margins and tend to be “easier” than the bulk of collision repair work. Plenty of shops are doing these things inhouse. Should you?

ADAS Calibration

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become increasingly common in modern vehicles. These systems use cameras, radar and other sensors to assist drivers with tasks such as lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. However, if these systems are not calibrated correctly after a collision repair, they may not function properly. This can compromise the safety of the vehicle and its occupants.

By bringing ADAS calibration inhouse, body shops can ensure they are providing a complete and safe repair service to their customers. This can also help to reduce the time and cost associated with outsourcing these services. Additionally, having inhouse ADAS calibration capabilities can provide a competitive advantage over other body shops that do not offer these services.

To bring ADAS calibration inhouse, body shops will need to invest in the necessary equipment and training. This may include

Credit: Shutterstock

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

COLORADO NEW MEXICO TEXAS

Mike Maroone Honda

Colorado Springs

888-431-0294

719-785-5045

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 rick williams@mikemarooneauto com

Mile High Honda Denver

800-548-4730

303-369-7800

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6 crehburg@autotree net

Honda of Harvey Harvey

800-943-4227

504-368-5687

Dept Hours: M-F 7-5:30; Sat 7:30-12 tmaywalt@millsautogroup com

Walker Honda Alexandria

318-448-8255

318-445-6677

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 hondaparts@walkerautomotive com

Garcia Honda Albuquerque

800-677-6632

505-260-5003

Dept� Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8:30-5 Parts206959@garciacars com

AutoNation Honda Lewisville

800-344-8611

972-219-0021

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5

Honda Cars of McKinney

McKinney

972-569-4276

972-569-4222

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 Gene chenault@hendrickauto com

Honda of Frisco Frisco

866-442-2711

972-731-3176

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7:30-5:30 cedgar@mcdavid com

Honda of San Marcos San Marcos

866-392-1313

512-392-1313

Dept� Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 9-5 csmith@hondasanmarcos com

McDavid Honda Irving Irving

800-492-4464

972-790-6003

Dept Hours: M-F 8-6 srichardson@mcdavid com

Northside Honda

San Antonio

800-727-8705

210-340-0831

Dept Hours: M-F 8-5; Sat 8-5 hondaparts@mynshonda com

Rusty Wallis Honda Dallas

877-466-3272

214-328-3891

Dept� Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 darryldotsy@rustywallis com

COLORADO

Mile High Acura

Denver

800-548-4730

303-369-7800

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6 crehburg@autotree net

Acura of Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge

866-733-2861

225-756-6166

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 dlavigne@acurabr com

Walker Acura

Metairie

800-359-8555

504-465-8555

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 parts@walkeracura com

Autonation Acura

League City

800-749-6227

713-371-4700

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 CarranzaB1@autonation com

David McDavid Acura

Austin

800-575-3553

512-401-5976

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 mkratky@mcdavid com

Hiley Acura Fort Worth

888-454-0947

817-809-7762

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 parts@hileyacura com

Sterling McCall Acura

Houston

713-596-2337

713-596-2338

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-7; Sat 7:30-4 jlambert@sterlingmccallacura com

Team Gillman Acura

Houston

833-738-3637

281-209-4200

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Jody Wilkinson Acura

Salt Lake City

800-234-0875

801-323-0492

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 rick@jodywilkinson com

Mike Hale Acura Murray

800-292-4595

801-263-0202

Dept Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 pgoold@mikehale com

TEXAS

LOUISIANA

Federal Right To Repair Legislation

Receives Landslide of Support

Auto Care Association, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, CAR Coalition and SEMA are applauding a new group of bipartisan cosponsors of the REPAIR Act (H.R. 906), which will ensure choice, fairness and safety in the vehicle repair market.

Originally introduced by the bipartisan team of U.S. Reps. Neal Dunn, R-FL, Brendan Boyle, D-PA, Warren Davidson, R-OH, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-WA, eight additional members signed on quickly in support of the REPAIR Act in April.

In May, an additional 16 members of Congress have now signed on to the REPAIR Act, bringing the total to 28 supporters of drivers’ right to choose where they get their vehicle maintained and repaired. The new representatives include:

• U.S. Rep. Donald G. Davis, D-NC

• U.S. Rep. John H. Rutherford, R-FL

• U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-CA

• U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-ME

• U.S. Rep. Mark E. Amodei, R-NV

• VU.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-FL

• U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH

• U.S. Rep. Salud O. Carbajal, D-CA

• Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón, R-PR

• U.S. Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-IA

• U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-IN

• U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-WI

• U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-NM

• U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-NJ

• U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-NJ

• U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-NV             Bipartisan support of the bill continues to grow. The REPAIR Act is the only bill that addresses vehicle maintenance and repair restrictions, including heavy duty vehicles the U.S. economy depends on for freight transport. Automotive aftermarket companies can urge legislators in their district to also co-sponsor the bill by visiting repairact.com.

Source: Auto Care Association

Tesla Cybertruck Manufacturing Job Openings Ramping At Giga Texas

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

A look at Tesla’s Careers page suggests the electric vehicle maker is setting the stage for the mass production of the Cybertruck, which is supposed to start sometime this year.

As can be seen on Tesla’s Careers page, the number of job openings related to the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas has increased. As of writing, there were more than 70 job openings. A good portion of the job listings specifically relates to Cybertruck manufacturing.

The hiring ramp for the Cybertruck suggests Tesla may not be too far from starting the initial production of the highlyanticipated vehicle. Drone videos from avid Tesla watchers who have chronicled the progress of Giga Texas since its earliest days suggest the facility’s Cybertruck area continues to be busy.

This was hinted at in photos

shared by drone operator Jeff Roberts, one of Giga Texas’ veteran watchers. Images shared showed massive boxes have been brought inside the Cybertruck area at Giga Texas. Tesla also provided some official images of the vehicle’s pilot line in the Q1 2023 Update Letter.

The Cybertruck is arguably one of the most highly anticipated allelectric vehicles today. With its hulking stainless steel frame and its unique origami-like design, the Cybertruck promises to be a vehicle unlike anything on the road today.

While the Cybertruck has seen its own fair share of delays, Tesla executives such as CEO Elon Musk and Chief of Design Franz von Holzhausen have maintained the Cybertruck will be well worth the wait. Musk has even gone so far as to suggest the Cybertruck could very well become Tesla’s magnum opus.

GM Discusses Collision Repair Network Program, Easing Parts Challenges

By John Yoswick Autobody News

Representatives of General Motors, speaking at the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Educational Conference in May, talked about recent and upcoming changes to the automaker’s Collision Repair Network (CRN), which currently includes just over 700 auto body shops.

Megan Sullivan, collision program manager, said nearly all of the required tools and equipment to

C8 and Cadillac CT6—can now participate in a “sharing program” for the specific fixtures and tools that level of the network requires.

“We realize they may only see a Cadillac CT6 a couple of times a year in their shop, and we were getting feedback that some of the tools were really expensive for the low amount of repairs,” Sullivan said.

CRN shops with technical questions about repair procedures— or the lack of a procedure—can email the automaker’s collision repair technical support team.

CRN shops also can use a free dashboard through AutoHouse technologies that allows them to see how they compare to other shops in terms of cycle time and other metrics.

the day after a crash is detected, but only if the driver contacted OnStar after the accident and if no injuries were involved.

Given the automaker’s access to that telematics data, the GM representatives were asked if GM has future plans to partner with insurance companies.

“Yeah, we absolutely do,” Doherty

Doherty said. “Is it getting better? It is. We’ve seen a back-order decrease of about 30% since the beginning of the year. So we’re getting some relief, but it is difficult.”

She said the current increase in new car sales “helps our case for the need for service parts.”

qualify for the program are now specbased, rather than requiring specific brands or models. Shops seeking to qualify for the second level of the program—which is required in order for a shop to purchase restricted structural parts for the Corvette

Kelli Doherty, independent aftermarket collision manager at GM, said that dashboard will in the future be used as part of a ranking program of CRN shops.

In terms of more proactively driving work to CRN shops—beyond GM’s shop locator site and the marketing assets available for shop use—Sullivan said OnStar subscribers are emailed a link to the shop locator

said, noting OnStar Insurance has launched to help GM “understand that market better.” “OnStar has a great read on what happens to a vehicle the instant there’s an accident. So we have some great data. We have to figure out how that translates to what’s in the best interest of the consumer, and how we can get that vehicle repaired safely and properly.”

Sullivan and Doherty were asked about the continued challenge with back-ordered parts.

“It’s painful. I’m not going to lie,”

The owner of an independent shop at the conference told Doherty she’s experienced dealers not performing needed calibrations she has sublet to them, despite providing the service department with exactly what collision repair work had been done to the vehicles. Doherty said dealers are held to the same standards as independent shops in terms of GM’s shop certification, and “if we find out [needed calibration] is not happening, there’s clearly some communication that will happen.” Doherty was also asked about when the automaker describes a procedure as “required” versus “recommended.”

“You need stronger language, is that what you’re asking? We’ve heard that feedback,” Doherty said, saying she is working with the GM engineering team about such language, and that GM “understands the position it puts you in.”

“We’ve seen a back-order decrease of about 30% since the beginning of the year.”

KELLI DOHERTY INDEPENDENT AFTERMARKET COLLISION MANAGER, GM

Auto Body Shop Owners Decide Where to Focus Attention, Resources in Near Future

By John Yoswick Autobody News

An article published in the June 2023 issue of Autobody News asked a half dozen shop owners to reflect on a recent change they had made in their business and how it worked out.

Now, some of those same shop owners—and others—look ahead rather than back, sharing what challenges they see and where they will be focusing added resources in the next year or two.

Melanie Allan of Craftsman Collision in Long Beach, CA, said she’s a little concerned about the impact of a recession, if one occurs.

“The number of $1,000 deductibles that I’m seeing is just off the charts,” she said. “It used to be $250 and $500. Now everybody seems to have $1,000 deductibles, and that’s a big chunk of money. We just fix regular cars, Corollas and Accords. There’s not a lot of affluence around here. So I’m concerned that people will not keep going on a claim when they realize they have a $1,000 deductible.”

Walker’s Auto Body in Concord, CA, said her shop is also gearing up to repair Rivian’s electric vans.

“We’ve been working on electric transit buses for a long time, and haven’t had any issues, but we are getting a little bit nervous about bringing in the Rivian vans,” Walker said. “I really have to brush up on the safety part of it: Where are we going to store these vans when sitting idle? There’s lots of stories out there.”

Another potential focal point Walker mentioned: “I’m probably going to be working toward selling my shop in the next three years,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. But I also don’t want to just walk away from the industry, because I feel I have so much information I can share.”

purchased,” Hamm said. “The guy and and his father worked there, and they were just done. I bought it from him, and he actually became an estimator for me. We’ll be able to grab more work from a neighboring town.”

Hamm said he’ll also be focused on getting more OEM certifications and streamlining processes.

“I’ve also been thinking about shifting to a four-day work week,” he said. “That way people have more of a balance between work and home, and I think it will help us keep our guys and get more people to jump on board. I’m kicking that around to

see how I can implement it.”

Repair Quality

Second-generation shop owner Tiffany Silva of Accurate Auto Body in Richmond, CA, said her company is staying focused on proper, safe repairs.

“We just brought on AirPro Diagnostics,” she said. “We have multiple scanners here and we preand post-repair scan every car, but I just pre-scanned a car and the [aftermarket] scanner didn’t catch there was a blown airbag. How frustrating is that?”

She said the shop holds some OEM certifications.

“But I’m letting go a lot of the OE ‘recognition’ and sticking with just the ‘certifications,’ the ones that have brought value to me,” she said.

She’s investing in ongoing technician training, noting she’d just flown two techs for training by Equip Automotive Systems.

“It was $7,500 for two days, but I’m reassured they are doing a safe, proper repair when it comes to replacing a quarter-panel as the OEMs want, with the OEM procedures,” she said.

She said Yelp and Google reviews now have a “massive” impact.

“So we do whatever we can for customers. We’re bending over backwards for customers right now, more than ever,” she said. “We have to keep that up.”

In Slidell, LA, Frank Rinaudo of Frank’s Accurate Body Shop also said Google reviews are a main focus.

“I think there was a time when customers trusted that if their insurance company said, ‘Go here,’ they did that,” Rinaudo said. “Now they do their own research. We monitor why they came to us, and Google reviews are the No. 1 thing.”

He said his shop is non-DRP but has nine OEM certifications.

“We’re heavily pursuing that, particularly in the electric vehicle arena,” he said. “We’re onboarding with Rivian, Lucid and Mercedes currently. So marketing, certifications and training are the three big focuses.”

EVs, Customer Co-Pays

Like Rinaudo, Gigi Walker of

Tom Ricci, owner of Body & Paint Center in Hudson, MA, said with most insurers in his market paying labor rates of $43 or less, he’s considering whether to start collecting more from customers.

“There seems to be a wave going on of people getting off all the programs and starting to do a copay just like with medical and dental insurance,” Ricci said. “We’re faced with that. How many customers will we lose? And can we afford not to? I think the numbers are going to drive me there. We just can’t do it for this rate any more. That to me is the next big hurdle. I’ve heard a lot of people say you don’t lose that many customers, but I’m not sure how warmly it will be received.”

A New Location

Keith Hamm, owner of AutoCraft Collision, a 10-employee, 11,000-square-foot shop in Paso Robles, CA, said he’s currently focused on the opening of a second location.

“It was an existing shop in a great location, about 20 miles away in a neighboring town, that we

Shop owners are looking at how to tackle the biggest issues facing the collision repair industry today.

“We monitor why [customers] came to us, and Google reviews are the No. 1 thing.”

— FRANK RINAUDO OWNER, FRANK’S ACCURATE BODY SHOP

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Automakers Being Pressured To Make Emergency Calling Tech Standard and Free

Most new cars come with built-in technology that can automatically call for help in an emergency and give the precise location of your vehicle, even if you are unable to call. This technology—known as automatic crash notification—has been in use in the U.S. since OnStar debuted in 1996.

This life-saving feature is now mandatory in all new cars sold in most of Europe. But in the U.S., it’s only optional, and it can cost a lot of money. In a recent investigation, Consumer Reports (CR) found most automakers still require a subscription fee that can be more than $100 a year to keep automatic crash notification active, and they’ll disable it if the fee’s not paid.

CR found 14 car brands do offer free automatic crash notification on

Safety Administration. Fifty-one percent of Americans say it’s either extremely or very important that their next vehicle has a system that will call emergency services when the airbags deploy, according to a new nationally representative survey conducted by CR in March.

To help save lives, CR is ramping up a new campaign to pressure automakers to make automatic crash notification come standard in all new vehicles, and keep it active for free.

More than 20,000 consumers signed a new CR petition in its first three days. It’s aimed at the automakers General Motors, Stellantis, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and Tesla, which do not offer free automatic crash

in its decision.

“We believe providing these customer benefits at no cost is the right thing to do and is in alignment with our brand DNA over the years,” a spokesperson for the automaker said in a statement. “Consumer Reports’ information was one piece in our decision-making process.”

CR said it’s time for more automakers to make the same move.

“Automatic crash notification can save lives. It should come standard on all new cars, and remain active—and free—regardless of what happens with subscriptions for other connected services,” said William Wallace, CR’s associate director of safety policy.

Wallace noted automatic crash notification is often bundled

delayed because they choose not to pay for features like remote start or a mobile hot spot,” Wallace said. “It’s one thing for automakers to charge extra for conveniences, but this is about safety, and safety isn’t optional.”

It’s not just safety advocates who are calling for change.

“All cars should be required to have this feature, and nobody should pay for it,” said Dr. Eileen Bulger, a professor of surgery with University of Washington Medicine in Seattle who has researched the benefits of this feature on crash survival rates and presented those findings to the federal government. “It’s a safety feature.”

Today’s new cars and trucks come with standard safety features that used to be optional for an

Repairify Announces AsTech® All-In-One

Repairify , a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, on June 8 announced the upcoming release of the new asTech® AllIn-One solution for local and remote automotive diagnostics, calibrations and programming to simplify the repair process.

The asTech® All-In-One is a comprehensive tablet-based solution with local and remote capabilities that’s enabled for both asTech® remote OEM tool solutions and OEM Compatible diagnostics, as well as ADAS calibrations and programming.

The asTech® All-In-One is the most powerful solution of its kind available in the automotive repair market. It features the broadest capabilities of any asTech® device and the most comprehensive OEM vehicle coverage, including those using the DOIP, CANFD, K-Line and secure gateway protocols.

The asTech® All-In-One was officially available June 12. For more information, visit astech. com/all-in-one.

Source: Repairify

MA Senators Want Explanation from NHTSA on Right To Repair Position

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey , who both represent Massachusetts, on June 15 sent a letter to federal officials asking for an explanation of the letter sent earlier the same week to automakers, telling them not to comply with the state’s recently enacted Right to Repair law. The letter was addressed to U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg and National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Sophie Schulman

Warren and Markey said “NHTSA’s decision to give auto manufacturers a green light to ignore state law appears to favor Big Auto, undermine the will of Massachusetts voters and the Biden Administration’s competition policy, and raise questions about both the decision process and the substance of the decision by NHTSA’s leadership.

“We are asking NHTSA to explain its rationale for its

harmful actions and respect Massachusetts state law by reversing course,” the senators continued.

The letter pointed out that NHTSA had “ample opportunity” before the law took effect June 1 to raise preemption arguments through the judicial process, and even declined multiple requests from the judge to participate.

“Instead, NHTSA sent the June 13 letter with no warning, circumventing the legal process, contradicting a judicial order, undermining Massachusetts voters, harming competition and hurting consumers, and causing unnecessary confusion by raising this novel view two weeks after enforcement of the law began,” the senators wrote.

The senators said NHTSA’s position goes against the Biden administration’s policy to combat monopolies in repair markets.

NHTSA’s letter to automakers relies on the same argument used by the automakers themselves, the senators said: “an irresolvable conflict between maintaining data security and providing independent repair shops with the data they need to conduct repairs. Auto manufacturers have routinely raised safety concerns as a way to ‘change the subject’ and distract consumers from the fact that vehicle repair and maintenance services from independent repair shops keeps the cost of service and repair down.”

The senators said those safety concerns had already been addressed in a U.S. district court, which concluded they did not override Massachusetts’s right to enforce the law.

Mitchell Hosts High School Students to Show Career Opportunities in the Collision Repair Industry

By Abby Andrews Autobody News

San Diego, CA-based Mitchell recently teamed up with the owner of a regional MSO and a local high school to show students in both the automotive repair and robotics programs career possibilities they might not have considered before.

He said he got the idea to also invite students in robotics programs when his daughter took a robotics class and he noticed similarities in the components of robots and new cars.

Luke Burger, senior solutions specialist for Mitchell, told the students the goal was to show them all the different facets of the automotive industry, especially collision repair.

“We want you to see the software, tools, different components to get data from vehicles,” he said. “Hopefully you’ll find something interesting.”

Ben Sikora is the auto body instructor at Santana High School. He said when he took the job at the beginning of the previous school year, it was clear the program had “gotten passed by the industry over a decade ago.”

be interested in re-opening it. A week later, Sikora had the keys to the school’s shop.

Leger had another reason to support the re-establishment of the auto body program—he owns three Fix Auto body shops in the San Diego area that all need to be staffed.

one at a high school in Ramona, CA, where he co-owns a fourth Fix Auto shop, until that program was closed.

Over two consecutive days, about 50 students from Santana High School in Santee, CA, first stopped by Mitchell’s Technical Research Center in San Diego, and then visited Fix Auto Poway.

At Mitchell, students saw a static calibration of a 2018 Honda Accord equipped with ADAS features along with 3D imaging software, used to determine vehicle dimensions that appear in the company’s estimating solution and database of repair and reference information. They also got a chance to look at a pair of Rivian R1T electric trucks. After lunch, they went to Fix Auto Poway to see every step of the repair process, from intake to delivery.

The demonstration was part of Mitchell’s efforts to address the growing technician shortage problem in the collision repair industry; the company also donates software subscriptions to schools around the country through the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), and is a supporter of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and Ranken Technical College collision engineering program.

Scott Baierl, senior vice president of engineering and content for Mitchell, said the hope is to show young potential technicians all the cool new technology on today’s vehicles to get them interested, while helping schools get the tools needed to train them.

“It was important to modernize it so students are ready to get a job working on cars that actually exist,” Sikora said.

Sikora got to work immediately applying for grants with CREF and other organizations. He has won enough funds to purchase new welders and a waterborne paintmixing system, and will soon have estimating software, thanks to Mitchell. He said he hopes to also get a calibrating system like the one demonstrated.

“Cars are changing, but they’re not going away,” Sikora said. “People are still banging them into each other.”

Sikora said he started working in a collision repair shop when he was 17. He later owned a custom restoration shop, which was how he met Gary Leger, the owner of a 1967 Bronco and the father of a student at Santana High School. Leger knew the auto body program at the school had just been shuttered after the last instructor retired, and asked Sikora if he would

“The older generation is aging out,” Leger said. “We have to show [younger people] it’s not just banging on fenders anymore. There are more computers in a Honda than in a 737.”

Leger said he has been involved with the auto body program at Santana High School for about four years, and was also working with

He said a graduating senior from Santana’s program will start working at one of his shops full time in June.

“I’m lucky to have a bit of a younger crew,” he said.

Later that afternoon, Leger and one of his employees led the students in smaller groups around the shop floor at Fix Auto Poway, which has 27,000 square feet of production space and repairs about 200 vehicles per month—including Rivians, which has certified the shop as a repair center.

“Cars are changing, but they’re not going away. People are still banging them into each other.”

BEN SIKORA AUTO BODY INSTRUCTOR, SANTANA HIGH SCHOOL

Neal Hoffman, far right, solutions specialist, and Luke Burger, senior solutions specialist, second from right, both with Mitchell, demonstrate using a device to scan a 2018 Honda Accord equipped with ADAS features.

High school students watch a demonstration at Mitchell’s Technical Research Center in San Diego, CA.

Gary Leger, owner of Fix Auto Poway, leads students on a tour of his 27,000-square-foot shop.

Denise Wells 303-726-3575

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Caliber Signs Enterprise Agreement To License Mitchell

Cloud Estimating At All Locations

Mitchell, an Enlyte company, and Caliber Collision on May 31 announced they have signed a multi-year, enterprise licensing agreement.

The agreement gives all current and future Caliber locations access to Mitchell Cloud Estimating, Integrated Repair Procedures, a Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) Calculator and miScore. It also includes enhancements to the company’s software solutions and data analytics designed to better assist Caliber in monitoring center performance and meeting the needs of both insurers and policyholders.

“Mitchell’s focus on innovation and support of proper and safe repairs are the perfect complement to Caliber’s purpose of Restoring the Rhythm of Your Life® for customers nationwide,” said Caliber Chief Client Officer Shawn Hezar . “This agreement ensures that we will continue to exceed customer expectations

by delivering safe, efficient and accurate repairs, while also assisting a growing network of carriers with their direct repair programs.”

“Transitioning from singlelocation contracts to an enterprise agreement represents a significant milestone in our longstanding relationship with Caliber,” said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell’s Auto Physical Damage division. “We look forward to working alongside our largest collision repair client as Caliber expands its choice of insurance partners, gains new market coverage and reaches new customers.”

To quickly deploy its cloudbased solutions to the first wave of Caliber shops, Mitchell held a series of remote training sessions—onboarding 200+ Caliber centers and 1,000+ teammates in a matter of weeks. The remaining centers will be added throughout 2023.

With Mitchell Cloud Estimating,

collision repair organizations can write damage appraisals from any internet-enabled smartphone, tablet or laptop computer. The solution features Integrated Repair Procedures, making it possible to improve estimate accuracy and decrease research time by surfacing more than 30 years of vehicle data and OEM information as the appraisal is written. Using the PDR calculator, shops can determine repair costs for minor dents, dings and body creases as well as easily add those expenses to the estimate. Caliber’s corporate support center will also leverage miScore to monitor key performance indicators for centers and teammates.

Combined, these Mitchell solutions are intended to assist the automotive services provider with streamlining workflows, reducing cycle time and improving customer and business partner satisfaction.

Source: Mitchell

Repair OnDemand, a division of Repairify, a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries, LLC, is pleased to announce Randy Kobat has joined the company as president. Kobat brings a wealth of executive leadership expertise to the company, including sales management, product innovation, marketing, mergers and acquisitions, operations and strategy development.

Before joining Repair OnDemand, Kobat spent nine years at Cox Automotive, leading a portfolio of businesses, including vAuto, Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer, HomeNet and Dealertrack DMS. Kobat’s automotive expertise extends beyond Cox Automotive, having held various top-level leadership positions for other industry players.

His professional accomplishments have been recognized through various industry awards and recognition, including President’s Club Awards at Cox and CDK and being selected for workshop speaking roles at NADA in 2021 and 2022.

Source: Repair OnDemand

Volkswagen ID.Buzz Headed To North America, Marking Return of an Icon

By Maria Merano Teslarati

Volkswagen officially launched the long wheelbase version of its all-electric ID.Buzz van coming to the U.S. and Canada, June 2 in Huntington Beach, CA, a wellknown surfing spot. The electric van is inspired by the company’s minibus transporter—the Bulli or T1 Transporter—from the 1950s. Volkswagen vans were popular with surfers back in the day. Some might say the Volkswagen microbus is the precursor vehicle that inspired van life. “The original T1 was introduced in late 1949/early 1950, and with the help of some memorable Volkswagen advertising was becoming popular all over the world. The T1 was produced for around 17 years, so there were plenty of used, more affordable models around for surfers to travel in, live in and, more importantly, transport their surfboards, either inside or on top,” explained Andrew Burgess from Revolution Campers.

For the North American market, Volkswagen increased the wheelbase of the ID.Buzz to 127.5 inches—9.9 inches longer than the European version— providing room for a spacious third row for up to seven

new heat pump for increased efficiency in the winter. It also is available with a new 282 hp electric drive motor. The ID.Buzz coming to North America will have an 85 kWh battery pack.

BendPak, Inc., a leading manufacturer of vehicle service equipment and specialty consumer products, purchased a new global headquarters in Agoura Hills, CA.

seats. The German automaker believes the long wheelbase ID.Buzz is primed for the North American market. Meanwhile, in Europe, Volkswagen aims to keep customers on their toes by expanding the ID. Buzz’s “range of applications.” The long wheelbase ID.Buzz has a

As for features, Volkswagen equipped the ID.Buzz with a heads-up display, a nextgen infotainment system and remote parking with a smartphone. It also has a high-tech panoramic sunroof with smart glass, which can change from transparent to opaque via voice assistant or touch slider.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz vehicles bound for North America get a little extra love since they feature air-conditioned seats and an illuminated VW logo at the front. The German automaker plans to start delivering the first ID.Buzz units in the U.S. by 2024.

The 22,256-square-foot administrative building, built in 2012 for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, is situated on 12 acres in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, just west of Los Angeles. BendPak expects to move from its current Santa Paula, CA, offices by the end of the summer.

The award-winning building is modern, environmentally sensitive, and energy-efficient. It earned LEED Platinum® certification, the highest level available for sustainable buildings from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The new headquarters will be home to client and customer service, engineering, product development, marketing, information technology, human resources, accounting and management.

Source: BendPak

Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show Hosts Successful Second Annual Event

By Cole Strandberg Autobody News

The Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show was held May 19-20 in Kansas City, MO. Despite being only in its second year, the event expanded its trade show floor and attracted top industry speakers and regional shop operators.

Hosted by several auto body associations, including the Missouri Auto Body Association,

with a trade show featuring vendors from around the country.

Gina Cotton , executive director of the Nebraska and Missouri auto body associations and show coordinator, expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome from Kansas City and the sponsors.

“It has been amazing,” Cotton said. “We are so appreciative of Kansas City for welcoming us and I’m so appreciative of all the sponsors.”

Kansas Auto Body Association, Nebraska Auto Body Association (NABA), South Dakota Auto Body Association and the Iowa Collision Repair Association (ICRA), the show offered valuable insights and information over the course of two days.

The energetic weekend started May 19 with Mike Anderson’s “Be Extraordinary” presentation, setting a positive tone. Panels covering various topics such as EVs, estimating technology, marketing and culture received favorable feedback from both attendees and vendors. Renowned speakers and panelists included Dirk Fuchs from I-CAR, Jake Rodenroth from Lucid Motors, Rod Cahoy from PPG, Dan Risley from CCC, Danny Gredinberg from DEG, Casey Lund from Collision Leaders (formerly Warrensburg Collision), Mark Claypool from Optima Automotive and more. The first day concluded

Day Two continued May 20 with breakout sessions and an open trade show floor throughout the day. During lunchtime, attendees enjoyed a keynote speech by Dan Meers , also known as “KC Wolf,” the beloved mascot of the local Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Attendees also savored local BBQ from the renowned Kansas City Jack Stack BBQ.

The show wrapped up with a panel, “There is Nothing Without the Right Culture,” moderated by Frank Terlep from Opus IV. Panelists included Lirel Holt from Powered By U, Lund, Anderson, Ron Reichen from Precision Collision Centers, and Dillon Lapp from Twin River Body Shops.

“Hopefully, we’ll see you at our 2024 Midwest Trade Show!” said Cotton.

Static Solutions: Eric Renken at the Static Solutions booth.

Mike Anderson of Collision Advice presented “Be Extraordinary.”

A panel discussion, “There is Nothing Without the Right Culture,” featured, left to right: moderator Frank Terlep of Opus IV, panelists Mike Anderson of Collision Advice, Lirel Holt of Powered by U, Ron Reichen of Precision Collision Centers, Casey Lund of Collision Leaders, and Dillon Lapp of Twin Rivers Body Shop.

David Gomez at the Start2Finish booth.

Keynote speaker Dan Meers, aka the Kansas City Chiefs’ mascot, “K.C. Wolf,” on the main stage.

Jeremy Baines, left, and Lori Handke, right, at the Car-Part.com booth.

Terry Ticell, left, and Tom McFinch, right, both of I-CAR, in front of the FOCUS Investment Banking Booth.

Mike Anderson, left, and Mark Claypool, right, at the Optima Worldwide booth.

19-State Coalition Challenging EPA on California Truck Regulations

By Mary Stroka The Center Square

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced June 6 she’s leading a coalition of 19 states challenging an EPA decision regarding trucks, emissions and California.

The coalition filed a petition for review June 5 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit regarding the EPA’s April 6 decision to grant the California Air Resource Board waivers on regulations for heavyduty on road vehicles and engines.

EPA found the California board’s Advanced Clean Trucks, Zero Emission Airport Shuttle Bus and Zero Emission Powertrain Certification regulations meet criteria for a waiver under the Clean Air Act.

In the Clean Air Act, Congress decided there would be two programs for control of emissions from new motor vehicles: EPA emission standards under the Clean Air Act and California emission standards under state law. Other states can adopt California’s standards, as

Congress determined California could be a pioneer for new emission standards and control technologies.

Amendments; the Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation, the Zero Emission Airport Shuttle Bus Regulation and the Zero Emission Powertrain Certification Regulation, EPA announced March 31. The ACT Regulation requires manufacturers produce and sell more medium- and heavyduty zero-emission vehicles and near zero emission vehicles in California.

thousands of dollars, according to a news release from Bird’s office. Eight other states have adopted California’s ban, and more are considering it.

“California’s truck ban will not only increase costs, but it will devastate the demand for liquid fuels, such as biodiesel, and cut trucking jobs across the nation,” the release said.

EPA can deny a California waiver request in three cases: if California’s determination that its standards are at least as protective as applicable federal standards is arbitrary and capricious; if California has no need for such standards to meet compelling and extraordinary conditions; or if California’s standards and accompanying enforcement procedures are inconsistent with section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.

EPA granted a waiver for the 2018 Heavy-duty 2018 Warranty

The Advanced Clean Truck regulation requires truck manufacturers who certify vehicles with combustion engines to sell an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks for California sales from 2024 to 2035,the board said. By 2035, zero-emission truck/chassis sales would need to be 55% of Class 2b–3 truck sales, 75% of Class 4–8 straight truck sales and 40% of truck tractor sales. Owners of at least 50 trucks must report on their existing fleet operations so the board can help ensure fleets purchase and use available zero-emission trucks.

Currently, 2% of heavy trucks sold in the U.S. are electric, and electric trucks cost hundreds of

Iowa’s trucking industry currently provides almost 100,000 jobs, or nearly one in 13 jobs in the state, the release said.

According to Bird’s office, California’s Advanced Clean Trucks regulation violates the Clean Air Act and other federal laws.

“Iowa isn’t going to take a backseat as the EPA and California try to regulate truckers out of business,” Bird said. “We’re pushing back.”

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah and West Virginia have joined the petition.

Credit: Shutterstock.

Congratulations to Brandon Eckenrode, newly named executive director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF).

While Eckenrode’s collision industry career began in 2002 in I-CAR’s marketing department, he joined the foundation’s team as associate director of development in 2009. As director of development from 2012 through 2021, Eckenrode was heavily involved with CREF’s successful growth through his management of various projects and events that helped the organization gain visibility within the industry and beyond.

For the past two years, he served as the foundation’s managing director, a role that has required him to “work closely with CREF’s Board of Trustees, staff and our partners to execute the organizational goals and strategic mission.”

His skill and passion have earned him the well-deserved promotion to executive director of the foundation.

Eckenrode is honored by the opportunity to “lead the amazing CREF team.”

Source: CREF

Dark Side of Tesla Autopilot: NHTSA Data Reveals 736 Crashes, 17 Deaths

By Suvrat Kothari InsideEVs

Tesla’s Autopilot, which lets the vehicle drive under supervised autonomy under certain conditions, may have been responsible for way more road accidents than previous estimates. New data reveals disturbing numbers—Autopilot was involved in 736 crashes in the U.S. since 2019, 17 of which were fatal. Eleven of those deaths have occurred since May2022. The shocking results were revealed in the Washington Post’s analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. While the data doesn’t indicate the number of accidents Tesla’s driver assistance features may have averted, the new crash figures reveal possible pitfalls of autonomous driving, at least at the current development stage.

The report also reveals the uptick in accidents could be due to the removal of radar—radio detection and ranging—from Teslas. In 2021, the brand announced it will rely solely on camera-based vision processing. Every Tesla has eight external cameras to map the surroundings.

Due to the recent spike in

crashes, there are multiple ongoing investigations involving the technology, according to NHTSA. Meanwhile, CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized the benefits of Autopilot The NHTSA data doesn’t capture the exact crash details. In some incidents, it is unknown whether users had the Autopilot or FSD on. There are reportedly 800,000 Teslas on U.S. roads that have Autopilot, and Tesla is pushing ahead with further development and wider implementation.

Every Tesla gets standard Autopilot features such as adaptive cruise control, which allows the vehicle to match the speed of the traffic in front of it, and accelerate or brake depending on the conditions. Standard equipment also includes auto steer, wherein the vehicle assists in steering on clearly marked lanes. On top of that, Teslas can be equipped with Enhanced Autopilot capability, which allows the vehicle to navigate roads autonomously, and also changes lanes on its own, among other functions. Buyers can also purchase the Full-Self Driving (FSD) suite, wherein the vehicle can make active decisions based on

traffic sign recognition.

Tesla clearly mentions on its website the aforementioned features do not make its vehicles completely autonomous: “The currently enabled Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous. Full autonomy will be dependent on achieving reliability far in excess of human drivers as demonstrated by billions of miles of experience,” the website says. In February, NHTSA announced Tesla would recall 360,000 vehicles equipped with FSD beta due to the increased risk of crashes. However, there are conflicting reports of the Autopilot’s effectiveness. Tesla’s Vehicle Safety report for Q4 2022 said 35% of all Autopilot crashes occur when the vehicle is rear-ended by another vehicle. Moreover, there’s one autopilot accident every 4.8 million miles driven, per Tesla.

However, until Tesla releases the data it possesses, it would be impossible to verify its claims. For now, the NHTSA data signals the vast majority of 807 autopilotrelated accidents since 2021 involved Tesla cars.

Driven Brands Kicks Off Summer Fundraising

Driven Brands collision companies CARSTAR U.S., CARSTAR Canada, Fix Auto USA and Abra kicked off the summer fundraising initiative, Shine Season, on June 1.

The June through August initiative encourages franchise partners and members of the collision corporate staff to get involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis Canada to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research, advocacy and care.

More than 25 years ago, CARSTAR Canada began supporting cystic fibrosis when a franchisee’s granddaughter was born with the incurable disease The entire network rallied around the family, providing support and raising money to help find a cure. Now, the collision group has united to name the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis Canada as their charities of choice, raising more than $4 million for the organizations.

Across the Driven Brands collision group, various facilities have already committed to partaking in one or more of the Shine Season initiatives.

Source: Driven Brands

Toyota Changes Tune on EVs, Announces New Battery Tech

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

While Toyota has been lagging in the battery-electric vehicle segment, a recent announcement suggested things may be changing.

uninspiring, few were sold. It didn’t help that it faced a major safety recall and a production halt.

But now the company says it will produce high-performance, solid-state batteries to improve vehicles’ driving range. Such innovations are also expected to cut the costs for the company’s EVs.

The plan was shared by Toyota on June 13, the day before the company’s annual shareholders meeting, as noted in a Reuters report.

2027 or 2028.

Solid-state batteries are superior to current battery technology, though they are expensive and scaling their production is a challenge. Toyota said it will produce an EV with a lithium-ion battery that features a range of 621 miles for the high end of the market. The company also said an EV powered with a solid-state battery should have a range of about 745 miles, and it should be capable of charging in just 10 minutes.

Over the past several years, the Japanese auto giant has reiterated its support for hybrid solutions and shunned the idea of a shift to all-electric vehicles. And when it released the bZ4X, an allelectric car to rival best-sellers like the Tesla Model Y, it was so

Toyota said it is looking to launch its next-generation lithium-ion battery technology in 2026, which should offer longer range and rapid charging capabilities. The company also mentioned a “technological breakthrough” that addresses issues in solidstate batteries, and said it is developing a means to produce those batteries commercially by

If Toyota were to pull off its ambitious battery plans, it would effectively leapfrog a lot of its competitors in the electric vehicle market. But while the company’s expected specs for its solid-state batteries far exceed the capabilities of commercially produced batteries available today, one would have to wonder how they will stack up against the batteries produced by the world’s most prominent EV makers in the coming years.

2023 Toyota bZ4X.

Mitsubishi

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Auto Aftermarket Industry Outperforms Expectations, Growing 9.7% in 2022

The Auto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers, in partnership with S&P Global, have released the 2023 Joint Channel Forecast Model report, providing valuable insights and strategic guidance for the automotive aftermarket industry.

The annual report gives an indepth industry outlook with the latest and most reliable market projections, channel performance analysis and emerging trends.

This year’s report finds that despite the recent increase in economic strain for many Americans due to rising costs, the industry continues to show its reliability and ability to adapt across the service and retail sectors, continually adjusting to meet demand in an ever-dynamic market.

The 2023 Joint Channel Forecast Model finds that the automotive aftermarket grew 9.7% in 2022, outperforming expectations (previously forecast at 8.5%). With high inflation persisting, the industry is expected to grow an additional 8.1% in 2023 before settling to more modest—but still substantial—growth rates that will

PPG Launches Paint Films Solutions

PPG on May 23 announced it will deliver paint and clear film solutions for automotive and industrial customers through PPG Advanced Surface Technologies, a new joint venture formed with entrotech, Inc., a provider of technology-driven film solutions.

Paint films are multilayer applications in which at least one layer is made from paint. They provide a range of environmental benefits, including lower energy consumption, as well as new aesthetic options. The technology is currently used for automotive applications and has potential applications across a range of industrial end-uses.

PPG established its paint films capabilities in 2021 with the acquisition of Wörwag, a Germanybased coatings supplier. The JV will consist of the PPG Wörwag film assets and the automotive films business of entrotech.

The automotive films portfolio of entrotech includes automotive clear protective films and the Aero Sustainable Material Technology line of paint films.

Source: PPG

continue to make the industry an attractive one for investors.

Key topics in the new report include:

Market size projections in billions of dollars through 2026, along with year-over-year percent change

Sales dollars and market share for the retail, service, and dealer channels

Key economic projections through 2026 such as GDP, consumer price index, and the CPI for Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

Forecasts for motor vehicle sales through 2026

Detailed factors influencing the growth in the aftermarket

“Consistency, reliability and adaptability—that’s what the motoring public have come to expect from the auto care industry over the years, but especially in more recent times with many Americans facing the very real rise in their cost of living,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association.

“The latest Joint Channel Forecast Model demonstrates this reality with the latest market figures surpassing

expectations yet again.”

“The automotive aftermarket continues to prove that it can succeed on two fronts—the longstanding production and manufacturing that gives the aftermarket its strong foundation and the innovation and entrepreneurship that are required with the bourgeoning technology changes and opportunities in transportation,” said Paul McCarthy, president and CEO, MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers. “This year’s Joint Channel Forecast provides an impressive outlook for the aftermarket and underscores the value of investment in this industry.”

The auto care industry continues to show its reliability and ability to adapt across the service and retail sectors, continually adjusting to meet demand in an everdynamic market. While new vehicle inventory is being replenished as the supply chain pressures have eased somewhat across the industry, the vehicle parc continues to age and increasing costs of both new and used vehicles continue to encourage owners to keep their

vehicles longer. These factors have provided tailwinds to the automotive aftermarket as vehicle miles traveled have returned to prepandemic levels.

The full Joint Channel Forecast Model is intended to help provide further details about the factors influencing the growth of the auto care industry to help businesses make informed decisions, identify growth opportunities and optimize their market strategies.

The Joint Channel Forecast Model report is available to Auto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers members as a membership benefit.

Auto Care members can access the Joint Channel Forecast report in the 2024 Auto Care Factbook at digital.autocare. org/2024factbook. MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers can access the report at mema.org.

Source: Auto Care Association

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

WIN

Cornerstone Award

This year’s Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Educational Conference was held May 1-3 in San Antonio, TX, and, Laura Kottschade, operations manager of Jerry’s ABRA® Auto Body & Glass – Mankato in Minnesota, and Jeanne Esquivel, business development manager, Enterprise Holdings, were presented the WIN Cornerstone Award by WIN Chair Tanya Sweetland, general manager, OEC.

The WIN Cornerstone Award recognizes high impact actions and unique contributions that demonstrate commitment to the WIN mission and vision, and set an example for others to follow.

WIN scholarships are presented annually to deserving students enrolled in a post-secondary collision repair technology program. The 2023 program’s expansion was designed to attract more students and increase the number of awards, starting with doubling the award rate this year and enabling a variety of students to grow in their collision repair career journey. There were a record 20 WIN scholarships awarded this year.

Tesla Reportedly Tells Cybertruck Parts Suppliers To Expect 375K Annual Production

By Joey Klender Teslarati

Tesla has told suppliers to prepare for Cybertruck production by stating it plans to build 375,000 units of the all-electric pickup every year, according to a new report.

call earlier this year.

The truck has amassed a significant number of pre-orders: nearly 1.5 million, according to a reservation tracker. With production nearing, Tesla has finally started communicating to suppliers regarding its plans for annual output, according to a report from Electrek.

terms of engineering and design

Tesla is set to have initial release candidates for the Cybertruck ready by August, the report also said. Tesla has not officially released any details regarding the pickup’s first deliveries, only saying the pricing and other important details would be given at a delivery event sometime in the third quarter.

The Tesla Cybertruck was unveiled in November 2019 and has been delayed several times since, but the automaker has finally started making significant strides toward initial production. The first lines have already been built at Tesla Gigafactory Texas, which the company showed

Tesla has evidently called the Cybertruck program “Project Everest” and is already asking suppliers to meet a base production volume of 375,000 Cybertruck units per year, according to the report.

This is a significant figure for initial production, especially considering CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past on several occasions that the Cybertruck has been one of the most difficult vehicles to figure out in

Tesla has brought forth new designs for the Cybertruck from its initial production prototypes unveiled in 2019 or later. The most recent Cybertrucks, seen at Investor Day earlier this year, were equipped with a variety of new features, including a new yoke steering wheel design.

Tesla has also finalized the design for the Cybertruck, which gives even more indication production is likely going to start soon. This has been confirmed by both Musk and Tesla’s Chief Vehicle Designer Franz von Holzhausen

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Lordstown Planning To Bring Litigation Against Foxconn

By Joey Klender Teslarati

Lordstown Motors has never had a smooth road, battling money issues, production bottlenecks and other issues, until it was saved by Foxconn in 2021. However, the EV startup is now planning to move forward with litigation against its lifeline in relation to Foxconn’s allegations of a potential breach of contract.

In May, Lordstown filed an 8-K with the SEC stating it received a letter from Foxconn in late April, accusing the automaker of breaching its investment agreement “due to its previously disclosed receipt of a notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that the company was no longer in compliance with the $1 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market.”

Lordstown responded by stating the allegations were “without merit,” and the terms of the investment agreement

would not permit Foxconn to terminate the agreement at the time.

The two companies were in discussions to seek a resolution, but Lordstown said “no assurances can be given that the parties will reach a resolution of these matters.”

Lordstown shares fell more than 30% on the news that day.

However, it appears an agreement or negotiations moving toward one have broken down, as Lordstown said in a new 8-K filed in early June it “intends to enforce its rights through litigation” because Foxconn has breached the two companies’ investment agreement through “a pattern of bad faith.”

These moves have “caused material and irreparable harm” to Lordstown, the company said.

“In light of Foxconn’s conduct, the company believes that it is unlikely that Foxconn will complete the Subsequent Common Closing,” Lordstown said in the filing.

There also appears to be a disagreement on terms of the

investment agreement.

“On June 5, [Lordstown] received the letter...in which Foxconn did not acknowledge its obligation to complete the Subsequent Common Closing and instead asserted that Foxconn’s reading of the investment agreement would not allow for the adjustment of the number of shares to be purchased on account of [Lordstown’s] recent reverse stock split,” the filing said. “Foxconn’s interpretation would give Foxconn the right to purchase a windfall of over 60% of [Lordstown’s] Class A common stock for $47.3 million. [Lordstown] rejects Foxconn’s interpretation of the investment agreement and has so advised Foxconn in a letter dated June 7.”

Lordstown has since stated it is seeking a financial and strategic partner for the production of the Endurance pickup.

“We anticipate that production of the Endurance will cease in the near future,” it said in a 10-Q.

Polyvance Introduces Welding Rod Cases

Polyvance offers the industry’s widest variety of plastic welding rods with 22 different material choices on offer, many with multiple profiles and colors available.

One of Polyvance’s most popular welding rod part numbers is the 5003-03 welding rod assortment case set, which includes the most commonly used plastics. But sometimes shops run into a bind when they need a less common rod, like ASA or PA+GF15, and they don’t have it on hand to get the repair done.

To help in such situations, Polyvance is announcing the availability of two new plastic welding rod assortments, the 5003-04 and 5003-05. Both kits include less common rod materials such as PPE+PS, PA and TPU.

Suggested user price on each box is $74.95. These new products are available from paint jobbers across the U.S. and at www.polyvance.com.

Source: Polyvance

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Automakers Report May Sales Results

Automakers on June 1 released new-vehicle sales results for the month of May.

Kia

Fast-growing Kia America continued its hot streak as the brand posted total May sales of 71,497 units, marking the second-highest monthly sales total in company history and the 10th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases.

May sales were up 23% over the same period last year, with several models posting double- and even triple-digit sales increases, including: Seltos (+171%); Stinger (+102%); Carnival (+80%); Soul (+45%); Telluride (+35%); Sportage (+24%) and Sorento (+13%).

May sales were driven by Kia’s lineup of SUVs, which increased 35% year-over-year and accounted for 74% of the brand’s total volume. The Sportage, Telluride and Seltos models also set best-ever May sales records, up 17%, 29% and 39%, respectively, over each model’s previous record-setting May performances set in 2021.

In addition, Seltos set an all-time monthly sales record with sales up 15% over the previous best-ever monthly sales performance set by the model in March 2021.

Sales of Kia’s electrified models set a new May record---posting a 33% increase over May 2022---and a new any-month record up by 4% over the previous record which was set in April. Sales of the all-electric Kia EV6 also set a new May sales record, increasing 7% over May 2022. In addition, overall sales of the model increased 80% over last month thanks in part to a marketing campaign and competitive lease program.

Mazda

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) reported total May sales of 33,262 vehicles, an increase of 117.2% compared to May 2022. Year-to-date sales totaled 153,997 vehicles, an increase of 20.6% compared to the same time last year. With 25 selling days in May, compared to 24 the year prior, the company posted an increase of 108.5% on a Daily Selling Rate

(DSR) basis.

CPO sales totaled 5,262 vehicles in May, an increase of 4% compared to May 2022.

Hyundai Hyundai Motor America reported total May sales of 70,001 units, an 18% increase compared with May 2022. Hyundai set best-ever total sales in May for Elantra HEV (+152%), Elantra N (+70%), IONIQ 5 (+28%), Santa Fe HEV (+266%), Tucson PHEV (+206%), Tucson HEV (+95%) and Santa Cruz (+12%). Hyundai fleet sales were 5,931 and represented 8.5% of total volume for the month.

Hyundai sold 64,070 retail units in May, an 8%year-over-year increase from May 2022. Hyundai set bestever retail sales in May for Elantra HEV, Elantra N, IONIQ 5, Santa Fe HEV, Tucson PHEV, Tucson HEV and Santa Cruz. Hyundai eco-friendly vehicle sales of 12,097 represented 19% of retail and a 93% year-overyear increase.

Subaru

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) reported sales of 54,531 vehicles for May 2023, a 28.2% increase compared with May 2022 (42,526). SOA also reported year-to-date sales of 248,924, a 12.8% increase compared with the same period in 2022.

In May, Outback was the top performer by volume with 17,146 vehicle sales. BRZ sales for May 2023 increased 217.4% over the same month in 2022, while Impreza posted a 126% increase in May. Forester sales for May 2023 increased 92.5%, and Ascent sales increased 20.4% compared to May 2022.

Source: Kia, Mazda, Hyundai, Subaru

John Bean Tru-Point Releases Software Update

The award-winning John Bean® Tru-Point™ advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibration tool has a new software update available (1.8.0) that includes new procedures, features and improvements.

A one-stop solution for ADAS calibration, Tru-Point uses highly accurate advanced camera technology, targets and topof-the-line software to quickly uncover any vehicle alignment issues, allowing users to perform an accurate ADAS calibration. Among the new features included with software update 1.8.0 are: initial remote scanner vendor integration, arget subscription expiration message on the home page, activation on first boot and network connection, send messages and promotions to the home page, add pointer target measurements to manual mode, and customer information is now available on the menu after selecting a vehicle. Learn more at www.JohnBean. com.

Source: John Bean

State Farm Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over Luxury Vehicle Repairs

By Mika Pangilinan Insurance Business Magazine

State Farm has been hit with a class action lawsuit over allegations that it refused to cover the cost of repairs for luxury vehicles.

Filed in Broward County in Florida on May 18, the lawsuit stems from an incident involving Assaf and Ada Sasson, who owned an all-electric 2022 Porsche Taycan insured with State Farm for more than $100,000.

The Sassons’ vehicle was damaged in a May 2022 collision, which prompted them to seek repair services.

The vehicle was taken to a Porsche dealership and was then referred to a local Porschecertified collision shop. This referral was made to ensure the repairs were conducted according to the manufacturer’s specifications and to preserve the vehicle’s warranty, according to the lawsuit.

The recommended shop provided an estimate of

$8,360.87 for the necessary repairs that was allegedly rejected by State Farm.

Instead, the insurance giant created its own estimate of $6,267.03 for the damages, the lawsuit claimed, based on

and the actual costs of the repairs.

An initial breach of contract complaint was filed against State Farm in August 2022 with regards to this incident. However, lawyers said they discovered evidence suggesting State Farm has consistently failed to honor the policy requirements for determining collision benefits on high-value vehicles.

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are experts on collision parts, replacement components and mechanical items

alternative labor hourly rates not representative of the prices charged by certified repair facilities.

According to the suit, State Farm offered to pay only its estimated amount, minus a $500 deductible. The Sassons were consequently forced to cover the difference between the estimate

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Working on this new information, the Sassons sought to amend their initial complaint and pursue a class action lawsuit, encompassing claims that date back to September 2018.

State Farm spokesperson Roszell Gadson declined to comment specifically on the case when approached by Law.com, stating “the filing of a lawsuit does not substantiate the allegations within the complaint.”

Audi Fort Worth

Dallas/Fort Worth

817.632.6709

817.632.6747 Fax

M-F 7:30am-6pm Sat 8am-3pm

sstallcup@audifortworth.com

oreyna@audifortworth.com www.audifortworth.com

Audi Grapevine

Dallas/Fort Worth

877.424.AUDI (2834) 817.553.2252/2258

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

sstallcup@audigrapevine.com

cmartinez@audigrapevine.com www.audigrapevine.com

Audi Plano

Dallas/Fort Worth

214.452.3830

214.452.3855 Fax

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

gualotunao@autonation.com www.audiplano.com

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Ford Expands Mobile Service Program

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With increased demand for remote services, Ford announced it’s expanding its Mobile Service program to now include Escape SUVs, allowing customers at its smaller-volume dealers more convenient options for vehicle service. Ford is targeting to have nearly 1,000 Escape SUVs to be used as Mobile Service vehicles by year’s end, giving smaller-volume dealers a more affordable way to deliver Mobile Service and larger dealers a way to supplement their existing fleets. The Escape also frees up service bays at dealerships and gives customers more convenient choices on how and where they want vehicle service. Customer use of Ford remote services has increased 45% since Q4 of 2022.

“Adding the Escape to the mobile maintenance fleet now gives our smaller-volume dealers the ability to provide this convenient service to more customers,” said Todd Rabourn, North America regional CX director, experience implementation.

“These Escape vehicles are hitting the road to provide everything from software updates to light repairs, plus offering the ability to accelerate

how we resolve current recalls.”

Participation in Ford’s Mobile Service program is voluntary, and once enrolled, dealers can use a 22/23MY Escape they have in stock or order a unit. Exterior colors of Oxford White, Star White and Iconic Silver, along with a specialized wrap, will indicate the vehicle is a Mobile Service unit. All vehicles in the program must have embedded WiFi or have means for internet access.

Each Escape operating as a Mobile Service vehicle will be upfitted with a jumper cable charger, inverter and harness, and tools provided by the dealer. “We already have one mobile service van in operation, and it’s on the road constantly, doing light repairs and recall work,” said Carm Scarpace, dealer partner, Westfield Ford. “Adding an Escape to our fleet is really helping us serve customers faster and more efficiently on their terms.” Scarpace said providing mobile service has created a new culture within the dealership in how they approach customer experience. Their Escape mobile service unit is currently helping to resolve up to 10 recalls a day for customers.

Source: Ford

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Earnhardt

CHANDLER

480-763-6233

480-783-4655 Fax www.earnhardtford.com

MESA

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480-530-9708 Fax

Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-4 butch.lemen@lhmauto.com

Lakewood LAKEWOOD

800-332-3722

720-481-2460

303-991-4134 Fax

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Schomp Ford DENVER

800-876-0977

303-343-1396

303-361-9278 Fax

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Bob Howard Parts OKLAHOMA CITY

800-888-3827

800-946-7278 Fax

Hours: M-F 8am - 5:30pm sales@bhpdc.com www.bhpdc.com

TULSA

WHOLESALE DIRECT

800-800-9001

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Five Star Ford

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS WHOLESALE DIRECT

800-895-7827

817-577-2781

817-577-0558 Fax www.5starford.com

Helfman Ford STAFFORD

281-240-7628

800-634-8008

281-240-0642 Fax parts@helfmanford.com www.fordparts.com/helfman

Mac Haik Ford, Lincoln

GEORGETOWN/AUSTIN

877-969-3055

512-930-6260

281-598-4370 Fax parts@machaikfl.com

Tommie Vaughn Motors

HOUSTON

800-944-4415

713-869-4755

713-293-4309 Fax www.tommievaughnford.com

Town East Ford

MESQUITE

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972-682-1290 24 Hr Fax

Hours: M-Sat 7-5

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Ford

Larry H. Miller Ford Mesa

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