November 2022 Southwest Edition

Arizona Shop Owner Responds to Collision Repair Industry Pushback

By Ed Attanasio

When our first interview with Jim Huard, owner of Painters Collision Centers’ two locations in Arizona, was published in June, many shops supported his claims. But others were skeptical and claimed it’s impossible for a body shop to make a profit with DRPs in the picture.

detailer, where he quickly grasped the business of running a shop. Huard has held various executive management roles for national MSOs, as a general manager, regional manager and VP of operations.

Q: You received a fair amount of pushback after your interview first appeared in Autobody News. Why do you think that occurred?

A: It’s hard to say. I believe a lot of owner operators struggle with understanding their business. Saying you cannot make a profit while compensating your people well because you work with DRPs is just not true.

Q: Many shops say they can’t make any money being a member of a DRP, but you strongly disagree. What’s your secret?

Colorado Springs Veterans and Military Members Receive NABC® Recycled Rides

Ten deserving veterans and military members and their families were honored at the regional USAA headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO, and presented with National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides® vehicles, all donated by USAA. The vehicles were refurbished by collision repair partners Crash Champions, Service King Southmoor, Carriage Shoppe, CARSTAR Jordan Road, CARSTAR Kraftsmen and

Rickenbaugh Collision, a Certified Collision Group member.

The presentation was part of USAA’s 100th anniversary celebration, through which it will gift 100 NABC Recycled Rides vehicles to military families across the country, including Nashville, Seattle, Chesapeake, Savannah, Charlotte, Colorado Springs, Denver, Phoenix, Tampa, San Diego and finally San

Jim Huard, owner of Painters Collision Centers, has learned how to work well with his insurance partners and is more than willing to share how he does it

Autobody News sat down with Huard recently to give him a fair chance to respond to the adverse feedback he received this summer.

Huard is a long-time industry veteran, operating and managing body shops over his 35-year career before becoming the new owneroperator of Painter’s Collision Center, along with his wife, Kelly Huard Huard began his career as a

A: Learn your business first; understand your cost structure. I honestly believe that some folks should not own, operate or even be in this business, period— with DRPs or not. It seems like the same people saying that DRPs won’t work for them are the people who always fight everything. Why is the carrier that is paying for the repair paying for it in a DRP and a non-DRP environment? Why are they different because it’s the same carrier?

The only real difference is if I choose to give them concessions in exchange for bringing me more and

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Colorado Car Theft Ring Targeted Kias, Hyundais

By Steven Symes Motorious

Car theft has been a huge problem in the U.S. and other countries for the past few years, and Colorado has become the epicenter of the problem in America.

One story of vehicle theft in the Centennial State shows just how massive the crime has become.

Two separate but likely coordinated theft operations in northern Colorado and the Denver

metro area involved more than 50 cars stolen in one swoop. Thieves were specifically targeting Kia and Hyundai dealerships, which have

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coverage

can.

COLUMNISTS

Mike Anderson

Now is Not the Time for Collision Repairers to Give Up on OEM Certifications 10

Ed Attanasio

Arizona Shop Owner Responds to Collision Repair Industry Pushback 1

Videos Keep Everyone in the Loop While Building Trust and Confidence 47

Stacey Phillips

Award-Winning Shop Owner & SCRS Treasurer Educates Consumers Through ‘Airing of GRIEVances’ Videos 14

REGIONAL NEWS

Arizona Military Families Receive NABC Recycled Rides 35

Colorado Car Theft Ring Targeted Kias, Hyundais 1

Colorado Springs Veterans and Military Members Receive NABC® Recycled Rides 1

Gas Thief Gets Burned 25

Louisiana Business Organizations Among Those to Urge Biden Administration to Boost Domestic Energy Production 28

Second Tesla Center in New Mexico to Open on Santa Ana Pueblo 46

John Yoswick

EV Manufacturers Discuss Restricted Parts, Booth Concerns, ‘Service Mode’ 20

EVs, ADAS Calibrations, Future of DRPs Discussed at Annual CIECA Conference 48

SCRS Urging Auto Body Shops to Help Consumers Remove Personal Data from Total Loss Vehicles 40

Index of Advertisers

‘Ouch’: Gas Prices Rise for 2 Straight Weeks, OPEC Expected to Drive Them Higher 32

AAA Adds Monthly Battery Reports To EV Membership Coverage To Ease Range Anxiety 44

Braking Bad: Automatic Emergency Braking Absent When You Need It Most 34

CarMax Earnings Plunge Signals Market Shift 38

Chevron, Texaco Become Far More EV-Friendly 42

DUIs Down 25% Nationwide but Fatal Crashes Rising 36

Ford Announces Leadership Changes 44

Gas Prices Rise as Ian Heads Toward Florida 42

Georgia Senator’s Bill Would Let More EVs Qualify for New Tax Credit 46

GM Backup Camera Recall Involves Cadillac, GMC Vehicles 50 GM Engineer Testifies Nikola Badger Pickup Had No Nikola Parts 25

Tesla Employee Hit by Car After ICEing, Vandalism Incident at Austin, TX, Supercharger 36

Tesla Giga Texas Expansion Project for ‘Ecological Paradise’ Gains Approval 16

Texas Auto Repair Shop Spans 3 Generations 4

Texas Leads U.S. in Job Growth, Smashes All State Employment Records Again 24

Texas Roads Are Among the Most Dangerous in the Country 32

Hyundai Theft Fix is a $170 Security Kit 38

I-CAR Announces SEMA Classes 29

MSO Symposium Announces 2022 Master Of Ceremonies 29

NADA Urges FTC to Withdraw Proposed Rule 46

Ram 1500 EMS Model Honors First Responders 47

Rivian Produced 7,363 EVs in Q3 2022 44

SCRS Announces Full Lineup for 2022 OEM Collision Repair Summit at SEMA 30

Shape Your Career Path with More Than 70 SEMA Show Education Sessions 6

Tesla Delivers 344K Vehicles in Q3 2022 40

Tesla Recalls 1.1 Million Cars for Incorrect Automatic Window Operation 35

Spanesi Americas 11

Steck Manufacturing Company 30

Stevinson Toyota West 39

Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers

Sunmight USA

Symach 20

TYC Genera Corporation 19

Toyota of Laredo

Toyota Wholesale Parts Dealers

Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers

Autobody News Turns the Page with New Print, Digital Designs

Autobody News is dusting off the shelves and giving our print publication and website a fresh new look.

For the last few months, we have been hard at work revisiting our core values, discussing what makes us stand apart and what you, our readers, have come to expect delivered monthly to your doorstep and daily to your inbox.

We heard from you. We listened. We took to heart what brings you back to Autobody News and incorporated many of the suggestions we have received over the years. We thank you for your feedback.

Today, we are thrilled to announce Autobody News’ “refreshed” print magazine design, along with the complete redesign of our website, autobodynews.com.

“We’re proud of our 40+ year history as the leading national and regional news source for the collision repair industry,” said Barbara Davies, general manager of Autobody News.

“When we sat down to start the discussion of a print magazine refresh, we knew what we wanted,” Davies said. “We knew what our

readers wanted. We didn’t want to lose our essence of ‘news’ magazine, but we wanted a more contemporary look.”

The print magazine features improved readability thanks to updated fonts for better readability, more white

Davies said. “It was time for a complete redesign to deliver a better user experience for our loyal 28,000 monthly website visitors.”

The website boasts a more intuitive, inviting layout, with easier navigation and more graphic

repair shops.

A key feature of the new site is a new digital magazine section, which will allow visitors to read the latest monthly edition in a digital format. In this section, visitors will also be able to access past monthly editions of Autobody News. The website has also been fully optimized to be mobile responsive to accommodate people’s on-the-go news consumption.

“With this new website refresh we wanted to improve the way our visitors consume our content, and to give them easier access to the national and regional news that is important to them,” said Bryan Malinski, digital marketing manager of Autobody News.

Both redesigns are works in progress. As the industry continues to evolve, Autobody News will too.

By Trevor Thompson KTSM 9 News

Some jobs just seem to run in the family. At a car repair shop in the Lower Valley, three generations of men from the Hinojos family have disproved the old adage that you should never go into business with relatives. Their shop just off Alameda Avenue in El Paso, TX, now known as Advanced Auto Collision Center, goes back more than four decades to a little auto center in Downtown El Paso founded by Tito Hinojos

Tito’s son, Johnny, and now his grandson, Jason, have since taken the reins of this venture that is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

They take pride in their work on a 5-acre lot in the Lower Valley, where they work alongside other employees who might not be related by blood, but are nonetheless now part of a large “extended” family.“ So a lot of these employees have seen me in diapers. That’s how long a lot of them have been here,” said Jason Hinojos. “You know, it means a lot to me that I’m here and they’re still

space and more prominently promotes our columnists’ exclusive content.

“In addition to the print magazine refresh, we also just launched a complete redesign of our website,”

elements. With this website redesign, we wanted to improve the overall user experience and allow our visitors to have easy access to the news that is important to them and their collision

“We’re committed to bringing industry news to our readers in the most user-friendly print and digital formats,” Davies said. “We hope you like the changes we’ve made and look forward to your feedback.”

Let the team know what you think by emailing bdavies@autobodynews. com.

here.”

The shop, which sits just down the street from Riverside High School, was opened in 1990 following a fire at the original downtown location.“We had an incident downtown that at the time was nerve-racking,” said Johnny. “And at the time, we thought it was the end of the world. But here we are. It was a blessing in disguise, and we’ve been at this location since 1990.” Being just down the street from a local high school has also given the collision center a chance to give back to the community.

“I also built a body shop inside Riverside High School the vocational school career center. We also have young men and women, and we look forward to bringing them over here to us,” said Johnny, who also teaches students at EPCC. While the business has remained a staple in the local community, the automotive industry as a whole has been changing rapidly over the last few years. But this family says they are up for the challenge and ready for whatever the future brings in the industry.

Shape

Path with More Than 70 SEMA Show Education Sessions

The 2022 SEMA Show Education program will feature more than 70 seminars designed to inspire personal and professional development.

Led by industry- and subjectmatter experts, the program offers a customizable lineup of sessions and workshops that confront industry challenges, capitalize on emerging trends, highlight and reinforce business best practices, enhance leadership skills and much more.

One of the newest components of the 2022 Show Education program are four sessions focused on the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The first DEI session,

The new “Enthusiast” track, scheduled for 8-9 a.m. Nov. 4, will feature industry personalities and celebrities providing insight on building cars, ideas for obtaining sponsorships and the importance of protecting the automotive aftermarket from overregulation.

Stage promises to be an immersive, informative and entertaining experience. The first presentation is scheduled for 10–10:45 a.m. Nov. 1, the opening day of the 2022 SEMA Show. Building on the success the 2021 Show’s education program, the “Leadership Essentials” track, presented by Dale Carnegie, returns to the Show, offering six courses spread out over three days. The courses, which can be taken as a whole or individually, feature trainers from Dale Carnegie providing the institution’s acclaimed leadership, communications and sales program that improve both individual and

everyone. The 14 tracks available are:

Aftermarket Updates & Future Trends

• Business Management

• Digital Marketing

• Electric Vehicles

• Enthusiast

• I-CAR Collision Repair Training

• Inside the Shop

• International Roundtables

• Keynote

• Leadership Essentials (presented by Dale Carnegie)

• Legislative and Regulatory

• SCRS Repairer Driven Education

• Tire Industry Association

Green is more than just a color to us.

The green SATAjet X 5500 FUTURE is not only a reference to nature, it is also a symbol of harmony and hope, especially for the future! We are striving for a sustainable and connected future that makes the most out of the potentials of the digital transformation. The globe-shaped circuits on the spray gun represent the technology which is connecting people and thus enables the globalized world of the future. The radiant green color with the black components not only looks harmonious, it stands for aligning our actions with sustainability and the preservation of nature.

As a manufacturing company, sustainable growth is of great importance to us and an integral part of our daily activities. This includes the consistent conservation of resources and avoidance of waste. As an example, we produce part of our electricity with our own solar power and have reduced our waste volume by around 20% in the last five years.

Now is Not the Time for

I’ve recently started to get a lot of phone calls and questions from shops when I’m doing seminars asking, “Mike, should I renew my shop’s OEM certifications?”

I say the answer is absolutely yes. Here’s why.

The forecast for OEMs is that a key future revenue stream is going to be app-based subscriptions. It’s going to be a little like what GM has done with OnStar, or how SiriusXM radio operates. As I’ve researched this, here are some quotes I’ve heard or read:

“At least five automakers— Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Porsche and Tesla—are rolling out a subscription model for certain options, meaning consumers would pay monthly or annual fees to use features such as active driving assistance or voice recognition, even if those features are already built into the car,” according to Consumer Reports in December 2021. “Industry analysts tell Consumer Reports that

subscriptions could become a more mainstream way for automakers to deliver features.”

“How would you feel about paying $5 each month for the ability to lock and unlock your car from a distance through an app? What

to Give Up on OEM Certifications

about a $25-per-month charge for advanced cruise control or $10 to access heated seats? As vehicles become increasingly connected to the internet, car companies aim to rake in billions by having customers

are going to feel about such subscriptions, but I think it is important for collision repairers to understand drivers are going to increasingly be tied to the automakers’ apps.

Well, guess what is also likely to be inside those apps? A shop locator helping drivers connect with that automaker’s network of certified shops. I think that bodes well for collision repairers with OEM certifications.

pay monthly or annual subscriptions to access certain features,” Insider reported in February.

“We have 50-some value-added products and services that we’ll be rolling out over the next 36 to 48 months,” Steve Carlisle , president of GM North America, said in February.

I’m not sure how consumers

Here’s another thing to think about: Remember when aluminumintensive vehicles were being more widely rolled out? Some automakers began restricting the sale of certain parts for those vehicles to their certified shops, to better insure major repairs on those vehicles were only done by shops with the equipment and training to do the repairs properly.

With ADAS and the ramp up of electric vehicles, collision repair

Mike Anderson — From the Desk of Mike Anderson

“I think as

see this OEM

model come into play, it’s going to be really good for certified collision shops.”

MIKE ANDERSON COLLISION ADVICE

Award-Winning Shop Owner & SCRS Treasurer Educates Consumers Through ‘Airing of GRIEVances’ Videos

Robert Grieve, owner of Nylund’s Collision Center, said his facility is often referred to as the best auto repair shop in Denver, CO. The multiple awardwinning shop owner is committed to providing uncompromising service and precision craftsmanship.

The locally-owned family business employs 20 people and has served the Denver metro and surrounding areas, including Englewood, Highlands Ranch and Littleton, for more than 30 years.

“Our mission at Nylund’s Collision Center is to provide current and future guests peace of mind, ease and ‘industry best’ repairs,” said Grieve. “We make every effort, every day, to earn our guests’ loyalty and referrals.”

Autobody News talked to Grieve about his business success, the importance of being part of an association, such as SCRS, and why he created the weekly video series “The Airing of GRIEVEances.”

A: Forty years ago, I graduated from Bergen County Technical School in Hackensack, NJ, and launched my career. I jumped in and started working on the floor at a Buick dealer.

I found I was not that good at fixing

cars and was a better people person, so I started focusing on estimating and learning business management. Working with adjusters and people was a lot more rewarding for me.

I worked for several New Jersey dealerships in different management capacities. The last one was a Westwood Lincoln Mercury dealer. I started in the body shop and worked my way up to the service department as the fixed operations director. I became operations director over the entire dealership and when they went public, I was given two dealerships to run, which I did for about six years.

Then, I worked for Daimler Chrysler Academy (DCA) in Michigan for the next three years before my wife, Carol, and I moved to Colorado and purchased Nylund’s Collision in 2006. The shop had a great name for doing high-quality work. They were also prominent in Lexus collision repairs, which we still are today. Carol focuses on the administrative side of the

business, and we make a great team.

About five years ago, we bought our own building a mile away. It’s about 18,000 square feet and is more convenient for guests.

A: We’ve received several awards over the years but the most prominent is the Denver A-List Award, which we received 11 years in a row until the company stopped giving them out.

What makes our business so successful is the consumers. Everything we do centers around customer service and the guest experience—the facility, the people, how we conduct business and even our purchases.

Our guiding principle is how our actions affect consumers. This

CONTINUED ON

Q: How did you get involved in the industry?

Q: Can you share information about your awards and what makes your shop successful?

Stacey Phillips — Shop Strategies

Robert Grieve, owner of Nylund’s Collision Center, said he is committed to providing uncompromising service and precision craftsmanship. He is pictured with his wife, Carol, and team

includes the value for guests and that the car is fixed following OEM repair procedures.

We spend a ridiculous amount of money on training. For me, it’s an asset, not an expense and it helps us provide better service. As the only Lexus authorized collision center in Colorado, we do Lexus training, which includes soft and technical skills; it is amazing. Lexus has a similar focus as we do. Everything centers around our guests and what will make a great experience for them. We try to provide the same on the body shop side of things.

We are also the chosen collision repair facility for Lucid Motors in the Colorado market.

Q: When did you decide to get involved in SCRS and what is the value of belonging to an association?

A: Around the time I bought the Nylund’s building, I was looking to be part of something bigger than myself. I decided to join SCRS as a platinum member. I wanted to help the industry and became a board member in 2019. Currently, my role is treasurer.

This is a people business and I love people. Those who embrace being part of an association become bigger

and better. If you go on a racquetball court and play against yourself, you’ll never get better. However, if you play with somebody better than you, you likely will.

Being part of SCRS, there’s not just one benefit. It’s everything bundled together. There’s great networking with shops and vendors and the opportunity to learn about future vehicles.

You may think you’re the only one going through something and then find you aren’t and can solve problems together. Like politics or any other industry, if you want to change something, you have to get involved and put in the effort.

Q: What prompted you to create the “Airing of Grievances” videos series?

A: That happened in my garage while I was smoking a cigar. In January 2021, I decided to start a consumer-focused weekly show, the “Airing of GRIEVEances,” and share the truth about the collision industry. I want to help consumers understand what’s going on behind the curtain in the collision repair industry and the potholes they may experience along the way so they can be avoided.

My co-host, Eric Reamer, edits the YouTube videos and I don’t see them until we air on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. MT. I’m proud to say that we’ve recorded close to 100 videos.

We talk about insurance policies and carriers, the technology of vehicles and what you should look for when interviewing body shops.

Initially, I set out to help guests understand the before, during and after of the repair process. I believe it’s important for people to know what’s going on when their cars are being fixed because not every repair is the same. It’s all about consumer awareness.

Since filming them, I’ve heard so many amazing heartwarming stories about shops across the nation who share the videos with customers

and listen to them every week. It makes me feel the camaraderie of the industry.

Q: What is your hope for the industry?

A: The collision industry is changing so fast it’s hard to wrap your arms around it. As I learn new things and embrace looking for the manufacturers’ procedures and being there with technicians, I also share information with consumers because they don’t understand the steps to repair their vehicles.

I believe with all my heart our job as shops is to make sure that that car is back functioning as designed and safe for consumers. The second part of that is to retain as much value as possible.

If the paint doesn’t match, the gaps are not right, the electronics aren’t working properly or we’ve used aftermarket parts, the car is worth less than it was. It’s always going to be this way because it was in an accident, but it shouldn’t be any less because somebody didn’t repair it properly. That’s owed to the guest and should be our pledge.

Watch the videos at www.youtube. com/c/RobertGrieve/videos or www. nylundscollision.com/airing-ofgreiveances/

A

Car Theft Ring

become a popular target since early last year, thanks in part to the Kia Boyz social media trend.

Instead of using phone chargers to start the cars in the middle of the night, a trick which works for some models, these thieves were a little more sophisticated. They used stolen or forged ID cards to take the vehicles on test drives, then stole them.

According to a local report, the suspects not only were stealing cars, they set up a nice forgery ring. Police found they were pumping out fake checks, temporary license plates, insurance cards and IDs.

Police from a few different jurisdictions worked to track down the suspects. Thanks to the work of investigators, two were taken into custody and indicted on more than 50 felony counts this summer.

As they’ve dug into this group’s activity, more evidence has led to a staggering number of felony charges brought against other suspects.

Tesla Giga Texas Expansion Project for ‘Ecological Paradise’ Gains Approval

By Joey Klender Teslarati

Tesla’s Giga Texas expansion project, which will make way for an “ecological paradise” open to the public just outside the automotive production facility, has been approved by the City of Austin.

to 280, while square footage expanded from 11.7 million to 12.2 million.

Documents did not outline what the expansion would be used for, but as Giga Texas is expected to build hundreds of thousands of vehicles per year, Teslarati speculated it could be to increase production output in the coming years.

“gigantic money furnaces.”

On Sept. 21, it was reported Tesla was planning to revise its original application for Giga Texas,

However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Teslarati the expansion was filed to make way for the “ecological paradise” the automaker planned to build onsite, which will essentially act as a public park.

Musk also said while Tesla did file to expand Giga Texas, the

Musk said in 2020, when Tesla announced it would build its newest factory in Texas just outside Austin, the plant would have an “ecological paradise” that would feature a boardwalk and other activities to highlight the areas surrounding the factory. Musk reiterated to Teslarati this is still the plan, as well as a path that would allow visitors to walk, bike or kayak to downtown Austin.

Musk also said Tesla could develop an electric boat for the Colorado River, which would be available to visitors for potential travel into the city.

Tesla can move forward with the project whenever as of now, as the City of Austin approved the project just eight days after Tesla initially filed it. The proposed application

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more vehicles. They give us volume and we give them a break; it happens in all types of industries. If the prevailing rate is $62, for example, and I say I can do it for $58—that is a business decision.

Why does that mean I cannot pay a technician, estimator or GM a really good income? Why does that mean I cannot repair a car correctly? Explain it to me. I am at a loss.

If I say I can eat sandpaper and some products as the cost of doing business, and then bill for the products that are not, I feel it is a win. If a DRP says there is a paint cap, but I can prove that there was a significant difference and the cost was more via an invoice, how is that a loss? All the carriers want is a level playing field, with full transparency, and I say give it to them.

Example: I need sales at $400,000 monthly to sustain the company— meaning equipment upgrades, quality materials, etc.—and pay everybody well and above industry. So, if that costs $350,000 to do and the location profits $50,000, how is that bad?

I have seen greed in some owners

that is the destroyer of their business. To sustain your business for the long haul you must pay well, upgrade with the times and offer great benefits, recognition programs and good bonus programs.

Do they truly believe that carriers do not want to indemnify their insured? I completely disagree. I think most of all the carriers out there want to retain their customers and want to pay what is the right amount for the vehicle. Nothing more and nothing less.

I often hear all around the industry that the DRPs want you to repair the car using a series of shortcuts, not do it correctly, cutting corners and so on. In my 40 years in this industry, I have never had a carrier ask me to do anything like that. Not one!

I have had quite a few of the carriers ask me why we need to do something, and we always explain everything in full detail with all of the supporting documentation. We are a VeriFacts company as well, so we definitely repair everything correctly.

Have we had a carrier ever ask us for a discounted labor rate? Yes. Have we ever had carriers ask to reduce a labor time? Yes. However, we have never been asked to short a repair, nor have we ever been asked to repair something that is not repairable. Not once. If we did, we would absolutely

say no, of course.

We would certainly always be the first to whistle blow if we were ever asked this. So, it is my belief that as a business owner, it is up to me to guarantee that we do the right things and ensure quality OE repairs on each and every job.

Q: Do you ever have to wrestle with an insurance company about the cost of parts, labor rates, etc., and if so, how do you deal with it?

A: The carriers I work with, both DRP and non-DRP, have been great. Do they ask us for concessions from time to time? Yes. Do we give it all the time? No. It depends on what it is.

All my DRP rates are in stone so the only time I am asked for labor rate concession is form the adjusted work we do. If our door is $62 and they ask for $60, we will give that to them in most cases. If they try and chop repair time, we argue, as we feel we are the experts.

We are not asked for labor time cuts often. But when we have been, we look at it and say, well what we wrote is fair, right and reasonable. We will not concede. We rarely get pushback.

Parts are interesting; we will not install a used quarter panel, period.

We will not use substandard used or aftermarket parts either. If we are asked to do this, we immediately explain why this should not be done. aately I have seen more understanding and giving us what we need than not. Everybody knows the impact of a substandard repair.

Q: Are DRPs attracted to working with you because you have a reputation for making it work to where both parties are satisfied?

A: I would say they want to work with us because we perform, we repair cars correctly, we communicate and we are not confrontational. We are kind in our business practices. We bring our partners in for training and allow then to use our locations as training facilities for their teams.

We have seen a large interest in this. We recently conducted scanning and calibration classes for a large carrier. We brought in the vendor we work with and did an on-site scan and calibration, had a wonderful PowerPoint presentation. Everyone left feeling empowered.

www.autobodynews.com

EV Manufacturers Discuss Restricted Parts,

A panel of manufacturers of electric vehicles shared information collision repairers will need to know about their vehicles.

A lot of has been written about potential challenges EVs pose in the paint shop, but representatives of several electric vehicles downplayed that concern in terms of their companies’ vehicles. Jake Rodenroth of Lucid Motors noted his company started out producing batteries before vehicles.

“So we’ve been doing this a while, and in our case, baking is not really a concern,” he said. “You don’t want to get crazy with temperatures, but it’s not as bad as it used to be.”

Kelly Logan, senior manager of the Rivian collision repair program, concurred.

masking on their vehicles, but in any case doesn’t want the front end bagged improperly because of the vehicles’ cooling fans.

“Those are really powerful, so you can suffocate the car,” Rodenroth said. “Follow the service manual. We have some direction around that.”

Logan, whose company is on track to deliver a total of 25,000 vehicles this year, said the company has visited hundreds of body shops in the past year as it began building a certified network. One thing he said they look for is whether specialized equipment within a shop is clearly being used and not just gathering dust in a corner.

Non-certified shops will find the automaker is limiting the sale of many parts.

“We do have restricted parts,” said Frank Phillips, collision program manager for Rivian. “We use the phrase anything welded, riveted, bonded is a restricted structural part. Anything to do with high voltage is restricted. Anything to do with safety, such as airbags, seat belts, are all restricted parts. One of the other things we restrict are the targets for calibration. Those are limited to our certified network to help [ensure] confidence that the calibration is being done correctly.”

Logan similarly said a service mode is “in the engineering pipeline” that will be available “in the near future.”

In the meantime, they said, collision repair shops may want to disable certain systems on an electric vehicle in for repairs, in part to reduce “parasitic draw” on the vehicle’s 12volt system.

“The vehicle’s security system can bring the 12-volt circuit down if the cameras are actively recording for theft or damage,” Rodenroth said. “In our case, we have 14 cameras. When you’re recording that level of stuff, it can draw the battery down. So if you take a vehicle in, go over it with the owner and make sure they turn this stuff off, because you won’t

be actively charging [the vehicle] every night like they do when they are at home.”

The environment can also contribute to parasitic draw and to how often an EV in for repairs will need to be charged.

“Depending on how hot a Rivian gets, it will turn on the air conditioning system to cool and maintain that battery,” Logan said. “Or if it’s extremely cold out, the car may need to heat up that pack. So it’s not uncommon when you have an EV all torn apart, you can see an increase in the parasitic draw. It’s running systems behind the scenes. You may have to charge that vehicle a couple times during the repair process.”

“We have a position statement already in place about baking the vehicle. It’s not a concern,” Logan said. “Today’s downdraft paint booths move air very efficiently, and the good thing is the battery is on the outside bottom of the car.

“Battery engineers always freak out when you talk about putting the car in an oven and turning it on,” Logan continued. “They think worst case scenario. But in reality, when you’re baking that vehicle, the panel is 150 degrees or maybe it gets to 160. But at the bottom of that car, with all that air coming down, it’s never really hitting that temp.”

But Ben Cid, collision business manager for Mercedes-Benz, said shops also shouldn’t rely on general practices that say “always do this” or “never do this” for all vehicles; look at the OEM procedure “for the specific vehicle you’re doing at the time you are doing it,” Cid said.

To that end, Rodenroth noted his company prefers use of liquid

Both Rodenroth and Logan acknowledged they don’t yet have a “service mode” for their vehicles that

a shop can use to ensure EV owners aren’t able to connect with the vehicle through their app and aren’t getting notifications based on what’s happening with the vehicle during repairs.

“We have a service mode that is in the works that will come over with another update at the end of the year,” Rodenroth said. “We do have a switch or button in there called ‘tilt and shake mode’. It shuts off the alarm and notifications so it’s not ringing while the vehicle is on the tow truck.”

Jake Rodenroth said Lucid Motors prefers the use of liquid masking on their vehicles, but in any case doesn’t want the front end bagged improperly because of the vehicles’ powerful cooling fans

“We have a service mode that is in the works that will come over with another update at the end of the year.”

JAKE RODENROTH BODY REPAIR PROGRAM OPERATIONS MANAGER, LUCID MOTORS

SEMA and BendPak are back again, and we’re coming in loaded with an amazing display of world-class equipment. Get up close and personal with some of our top brands, like QuickJack and Autostacker and of course, legendary BendPak lifts. When you need a break from the heat, stop by our Cool Boss exhibit and chill out with our new COOLBLAST and COOLBREEZE Series! We couldn’t fit it all in one booth, so be sure to look for us out front by the racetrack, and upstairs in the south hall. See you there!

Antonio later this year.

“USAA was proud to visit Colorado Springs, home of the U.S. Air Force Academy, to present vehicles to 10 deserving military families to provide them the gift of reliable transportation in commemoration of USAA’s 100th

reliable transportation to help them along their journey. Thank you to our many partners, including the NABC Recycled Rides program, for making this possible.”

For 100 years, USAA’s mission has served active duty service members, veterans and their families. Recipients have been nominated by nonprofit organizations to receive a NABC Recycled Ride. With the partnership of the NABC, a nonprofit committed to serving its communities, and many in the collision repair industry, vehicles are repaired and donated to those identified as in need of reliable transportation.

The recipients were selected by the Home Front Military Network, Freedom Mobility, TREA/The Enlisted Association, Soldiers’ Angels, Wounded Warrior Project and Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center.

The recipients included:

U.S. Army veteran Jerry DeVaul received a 2018 Ford Explorer repaired by Crash Champions

U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Tyler received a 2020 Mazda CX-9 restored by Service King Southmoor

U.S. Army veteran Matthew Tivis was gifted 2018 Mazda CX-5 repaired by CARSTAR West

U.S. Air Force veteran Brandon Murdoch received a 2019 Hyundai Tucson restored by CARSTAR Jordan Road

U.S. Air Force A1C Jacquez Veal was gifted a 2020 Ford Ranger XL refurbished by CARSTAR West

U.S. Army Pvt. Marcos Luis-Cruz was presented a 2019 Hyundai Elantra SE repaired by Carriage Shoppe

U.S. Army veteran Lana Puskarich was gifted a 2018 Kia Sportage restored by Carriage Shoppe

U.S. Navy veteran Charles Flick received a 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid repaired by Rickenbaugh Collision

Service King, Carriage Shoppe, CARSTAR and Certified Collision Group, which refurbished all of today’s beautiful vehicles,” said Bill Garoutte, president and CEO of the NABC. “We are proud to meet these military members and their families and hear their stories. We are indebted to their service to the country and are committed help them continue their path to independence and success with the gift of reliable transportation.”

Additional partners in the presentation included 1.800.Charity. Cars, Enterprise, Axalta, NAPA, Elitek, AsTech, NCS/Single Source and Longhouse, among others.

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 nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.

anniversary,” said Patrick Burnett Sr., experience owner, AVP Auto Claims, USAA. “Our commitment is to serve our military members, and we are proud to help these service

U.S. Army veteran Joseph Bate, was presented a 2019 Hyundai Tucson restored by Crash Champions

U.S. Army veteran Steven Szura was gifted a 2017 Hyundai Tucson LTD

The NABC shared its gratefulness for USAA’s tremendous commitment to giving back to military members.

“We are honored to again join our member USAA in their 100th anniversary celebration, and grateful

— Source: NABC

AUTOBODY

www.autobodynews.com

Texas Leads U.S. in Job Growth, Smashes All State Employment Records Again

By Bethany Blankley

The Center Square

Texas set new employment highs in August, adding 16,400 nonfarm jobs and bringing total employment in the state to 13,530,100. Since last August, Texas has added 726,900 jobs.

Texas employers added more jobs in August than in any previous month in recorded state history, surpassing the previous months’ record.

August job numbers marked the 10th consecutive month the state set employment records in Texas, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Sept. 16 when it released new jobs data.

Texas also reached a new record for total employed of more than 14 million, including nonfarm, selfemployed and other job categories. It also broke a new record for total labor force at nearly 14.6 million, with the Texas labor force participation rate above the national average at 63.8%.

“Thanks to the strength of the Texas economy and the best workforce in America, Texas has

surpassed three major employment milestones, smashing all previous records with more jobs than ever, more Texans working than ever,

and the unrivaled quality of our young, skilled, diverse and growing workforce. Working together, we will keep Texas the best place to live, work, start a business and raise a family.”

Private industry jobs are also up more than 6% from this time last year and Texas employers are continuing to expand their workforces, TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel said.

Professional and business services led private industry job growth in August with 5,200 new jobs added. Education and health services grew by 3,800; financial activities by 2,800 and government by 8,100.

and build talent pipelines through internship and apprenticeship initiatives,” said TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Aaron Demerson.

While Texas’ job numbers continued to break records, its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 0.1% to 4.1% from July 2022. It’s the first time the state’s unemployment rate has gone up since April 2020.

The Metropolitan Statistical Areas with the lowest unemployment rate was Amarillo and Austin-Round Rock of 3%, followed by Midland’s 3.3%, and 3.5% each in Abilene, College Station-Bryan, Lubbock and San Angelo.

and the largest labor force ever in the state’s history,” Gov. Greg Abbott said. “While the nation faces economic headwinds, Texas leads all states for nonfarm jobs added over the last 12 months a testament to continuing business confidence in the Lone Star State’s pro-growth economic policies

TWC Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez said, “From registered apprenticeship to skills development programs, TWC remains committed to offering pathways to meaningful employment for every Texan in the job market.”

“Texas employers continue to drive the unprecedented job growth in the Lone Star State, and TWC is here to help employers both connect with untapped talent

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has the highest unemployment rate of 7.7% followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur’s 7.1% and BrownsvilleHarlingen’s 6.4%.

“Thanks to the strength of the Texas economy and the best workforce in America, Texas has surpassed three major employment milestones, smashing all previous records with more jobs than ever, more Texans working than ever, and the largest labor force ever in the state’s history,” GREG ABBOTT TEXAS GOVERNOR

Gas Thief Gets Burned

By Steven Symes Motorious

One thief in Salt Lake City, UT, learned the hard way free gasoline can come with a price when he caught himself on fire.

that’s all it needs to ignite. It’s possible when the guy punctured the tank the fuel sprayed onto him while igniting at the same time. He can be seen on the surveillance video rolling around in the parking lot, trying to smother the flames.

The guy’s accomplice, who was sitting in the pickup truck’s driver’s seat, didn’t do anything to help.

That same truck had already been targeted by thieves the same day, June 14, who chopped off the catalytic converter in addition to siphoning the tank.

The guy was trying to steal gas from a truck belonging to Summit Fire and Protection, as reported by local station KSL. Someone else already siphoned the tank, which might have been why the would-be thief was having zero luck.

Then he decided to drill into the tank so he could fill his jerrycan. That’s when a spark ignited the gas, catching him on fire.

If you’ve ever drilled into metal, you know it can spark even just a little bit. Since gas is so flammable,

According to Branch Manager Travis Mills, the business has been targeted plenty of times in the past. “Some people try to take the easy way out of everything,” said Mills.

Summit Fire and Protection installed a $30,000 security system thanks to all the problems in the city, which has been experiencing a crime wave. Now, the truck that was targeted is out of commission and the company isn’t sure it can get replacement parts, which will cost them big time in lost revenue.

GM Engineer Testifies Nikola Badger Pickup Had No Nikola Parts

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

Scott Damman, a senior manager at General Motors, testified in Nikola founder  Trevor Milton’s fraud trial. The GM engineer provided insights into the ill-fated Nikola Badger pickup truck, particularly the parts that would have been used, had the vehicle entered production.  In September 2020, Nikola and GM announced a $2 billion deal that gave the veteran automaker an 11% stake in the upstart automaker. The deal involved GM supplying battery and fuel cell technologies, as well as producing the Nikola Badger pickup truck.Milton said in an interview then the Nikola Badger would mostly feature parts from Nikola.

“It’s probably 70% Nikola, 30% GM, when it comes to the parts that are really important to us,” Milton said. This, according to Damman, was false.  While Nikola did own the Badger’s creative design, all the parts of the vehicle were set to come from General Motors, according to Damman. “There

were no components coming from Nikola. They owned the creative design, what the vehicle looked like and felt like, but all of the parts were to come from General Motors,” Damman told the jury in a federal court in Manhattan.

The Nikola Badger actually had some momentum, so much so the company started taking $5,000 down payments for it. It was also heavily promoted online, with Nikola getting the support of notable auto influencers such as the Diesel Brothers. The Nikola Badger was supposed to be unveiled later in the year, but the event was canceled.

Ultimately, the Badger was canceled as GM scaled back its commitments on Nikola and dropped its plans for a stake in the company. Had the Badger been unveiled, however, former Nikola employee Brendan Babiarz told the jury, the company did have a plan of sorts in the form of a vehicle made partly with components from a Ford F-150 Raptor and a chopped-up electric Nikola power sports vehicle.

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

COLORADO

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

LOUISIANA

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

NEW MEXICO

Garcia Honda Albuquerque 800-677-6632

505-260-5003

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

TEXAS

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

TEXAS

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 LOUISIANA

Mile High Acura Denver 800-548-4730 303-369-7800

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

Pikes Peak Acura Colorado Springs 800-456-9568 719-955-1715

Dept Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4 joe_benson@pikespeakacura com

LOUISIANA

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

TEXAS

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

TEXAS

David McDavid Acura Plano

972-964-6044

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

Dept Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 7-5 anoptsdpt@teamgillman com

UTAH

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

ACURA

HONDA

By Victor Skinner

The Center Square

Business leaders across the country have joined together to call on the Biden administration to boost domestic energy production and to abandon a proposal to ban new offshore lease sales.

More than 200 local chambers of commerce in 47 states and 14 national associations penned a letter to President Joe Biden to urge him “to strengthen our energy security by removing impediments to greater domestic energy production.”

“High energy prices remain a major concern for businesses throughout the United States and are a leading cause of inflation,” the letter read. “Businesses of all sizes are facing burdens from increased costs for goods, services, and transportation, which combined with tight labor markets, presents major headwinds for the U.S. economy.”

The letter argued that addressing climate change and energy security “are not mutually exclusive” and increasing domestic oil and natural

gas production can “accelerate the energy transition” while simultaneously curbing cash to Russia and improving the lives of Americans.

“Also, Russian oil is among the dirtiest in the world, so displacing it with cleaner, less carbon intensive U.S. production would bring obvious environmental benefits,” the letter read. Business leaders pointed to the Biden administration’s “mixed signals” on domestic energy production and outlined three major issues that should be addressed: Ending the ban on new oil and natural gas exploration on federal lands and waters, restoring canceled oil and gas lease sales and adopting a five-year plan for oil and gas development that allows the U.S. to maximize offshore potential.

“Federal lands and waters were responsible for 22 percent of all U.S. oil production and 12 percent of natural gas. Taking these resources off the table has a significant impact on U.S. and global energy supply, today and decades into the future,” the letter read.

“On July 1, the Department of Interior proposed a new plan that included an option to completely shut down offshore exploration by allowing no new leases, creating even more uncertainty,” it continued. “It is not reasonable to ask that companies make major, long-term investments without knowing whether exploration will even be permitted. “We urge the adoption of a new 5-year plan by the end of the year that includes the maximum possible number of lease sales,” business leaders wrote.

The letter came around the same time the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced plans to cut back on oil production, a move that’s expected to contribute to a spike in energy prices in the U.S. Louisiana organizations that signed onto the letter include the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Chamber Southwest Louisiana, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Louisiana’s Committee of 100 for Economic Development,

One Acadiana and the Tangipahoa Chamber of Commerce.

“The world needs safe, affordable energy and thankfully America has plenty of it. It’s time to get America back in the game and the perfect place to start is the Gulf of Mexico,” said Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President Stephen Waguespack. “We know that producers along the Gulf Coast supply nearly 15% of our nation’s oil production, over 2% of our nation’s natural gas production and are capable of doing so much more. We need the Administration and Congress to stop tying the hands of our domestic energy producers at a time in which energy prices are rising and inflation remains at historic levels.

“America has the tools and resources, particularly right here in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast, to maintain our position as a global energy leader,” Waguespack said. “It’s time to flip the switch on American energy and allow our energy creators to do what they do best.”

I-CAR®, the Inter-Industry on Auto Collision Repair, announced it will offer a variety of classroom opportunities to increase collision repair industry knowledge and skills for attendees of the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 1-4.

Online registration for the following topics is now open and available through Nov. 3: Initialization and Calibration of Electronic Systems

Coordinate the Repair Process, Managing Quality Control and MIG Welding Technology & Applications.

I-CAR will also hold a free series of live educational presentations on topics including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Electric Vehicles (EVs), Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), Scanning and Calibrations, Welding and more at the SEMA Collision Repair & Refinish Stage.

Individuals who take I-CAR educational training gain knowledge and credits valid toward the I-CAR Platinum™ designation.

— Source: I-CAR

MSO Symposium Announces 2022 Master Of Ceremonies

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and its board of directors are pleased to announce Dean Fisher of Driven Brands will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the 2022 MSO Symposium, being held Monday, Oct. 31 at The Venetian in Las Vegas from 9:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Dean Fisher brings wellrounded insight to this year’s event with almost 50 years of experience in the automotive industry: from owning multiple automotive-related companies, to bringing his independent collision repair facility into the CARSTAR family and becoming a franchise owner, and holding varying leadership roles on the corporate team at CARSTAR, including chief operations officer and president of the CARSTAR brand. Dean now serves as president of collision companies within Driven Brands and is focused on helping ABRA, CARSTAR and Fix Auto USA to maximize its franchisees’ growth, profitability, and operational standards.

Dean has been a regular

attendee of the MSO Symposium since its inception in 2011 and explains just one of many reasons for attending the event. “The panel discussions on different topical items are always my favorite. Hearing the interchange between MSO groups of varying sizes all coming together to discuss what’s working, where we have opportunities, and what we can do together to make the industry better is unmatched.”

This year’s MSO Symposium in Las Vegas encompasses networking opportunities and a dynamic and interactive agenda set to assist small to large and growing repair facilities with their business’ efficiency and productivity. “The MSO Symposium is an open forum for MSOs, from small regionals to large consolidators, to have highlevel strategic discussions on these topical issues,” continued Fisher.

Sessions at the 2022 event include a deeper dive into: the electric vehicle discussion; Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) opportunities;

AI; and the labor space. To join leading executives from the largest and most successful collision repair facilities in North America at this exclusive annual event, register by following this link.

“I’m humbled and honored to be moderating this year. Looking back, I remember attending the MSO Symposium championing an independent model with a franchise network of 200 locations. Now I’m moderating ahead of my retirement and at the peak of my career, supporting a network of almost 1,000 independently owned locations,” Fisher concluded.

If you would like to register for the 2022 event, please be advised that attendance is limited and you must qualify to attend. To qualify, you must be a MSO, insurer, OEM, or single location repair facility with $3 million or more in annual sales. The only exception is the limited number of sponsors that help underwrite the program.

More information can be found at: msosymposium.com.

SCRS Announces Full Lineup for 2022 OEM Collision Repair Summit at SEMA

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) announced details for all three sessions being offered as part of the 2022 OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit, taking place Nov. 3 during the SEMA Show.

Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Upper South Hall (Room S233), the Summit’s three sessions feature distinctly different discussions highlighting how trends and technological developments in modern vehicles influence vehicle repairability and collision industry preparation.

* Kevin Earlywine, instructor, collision repair and refinish at Toyota Motor North America

* Wayne Weikel, senior director, Alliance for Automotive Innovation

* Amber Alley, manager at Barsotti’s Body & Fender

* Moderated by Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of SCRS

SESSION II: 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m., “Tackling the Technician Crisis Together”

Technicians play one of the most critical roles in proper repairs, and the increasing shortage of talent is a contributing factor with implications on the collision repair businesses.

and “Is there a difference between the factory tool and an aftermarket tool?”

In this session,  Chris Chesney, VP of training and organizational development at Repairify, will present the results of a research project completed by the company, connecting multiple aftermarket tools to thousands of YMMT vehicles and compiling an analysis of the scan results, DTCs and the ability to clear DTCs in the same manner as the factory tool.

Motor Corporation

* Devin Wilcox, program manager and strategist, Collision Network at Subaru of America

* Jake Rodenroth, North American body repair program operations manager at Lucid Motors

Tickets can be secured onsite, outside the education classrooms (rooms S229–S233) in the Upper Level of the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Register for sessions individually or as part of the Full Series Pass.

The Full Series Pass provides the greatest flexibility and value, giving access to one regular Repairer Driven Education session in each available time slot, all three OEM Summit sessions, the IDEAS Collide Showcase, plus one ticket to the SCRS Sky Villa After-party Nov.3.

The Summit agenda includes:

SESSION I: 9-10:30 a.m., “OEM Repair Procedure Accessibility”

The foundation of a quality repair begins with access and adherence to documented repair procedures from the vehicle manufacturer.

But in the collision repair market, well-trained, well-equipped repair facilities are not struggling to gain access to collision repair procedures--they are struggling to compete against other businesses who don’t prioritize access and adherence to the available information.

In this presentation and panel, automakers will discuss access points for information, means to use the procedures in a repair environment, and ways to overcome myths or perceived obstacles in accessing and using repair procedure data.

Featuring:

* Mark Allen, collision programs manager at Audi of America

* Benito Cid, collision business development manager at MercedesBenz USA

This session, led by  Eliza Johnson of Ducker Carlisle, explores data compiled by the global market research firm that delves into the technician crisis, as well as solutions, in partnership with automakers to bolster the technician pool. The presentation will elaborate on the severity of the technician crisis in the automotive landscape, and how it is expected to evolve over the coming years, while considering technology advancements and demographic expectations.

Johnson will elaborate on tactical examples of the Carlisle recommendations in key areas and how the research and recommendations led to the formation of the Automotive Technician Collaboration (ATC), a Carlisle-led group of nine automotive OEMs jointly tackling an industry response to the technician crisis. The collective goal is to change the perception of the automotive technician career.

Following the presentation, Johnson will then welcome a guest panel to join the conversation, featuring:

* Dara Goroff, vice president, planning and industry talent programming at I-CAR

* John Helterbrand, national program director at Collision Engineering

* Jennifer Maher, executive director at the TechForce Foundation

SESSION III: 1–2:30 p.m., “Managing Scan Tool Choices While Ensuring Safe and Proper Repairs”

When it comes to scanning, some of the most common questions asked in the industry include “Why do the OEMs require the use of their factory tool when servicing safety systems?”

Chesney will provide insight into how the resulting database can identify when, and if, an aftermarket tool can offer the same results as an OEM tool. The OEM Summit will be the first public visibility into the results of testing thousands of vehicles using both OEM and aftermarket tools.

Following the presentation of data, Chesney will welcome automakers to the stage to discuss how the results of their tests align with automaker guidance and requirements, including:

* Dan Dent, manager, collision, Certified Repair Network at Nissan

The 2022 OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit is made possible with support from AirPro Diagnostics, BASF, CAR-O-LINER, CCC, Enterprise, Reliable Automotive Equipment, Toyota and SEMA.

To learn more about SCRS’ education series at the SEMA Show visit https://scrs.com/sema-rderegistration.

— Source: SCRS

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PARTNER BRANDS

By Casey Harper

The Center Square

Gas prices have continued to rise over the past two weeks, and now OPEC has announced a major decision that will likely drive those prices higher.

OPEC said Oct. 5 it would reduce oil production beginning in November by 2 million barrels per day. OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries largely based in the Mideast, said in a statement it made the decision “in light of the uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks, and the need to enhance the long-term guidance for the oil market, and in line with the successful approach of being proactive, and preemptive…”

President Joe Biden helped lower prices by releasing 1 million barrels per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve since April, but the reserves meant for emergency situations like natuural disasters or in the event of war are now near decades-low levels.

“In any event, we will continue to take steps to protect American

Texas Roads Are Among the Most Dangerous in the Country

By Samuel Stebbins

The Center Square

Traffic deaths are on the rise in the U.S., according to a recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

An estimated 20,175 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes from January through June 2022, the most in the first half of any year since 2006.

The latest increase in traffic fatalities comes as Americans are spending more time on the road. U.S. drivers traveled 43.2 billion more miles in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year.

The recent increase in traffic fatalities is a continuation of a troubling long-term trend. Deaths on American roads rose for seven consecutive quarters, from mid 2020 to early 2022. A recent survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the trend is partially the result of rising instances of risky behavior among motorists

including speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

consumers,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during an Oct. 4 press briefing. “Our focus, and it’s been very clear for the past several, several months, has been on taking every step to ensure markets are sufficiently supplied to meet demand for a growing global economy.”

of regular gasoline is $3.83, up from $3.77 a week ago. The recent rise in gas prices is due in part to the effects of Hurricane Ian.

Patrick De Haan, a petroleum expert with GasBuddy, said he expects OPEC’s decision to drive prices up 15 to 30 cents per gallon.

“Ouch... and up goes oil after OPEC recommendation…” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s VERY nuanced right now because of refinery kinks, but high [gas prices] will soon fall in the West Coast, Great Lakes and others where they exploded, while rising in the Gulf, South, [Southeast], East Coast and [Northeast] because of OPEC’s decision.”

Some states stand out for having especially high traffic fatality rates so far this year. According to the NHTSA, there were an estimated 2,183 traffic fatalities in Texas in the first half of 2022, the most among states.

After adjusting for vehicle miles traveled, Texas has the ninth highest traffic fatality rate in the country, with 1.50 roadway deaths for every 100 million miles traveled. For context, there were an estimated 1.27 deaths per 100 million miles nationwide in the first half of the year.

Biden told reporters he was “concerned” about OPEC’s announcement, calling it “unnecessary.”

According to AAA, the current national average price for a gallon

Prices hit an alltime high in June, surpassing $5 per gallon before declining. Current prices, though, are still much higher than when Biden took office. The average price one year ago was $3.20 per gallon.

Touted as lifesaving, crashpreventing tech, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is standard equipment in most new cars sold in the U.S.

Over the years, AEB has successfully stemmed rear-end crashes, which often result in injuries, property damage and even fatalities. But AAA wanted to know if the latest generation of AEB can handle higher speeds and detect moving vehicles in its path at intersections. It struggled with the former and failed with the latter.

“Automatic Emergency Braking does well at tackling the limited task it was designed to do. Unfortunately, that task was drawn up years ago, and regulator’s slow-speed crash standards haven’t evolved,” said Greg Brannon, director of AAA’s automotive engineering and industry relations. “Testing requirements for this technology, or any vehicle safety system for that matter, must be updated to handle faster, more realistic speeds and scenarios with the greatest safety benefit for drivers.”

The Issue

AEB uses forward-facing cameras

and other sensors to automatically tell the car to apply the brakes when a crash is imminent. It has reduced rear-end crashes at slower speeds, and the technology has been refined over the years with upgraded hardware and software.

But two of the most common deadly crashes at intersections are T-bones and left turns in front of oncoming vehicles. From 2016 to 2020, these two types accounted for 39.2% of total fatalities in crashes involving two passenger vehicles during which the striking vehicle did not lose traction or leave the roadway before the collision.

What AAA Tested

*AEB rear-end crash performance when encountering a stationary vehicle at speeds of 30 and 40 mph (currently mandated testing speeds are 12 and 25 mph)

*AEB performance when encountering moving vehicles in collision scenarios involving an intersection---T-bone and unprotected left turn (test vehicle turning left in front of an oncoming car)

The Result

At 30 mph, AEB prevented a rearend collision for 17 of 20 test runs, or 85%. For the test runs that resulted in a crash, the impact speed was reduced by 86%.

But at 40 mph, AEB only prevented a rear-end crash in 6 of 20 test runs, or 30%. For test runs that resulted in a crash, the impact speed was reduced by 62%.

In both the T-bone and left-turn in front of oncoming vehicle tests, crashes occurred 100% of the time. AEB failed to alert the driver, slow the vehicle’s speed and avoid the crash.

AEB is common in vehicles, regardless of price. Starting Sept. 1, 20 automakers representing more than 99% of the US market pledged to make AEB standard equipment on all their new vehicles.

What’s Next AAA strongly urges automakers and regulatory agencies to focus on system design and test protocols to better handle the types of crashes when injuries and fatalities commonly occur.

Automakers must improve AEB systems to assist drivers in intersection-based crash scenarios.

Automakers should include AEB systems as standard equipment on all their makes and models.

Drivers must recognize an AEB system’s limitations and remain engaged when behind the wheel.

Methodology

AAA selected four vehicles for testing, choosing two of each driver monitoring design type, cameraequipped and input from the steering wheel. AAA does not rate vehicle performance. The vehicles were a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox LT with Chevy Safety Assist, 2022 Ford Explorer XLT with Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, 2022 Honda CR-V Touring with Honda Sensing and 2022 Toyota RAV4 LE with Toyota Sensing.

The vehicles were procured directly from the manufacturer or specialty rental fleets. To ensure the proper functioning of the AEB system, all vehicles were serviced at dealerships. Please refer to the full report for methodology details, including specific testing equipment and test track characteristics.

— Source: AAA

Arizona Military Families Receive NABC Recycled Rides

In a presentation Oct. 6, 10 deserving Arizona military families experienced a life-changing moment when they were gifted refurbished vehicles through the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program.

The ceremony, which took place at the USAA Financial Center in Phoenix, AZ, continued USAA’s “100 Cars for 100 Years” centennial celebration. Service King Collision, now part of the Crash Champions Collision Repair Team, one of the fastest-growing independent collision repair service providers in the country, co-sponsored the event alongside Charity Cars.

As part of the Recycled Rides program, certified technicians from the Crash Champions and Service King Collision locations volunteered time and expertise to fully refurbish three of the donated vehicles for active-duty military families. The local families were selected by Phoenix-area nonprofit organizations. “I want to thank all the parties involved for this incredible gift that does so much for my family and our

sense of independence,” said one recipient, a U.S. Air Force servicemember. “Having a form of reliable, dependable transportation removes many of the difficulties we face on an everyday basis, and this gift will play a major role in improving our lives for years to come.”  The three vehicles restored by Service King and Crash Champions technicians included a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude, 2018 Subaru Impreza and 2020 Toyota RAV4. NABC Recycled Rides is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the automotive 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 nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at $42 million.

Since 2018, Crash Champions has restored and donated more than 30 vehicles to deserving families as part of the NABC Recycled Rides program.

— Source: Crash Champions

Tesla Recalls 1.1 Million Cars for Incorrect Automatic Window Operation

By Andrei Nedelea InsideEVs

Tesla has announced a recall for 1.1 million vehicles built between 2017 and 2022 for a problem with the automatic windows, which may not stop when they detect an obstruction.

This means the windows, which go up automatically, may may cause an injury and as such they do not comply with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety guidelines for power-operated windows.

The NHTSA deems this a safety risk, which Tesla will have to address, although no warranty claims or injuries were reported as a result of defect.

Tesla described the problem: “A closing window may exert excessive force by pinching a driver or passenger before retracting, increasing the risk of injury.”

Tesla said it will correct the issue via an over-the-air update it

plans to roll out sometime in the next few months. Owners will be notified via mail Nov. 15.

Vehicles affected by this recall are the 2017-2022 Model 3, 2020-2022 Model Y, 2021-2022 Model S and 2021-2022 Model X.

This is the latest of several big U.S. recalls Tesla announced this year, for issues like a seat belt chime malfunction, the removal of the “Boombox” feature and display issues while charging.

Elsewhere, Teslas were recalled for different problems, like a glitchy automatic emergency call system in Germany and Model 3 and Model Y heat pump issues in China.

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Now is Not the Time

work is only going to become increasingly complex. I think we’re going to see more automakers restricting more parts sales only to certified shops.

So that’s why I think giving up on OEM certifications now would be short-sighted. You have to look into the future.

It also makes it important to check the shop locators for the automakers that certify your shop. Make sure your profile is correct, and you have really good photos in there of your shop and your lobby. Keep pushing for positive customer reviews online. All that is becoming all the more important.

Listen, I understand some OEM certification programs provide more value than others right now. But I can tell you the automakers are hearing the message loud and clear from collision repairers that the programs need to provide more value.

I think as we see this OEM subscription model come into play, it’s going to be really good for certified collision shops. So don’t give up. Stay the course.

Tesla Employee Hit by Car After ICE-ing, Vandalism Incident at Austin, TX, Supercharger

by Simon Alvarez Teslarati

Being a Tesla employee has its perks, but if an incident at an Austin, TX, Supercharger is any indication, it appears working for the electric vehicle maker could also come with some risks.

One Tesla employee learned this the hard way after arguing with a non-Tesla driver who initially blocked a Supercharger stall.

As reported by the Austin Police Department, a Tesla employee was involved in a disturbance at a Tesla Supercharging Station located at 6406 N. I-35 Service Road southbound. While the Austin Police Department only posted about the incident on its official Facebook page recently, the event happened Aug. 29.

The Austin Police Department’s preliminary investigation revealed a number of strange and disturbing events. According to the police, a man parked his non-Tesla vehicle in one of the Supercharger Station’s charging stalls. The man

then entered a restricted area at the Supercharger Station and urinated on the spot, resulting in an argument with a Tesla employee.

seeking assistance from the community to help it identify the man who hit the Tesla employee.

Those who have information on the incident are asked to call the APD Aggravated Assault Unit at (512) 974-4940 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS. Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward of $1,000 for any information that could help the Austin Police Department arrest the man. Photos of the man in question were posted by the APD on its official Facebook account.

Blocking Supercharger stations, or ICE-ing as it is known in the EV community, involves blocking a charging stall with a non-electric vehicle. ICE-ing incidents have caused several headaches for Tesla and electric vehicle owners over the years, but very few incidents actually end up with an actual crime being committed.

The man, who is yet to be identified, hit the Tesla employee with his car before leaving the Supercharger Station. The Austin Police Department is currently

AUTOBODY

DUIs

Nationwide but Fatal Crashes Rising

QuoteWizard®, a LendingTree company and online insurance marketplace, released a new report analyzing DUI citations and alcohol-involved fatal crashes.

QuoteWizard found while the number of DUI citations has dropped nationwide, the number of alcoholinvolved fatal crashes is rising. QuoteWizard analysts found the number of fatal crashes involving alcohol increased by 5% in 2021.

“Law enforcement, public safety organizations and nonprofit organizations have done a great job raising awareness about the dangers of impaired driving but that message hasn’t been heard by everyone. The number of fatal crashes is up 20% since 2020 and many of them involve alcohol. This is a troubling trend we can and have to fix,” said Nick VinZant, senior research analyst with QuoteWizard.

QuoteWizard analysts also looked at DUIs and fatal crashes in each state going back to 2010. The report includes detailed information on the number of DUIs, fatal crashes and fatal crashes involving alcohol in each state. The full report is available here: https://quotewizard. com/auto-insurance/howlong-does-a-dui-stay-on-yourrecord#states

Key findings:

Northern states like Wyoming and the Dakotas have the highest rate of DUIs

• DUI citations have dropped by nearly 70% in North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio

Montana has the highest number of fatal crashes involving alcohol

Fatal crashes are up 20% since 2020

— Source: QuoteWizard

This image from the Austin Police Department shows a man the police are looking for after an alleged incident at an Austin Supercharger. Credit: Austin Police Department/Facebook

www.autobodynews.com

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Hyundai

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

A Hyundai theft fix is allegedly being offered as of Oct. 1 in the form of $170 security kits for Hyundai vehicles, while Kia is offering steering wheel locks for its cars.

Hyundai and Kia thefts have

in a coordinated effort on social media,” Hyundai said. “Criminals are targeting our vehicles without engine immobilizers. Immobilizers became standard on all vehicles produced after Nov, 1, 2021.”

The thefts seem to have began in Milwaukee where Hyundai and Kia thefts increased 2,500% in one year, typically committed by middle school kids and other teens.

Videos show how a criminal can break or pry out a window, remove a panel and start the Hyundai or Kia by using a USB port or cable. This is possible on vehicles not equipped with engine immobilizers.

As of now, a Hyundai customer will be required to pay for the $170 security kit which will take about three hours to install at a dealership. Hyundai said the kit includes an alarm and a kill switch, and a software update will allegedly expand the theft protection.

However, the Hyundai security software update likely won’t be available until sometime in 2023.

The automaker hasn’t announced details about any security kit installation cost.

Hyundai and Kia have been working with local police departments since 2021 to hand out steering wheel locks in an effort to prevent the thefts.

skyrocketed in the U.S. after criminals began posting videos about how to steal the cars, sometimes by using nothing more than a USB cable.

“While all of our vehicles meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, unfortunately, our vehicles have been targeted

And knocking out the rear window is allegedly not a problem because the windows allegedly are not connected to the theft alarm systems.

The Hyundai and Kia thefts occur in vehicles with standard key ignitions as push-button start vehicles are equipped with engine immobilizers.

But once lawyers got wind of the Hyundai and Kia thefts in the media, class action lawsuit were suddenly filed across the country.

Instead of blaming the criminals who damage and steal the vehicles, the class action lawsuits blame Hyundai and Kia for selling allegedly defective vehicles.

CarMax Earnings Plunge Signals Market Shift

By Steven Symes Motorious

Thanks to pandemic lockdowns around the world, shortages of supplies—including processor chips, aluminum and even glass— crippled new car production.

Automakers didn’t predict a surge in demand for new cars, sending the prices of both new and used vehicles soaring.

If you’ve been waiting out the market insanity, there have been growing signs prices are deflating and will continue to do so, including a big one from CarMax.

The company reported sales for August, July and June decreased. Investors reacted, sending shares plunging Sept. 30. This might not seem like a big deal, CarMax doesn’t just sell to consumers—it does a lot of wholesale deals, so this is a shadow of things to come, not only for used cars but also the new market.

Speaking with The Detroit News, Chris Frey of Cox Automotive called the CarMax sales drop a “correction period,” which should mean prices are going to come down to a saner

level. If you’ve been looking for a new or used vehicle, you already know dealerships and even some private sellers want a few limbs or your first born.

Demand is in decline. In part that could be from people who have decided to wait until prices go back to what they were pre-pandemic. With rising interest rates, lowincome shoppers who depend on financing to buy a vehicle have been squeezed out of the market. And with everyone paying more for essential items, suddenly having a new car just isn’t a top priority.

According to The Detroit News, dealers are changing what they’re doing with trade-in vehicles. They used to take most to auctions, with the nicest examples fetching way more than what they paid, making for a tidy profit.

Now, many are putting tradeins on their own used lots, hoping consumers will bite on a decent price. But if shoppers keep foregoing buying those vehicles, prices will have to come down.

John Yoswick — Industry Insight

SCRS Urging Auto Body Shops to Help Consumers Remove Personal Data from Total Loss Vehicles

Auto body shops have long given customers whose vehicle has been declared a total loss a chance to get any of their personal belongings from the vehicle before it is towed away.

But what about all their digital personal information contained in that vehicle?

A Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) committee is working to raise awareness among shops about assisting customers releasing a vehicle by ensuring their personal data is deleted from the infotainment system.

“We found that most shops don’t know how to deal with this, or don’t have protocols in place yet, so we thought it would be worth addressing from a collision repair perspective,”

Amber Alley, vice chairman of SCRS, said during the association’s open board meeting this summer.

The committee pointed to an SCRS Quick Tip video— available at www.youtube.com/

watch?v=yhMYkmZRwrc—that explains why this is an important step. The systems may be storing information such as the owners’ contact names, addresses and phone numbers; garage door opener codes; and copies of texts, emails and call history.

“Phone syncing really is resulting in the car becoming like someone’s cell phone on wheels,” Alley said. “Pretty much anything on your phone could be getting recorded onto some module inside the car, particularly the infotainment system.”

Alley said the committee hopes to develop some best practices related to this for shops—possibly including sample wording for a customer authorization form—but in the meantime, she said the steps involved appear to be more commonly found in consumer-focused materials from the automakers rather than in the OEM repair procedures.

“So as a shop, when looking for

Shop owner Ron Reichen said some 360-surround cameras capture images even when the vehicle is not in operation, potentially monitoring activity in a shop where the vehicle is being repaired

this information, I would suggest you start with the owner’s manual and customer-based materials from the car manufacturer,” she said.

The committee noted it’s not just a vehicle’s infotainment system that may include personal customer

information. Oregon shop owner Ron Reichen shared images from a vehicle’s 360-surround camera captured even while the vehicle was not in operation as part of the vehicle’s security system.

That data could include images that share information the customer would not like a future owner of the vehicle to have---such as where they drop off their kids at school or daycare---and also could include information from the vehicle’s time in the shop, such as images of license plates of other vehicles in for repairs.

Even if a vehicle with such a system isn’t a total loss and is repaired and returned to the customer, Reichen noted, “It’s monitoring all the activities going in the shop. The client is going to know what your housekeeping is like, when you start work and when you quit work, were you working on the car when you told them you were working on the car. There’s another set of eyes there.”

By Simon Alvarez Teslarati

Tesla reported it was able to produce a total of 365,923 vehicles and deliver 343,830 vehicles in the third quarter of 2022.

More specifically, Tesla produced 19,935 Model S/X and 345,988 Model 3/Y. The company was also able to deliver 18,672 Model S/X and 325,158 Model 3/Y in Q3 2022.

As noted by Tesla in a press release, the company has started transitioning to a more even regional mix of vehicle builds per week. This has resulted in the company increasing the number of cars in transit at the end of the quarter.

“As our production volumes

continue to grow, it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure vehicle transportation capacity and at a reasonable cost during these peak logistics weeks.

“In Q3, we began transitioning to a more even regional mix of vehicle builds each week, which led to an increase in cars in transit at the end of the quarter. These cars have been ordered and will be delivered to customers upon arrival at their destination,” Tesla wrote.

Tesla’s Q3 2022 deliveries are successful. In comparison, the company delivered a total of 308,600 vehicles in Q4 2021, 310,048 cars in Q1 2022, and 254,695 vehicles in Q2 2022.

Tesla will be posting its Q3 2022 earnings results after markets close Oct. 19.

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Shops may want to determine if such a system can be put into “service mode”—with the customer’s permission—to avoid, as Reichen once experienced, a Tesla owner calling over the weekend to say he’d been alerted by his vehicle app that his car door was ajar in the shop.

The committee even discussed whether clearing data is a service shops could also offer their customers in other circumstances, such as prior to the sale of a vehicle.

“I think that would be a great idea,” Reichen said. “People know how to upload [their information] and get so accustomed to using it, but each one has its own nuances on how to remove all that.”

Alley agreed.

“Any time you can reconnect with that customer and build that longterm relationship and trust, when you’re offering more value than just replacing a fender, it’s always a good idea,” she said.

A “Who Pays for What?” survey of U.S. shops this summer found more than one-third of shops (35%) said they are paid always or most of the time by the eight largest U.S. insurers when they charge for the labor to erase a customer’s data from a vehicle declared a total loss.

That had more than doubled from the first time the survey asked about

the procedure a year earlier. Despite this, more than four in five shops acknowledge not having sought to be paid for this work---likely because most shops aren’t doing it.

On a related note, Reichen and Alley at the SCRS meeting said shops may want to caution their customers about plugging their phone into a

Alley also shared an experience she had that led her to think it’s not just customer information shops may want to remove from vehicles. A trip she’d made to El Salvador about five years ago included visiting some body shops there. It’s not uncommon, she said, for those shops to acquire and repair total loss vehicles from the U.S. In and on some of those vehicles, she said, she saw “window tags from the shop, customer last names and windshield tags slapped on the vehicle by the insurance company or the auction.”

that identify the shop, and makes sure customers haven’t left things without realizing those items may include their address, banking information, etc.

Also speaking at the meeting, Danny Gredinberg of the Database Enhancement Gateway said he had once collected his own items out of a car he was selling, but overlooked the toll road transponder sticker on the windshield.

rental vehicle’s infotainment system.

“I’ve had past phones show up on rental cars that I’ve rented,” Alley said. “The system asked me if I was five other people. That infotainment system is storing that information, and it will continue to be stored in there unless someone goes in and deletes it.”

Reichen agreed most customers won’t think about their information being captured when they plug their phone into a rental vehicle.

“I think we as repairers have an obligation to communicate that to the customer,” he said.

No matter where a total loss vehicle processed by a shop ends up, “That’s traceable information right on those tags,” Alley said. “Personally, I don’t want these cars tracked back to our facility. We’ve had someone call us two years later about a total, saying, ‘I found this paperwork in the car from your shop. Can you go over what was done,’ or asking us if we have old parts. So we’re recommending that you clean out the [total loss] car thoroughly of your shop information before it’s released.”

After her shop’s customers remove their belongings from such vehicles, she said, the shop removes any windshield or key tags, paperwork or seat covers

“Six months later, I got a bill from the toll company, telling me the car had been rolling through the tolls,” Gredinberg said. “I ended up paying almost $500 in toll fees. They were willing to work with me on that because I had a bill of sale for the vehicle, but it was a good reminder to remove even little stickers.”

Your leading source for SOUTHWESTERN Collision Repair News! southwestern.autobodynews.com

Phone syncing really is resulting in the car becoming like someone’s cell phone on wheels.”

AMBER ALLEY SCRS VICE CHAIRMAN

Chevron, Texaco Become Far More EV-Friendly

By William Johnson Teslarati

Chevron and Texaco have partnered with FreeWire to equip their gas station locations with EV charging solutions.

Gas stations have a distinct advantage over other EV charging companies: they are already located everywhere. There are nearly 7,000 Chevron gas

within the charger. Then, when an EV hooks up to the charger, the battery charges the vehicle at DC fast charging rates, instead of the wall outlet rate. This saves the location from having to invest in expensive physical charging infrastructure on their site but still allows customers to access DC fast charging.

“Our charging stations are helping retail locations like Chevron’s branded stations to enhance their offering to consumers,” said Arcady Sosinov, FreeWire founder and CEO. “Providing ultra fast, convenient charging at traditional fueling stations can help unlock new customer relationships with EV drivers.”

are excited to join with companies like FreeWire that develop technologies that enhance our retail offerings and can grow our Chevron and Texaco brands.”

stations and 8,000 Texaco locations in the U.S. And through a new partnership with FreeWire, an EV charging infrastructure company, these countless gas stations can now serve as EV charging locations.

FreeWire’s charging solution is unique. It uses standard wall plug power to charge large batteries

Gas Prices Rise as Ian Heads Toward Florida

Gas prices rose a nickel over the previous week, as the national average pump price hit $3.72 on Sept. 26.

The main reason is higher regional prices on the West Coast and the Midwest due to refinery issues ranging from planned maintenance to a fire. But low domestic demand as fewer drivers fuel up and much lower oil prices have helped to blunt some of the impact.

On Sept. 23, the price of oil slipped below $80 a barrel for the first time since January, primarily due to fears of a recession-led global economic slowdown.

“Slack demand and lower oil prices should take some pressure off rising gas prices,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But Hurricane Ian could cause problems, depending on the storm’s track, by disrupting oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and impacting large coastal refineries.”

Meanwhile, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased from 8.49 million b/d to 8.32 million b/d over the week.

Moreover, according to the EIA, total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 1.6 million bbl to 214.6 million bbl.

Although gasoline demand has decreased, tight supply and fluctuating oil prices have increased the national average price. However, if gas demand remains low, pump price increases will likely be minimal.

The Sept. 26 national average of $3.72 is 14 cents less than a month ago but 54 cents more than a year ago.

The nation’s top 10 largest weekly increases: Oregon (+36 cents), Wisconsin (+35 cents), California (+35 cents), Washington (+29 cents), Nevada (+19 cents), Ohio (+17 cents), Michigan  (+17 cents), Alaska (+16 cents), Indiana (+16 cents) and Iowa (+16 cents).

The nation’s top 10 most expensive markets: California ($5.79), Hawaii ($5.23), Nevada ($5.10), Oregon ($5.00), Washington ($4.92), Alaska ($4.80), Idaho ($4.41), Utah ($4.20), Arizona ($4.10) and Illinois ($3.97).

— Source: AAA

No number of chargers or locations were specified in the company press release. The gas station brands were excited to announce the partnership and that they will be investing billions over the next 10 years to electrify their nationwide fueling network.

Jesse Love, Chevron’s retail brand experience manager, said in a press release, “We are committed to investing billions in lower-carbon projects over the next 10 years and

Gas station companies like Chevron and Texaco are far from the only companies working with FreeWire. According to the FreeWire website, they also work with brands including Rivian, Walmart, Uber and other gas station companies like BP to build EV charging infrastructure.

FreeWire shows many brands, locations and companies that have become integral parts of everyday life aren’t going away with the shift to electric vehicles. Gas station brands are now more aware than ever that change is necessary to survive in the future.

“Our charging stations are helping retail

like Chevron’s branded stations to enhance their offering to consumers,”

— ARCADY SOSINOV FREEWIRE FOUNDER AND CEO

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Rivian Produced 7,363 EVs in Q3 2022

By Johnna Crider Teslarati

Rivian produced 7,363 EVs at its facility in Normal, IL, in the third quarter of 2022, the company announced, and delivered 6,584 vehicles.

Rivian said these numbers are in line with its expectations and it’s on track for its production goal of 25,000 EVs this year.

In Q1 and Q2, Rivian produced a total of 6,954 vehicles. Combined with Q3’s numbers, Rivian has produced a total of 14,317 vehicles so far this year, and needs to produce 10,683 in the fourth quarter to make its goal.

Rivian is working toward increasing its vehicle production. It’s planning to build an expansive facility just outside of Atlanta, GA. However, there are some challenges.

The Associated Press reported a Georgia judge rejected an agreement that would have given Rivian a large property tax break. Morgan County Superior Court Judge Brenda Trammell rejected what is typically seen as a routine request by a local government to validate a bond agreement.

According to her ruling, the development authority was unable to prove that the plant was “sound, reasonable and feasible,” which is required by state law. Rivian’s $5 billion plant is projected to hire 7,500 Georgia employees.

In a joint statement with a local four-county joint development authority, the Georgia Department of Economic Development expressed disappointment. The groups said they were “disappointed and respectfully disagree with Judge Trammell’s decision.”

“We remain undeterred in our efforts to bring high-paying, American manufacturing jobs to Georgia, and are currently assessing all legal options,” the group said.

AAA Adds Monthly Battery Reports To EV Membership Coverage To Ease Range Anxiety

By Joey Klender Teslarati

AAA is adding monthly battery reports to its membership coverage for electric vehicles to help ease concerns regarding range anxiety.

AAA said its AAA Club Alliance (ACA) partnered with Recurrent to provide in-depth and detailed battery reports that will give EV owners a monthly health check on their battery pack.

“With this new partnership between ACA and Recurrent, we can provide AAA members who drive electric vehicles with personalized monthly battery reports as a benefit of Membership,” said Colleen St. Leger of ACA.

In a poll from AAA, the company surveyed consumers to find their main concerns with electric vehicle ownership. While a higher purchase price and lack of EV charging points were the two most-noted concerns

Announces Leadership Changes

Ford Motor Company on Sept. 22 announced Doug Field has been named chief advanced product development and technology officer.

In this expanded role, Field will continue to oversee EV products, software and digital systems development, and advanced driver assistance, while also taking on design and vehicle hardware engineering.

Lisa Drake, vice president, EV industrialization, will now also be responsible for manufacturing engineering as Ford scales to a run rate of 2 million EVs per year by the end of 2026.

Chuck Gray, who has been vice president, EV technology, is named vice president, vehicle hardware engineering.

Both Drake and Gray report to Field, as does Anthony Lo, Ford’s chief design officer.

— Source: Ford

www.autobodynews.com

initially, with 60% of respondents detailing those concerns, range anxiety was second with 58%.

Range anxiety has been a common concern of new EV owners for several years. However, electric vehicle ranges have increased as more competitors have entered the market. There are several EVs that will now give more than or extremely close to 400 miles of range on a full charge.

Standard range EVs still pack at least 250 miles of range, but that simply is not enough for some people who plan to use their vehicles for long road trips or do not have access to fast chargers near their homes.

General Motors said nearly 80% of EV drivers do a majority of their charging at home, a distinct advantage of EV ownership. After all, how many gas cars have a full tank of gas every single morning?

However, the health of an EV battery pack is also important and can affect both range ratings

and charging rates. That’s why AAA is partnering with Recurrent to give a monthly status update regarding EV battery health.

Gas prices in the U.S. have leveled off over the past few months, but they’re still convincing some consumers to switch to electric cars. Of the 25% of respondents in AAA’s poll who said they would be more than likely to buy an EV with their next purchase, 77% said a desire to save on fuel costs was one of the main reasons for their interest.

“With higher gas prices this year, we are certainly seeing a lot of interest in electric vehicles,” said Bob Kazmierczak, director of ACA’s Approved Auto Repairs. “There are some basic things to consider before deciding whether to purchase an EV, from daily driving habits to charging plan to the cost of ownership.

Drivers should also review all tax refund and incentives to make sure their purchase would qualify.”

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Second Tesla Center in New Mexico to Open on Santa Ana Pueblo

By Maria Merano Teslarati

Tesla is building its second sales, service and delivery center on tribal land. The Pueblo of Santa Ana announced a new Tesla Center on the Tamaya Indian Reservation.

Tamaya Ventures owns the Pueblo of Santa Ana wholly, and partnered with Tesla on a 35,000-square foot multi-purpose center. The new Tesla Center will occupy four acres of land in the Pueblo’s Master Business Lease/ Business Development District. Tesla plans to open the center by May 2023.

“This is an exciting start to the next frontier of tribal economic creation, diversification and competitiveness,” said New Mexico Gov. Joey Sanchez. “Tamaya Ventures has executed extremely well on behalf of the Pueblo of Santa Ana to bring a global partner like Tesla to our region.

“This partnership brings opportunities for economic impact and diversification, and opportunities to create careers

not just jobs,” Sanchez said. “The investment that Tesla is making in workforce development and training as part of this project will be extremely valuable in helping our strategic efforts to create an economy that is powered by STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Manufacturing].”

American tribal land in New Mexico. By building on tribal land, Tesla effectively sidestepped a

considered sovereign nations.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, noted New Mexico’s presence in the EV space would significantly improve soon, thanks to the Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Tesla may benefit from its presence in the area.

“New Mexico received $38 million from the Infrastructure Law to build out an EV charging network. The Inflation Reduction Act will supercharge [the] manufacturing of EVs and a broad range of clean energy and electric technologies. It also establishes tax credits to help more families afford to purchase new and used EVs,” said Heinrich.

Tesla plans to invest in workforce development at Santa Ana Pueblo. It offers full scholarships to tribal members so they gain the necessary skills to work at Tesla’s new center.

In September 2021, Tesla opened its first center on Native

New Mexico law prohibiting the company from directly selling EVs and operating a service center in the state. The state law does not apply to tribal lands since they are

Georgia Senator’s Bill Would Let More EVs Qualify for New Tax Credit

By Steven Loveday InsideEVs

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-GA, has proposed a new bill that may help more automakers initially qualify for the new U.S. federal EV tax credit.

If the bill passes, it also means more people who are looking to lease or buy an electric car will have options that may suit them.

The new EV tax credit that’s coming as part of the Inflation Reduction Act will limit the number of electric vehicles that can qualify, at least temporarily, mostly due to the fact the legislation also has a goal of promoting EV production and assembly in the U.S.

While promoting EV manufacturing and battery materials sourcing in the U.S. is a wise move, most automakers won’t be able to comply right away.

Warnock’s Affordable Electric Vehicles for America Act aims to provide a grace period to automakers like Hyundai so

people can take advantage of the credit while the brand is working toward producing EVs on our shores.

Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, but they’re expensive. Many of those that are the least expensive, such as options produced by Kia and Hyundai, are also among the long list of those that won’t qualify under the new rules.

What makes this all especially interesting is that Warnock’s opponent for the Georgia Senate seat, former football player and Republican candidate Herschel Walker, believes electric cars cost more than his house. According to several sources, this is far from true, since he just reportedly bought a new home that cost $11 million.

You may think Walker would like to see changes to the tax credit so the people of Georgia could have affordable options. However, Walker is outwardly anti-EV, and he’s also anti-solar. He said he’s also anti-incentives, and he thinks

the government is trying to make him put solar panels on his car and then live in it.

At any rate, some foreign automakers are already making plans to manufacture EVs in the U.S. so they can take advantage of the tax credit. While they may not necessarily want to comply, it’s important to be able to compete with other brands eligible for the credit. If a buyer can get a $7,500 credit on one car, but not on a rival EV, they’re likely to go with the car that’s eligible.

Georgia is also one of a handful of southern states becoming popular locations for automakers to set up shop. If Warnock can help these foreign automakers in the interim, perhaps they’ll consider Georgia as their future home for EV production.

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“Scaling our production and adoption of EVs is critical to meeting our climate goals, reducing unhealthy air pollution, and creating big savings for families on maintenance and fuel costs. Places like this new center will be at the heart of this transition. Congratulations to everyone whose hard work made this announcement possible,” he added.

NADA Urges FTC to Withdraw Proposed Rule

On Sept. 12, NADA filed formal comments in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule that would impose a wide range of unwarranted and illadvised new duties and restrictions on motor vehicle dealers.

NADA’s comments explained that the proposed rule is based on flawed assumpions, inadequate research, a lack of input from key stakeholders, no apparent coordination with federal and state agencies that impose similar mandates, the absence of any consumer testing of the proposed mandates, and no attempt to conduct a meaningful analysis of the likely costs and benefits of the proposed rule to consumers and small business automobile dealers.

NADA explained it would dramatically and negatively transform and complicate the process for consumers to purchase, trade-in and finance new and used cars and trucks, and to purchase and finance voluntary protection products like extended service contracts and GAP Waiver.

— Source: NADA

Credit: Ricky Serna/LinkedIn

“The investment that Tesla is making in workforce development and training as part of this project will be extremely valuable in helping our strategic efforts to create an economy that is powered by STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Manufacturing].”

JOEY SANCHEZ NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR

Ed Attanasio

Videos Keep Everyone in the Loop While Building Trust and Confidence

Everyone has that one friend constantly taking photos or shooting videos with their cell phone. Apple’s new iPhone 14 has more sophisticated cameras than ever. The camera in my iPhone 13 Max Pro is better than my Nikon and so much easier to use.

Shops now are using more and more videos to perform tasks all the way from providing quick updates for their employees, partners and customers, to training sessions, informational meetings and more. The best part is they don’t need to be Oscar-worthy or highly complex to be effective.

Angel Iraola from Net Computer Business Solutions in Walnut Creek, CA, has been leveraging videos for his clients all over the country for more than a decade. Many of them are less than five minutes in length, and very affordable for even his smallest clients.

In most cases, a technician, painter or front office person can shoot and

edit the videos with their cell phones. Then, Iraola posts them everywhere online and uses his strategies to share them with the right markets and the right time. He has also encouraged many of his clients to use videos for customer service and internal communications.

Iraola’s body shop customers love videos and have seen positive results almost every time, he said.

“Many technicians are now using their cell phones to document an entire repair, which is outstanding,” he said. “They are able to engage the customer and keep them in the loop from start to finish. Rarely do they ever question anything because they can see each stage along the way. There are no more surprises on a Friday afternoon when they get their car back.

“Paperwork and even regular photos are not as effective and videos are so easy to produce it ends up being an essential and valuable part of the repair process.”

The video explosion is ongoing, with YouTube firmly at its center. YouTube had 2.6 billion users worldwide as of 2021, according to Statista. The only social network

services,” Iraola said. “It enables them to provide full transparency for itself and its customers and building trust. In an age of instant information, customers will believe it only when they see it, and there is nothing more instant and real than video.”

In the collision repair industry, shops are embracing video, and many insist all their techs and advisors use it on several levels. The scenario differs, but in many cases, a technician will find something additional that requires attention now and wants to communicate it to the customer or insurance company. Rather than using a lengthy text, email or phone call to explain the issue, a video tells the whole story fully and succinctly.

with more monthly active users is Facebook, with 2.9 billion.

“Today, almost every industry in existence is using video increasingly as a tool to sell products and

If you want to monitor the explosive evolution of video worldwide, take a look at the never-ending growth of YouTube and be assured every industry on the planet is currently looking for new and exciting ways to use it.

Ram 1500 EMS Model Honors First Responders

Ram Truck announced the second installment of its Built to Serve limited-edition models geared toward first-responder services. Ram is honoring these heroes with a new Ram 1500 Built to Serve Emergency Medical Service (EMS) model.

This latest model honors the frontline heroes who provide emergency medical services and save lives every day. Production will begin at the Sterling Heights (MI) Assembly Plant in the fourth quarter of 2022.

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The Ram 1500 Built to Serve EMS edition is offered in two specially selected exterior paint colors that evoke the spirit, mission and history of that service, Hydro Blue and Bright White, with a black interior with blue accent stitching.

Ram 1500 Built to Serve trucks feature other unique interior and exterior features that set them apart, including a U.S. flag and a “Built to Serve” decal on each of the rear quarter panels.

— Source: Ram Truck Brand

Marketer Angel Iraola has more and more body shop clients using videos to communicate with their customers.

Yoswick — Industry Insight

EVs,

CIECA’s annual conference in St. Louis in September included presentations on new electric vehicles, ADAS calibration trends and what may lie ahead in terms of direct repair programs.

Greg Peeters of Car ADAS Solutions predicted it won’t be long before the majority of vehicles repaired by the collision industry will require some type of system calibration.

“I think in a year from now the landscape looks very different from this being sort of a minority type thing to the typical,” Peeters said of calibrations. “I think in a year from now, it’s over 50% of repairs that require a calibration, and it becomes less and less frequent that we don’t have one.”

Future of

instance, a camera lens on the front grill or a mirror. It’s experiencing a whole lot of car washes, sunlight, sand and gravel, and it no longer sees the way it once saw. I think diagnosing and replacing failing sensors is right around the corner.”

Also at the conference, Bill Brower, vice president of industry relations for Solera, said he foresees “a pretty major redesign” of direct repair programs as the next big change coming to the industry.

“The days of [the customer] being introduced to the shop and going over for an initial estimate, and then going back over to take the car in for repairs and being taken by the body shop to the rental car company, I think that whole process becomes digital,” Brower said. “The customer is very comfortable taking the pictures. So I think the future is the DRP shop receiving a package of photographs, an AI estimate, and they’re going to make a decision at their desk before they call the customer: ‘Do I even need to see this car in advance, or can I digitally schedule the customer in for the repair?’

“Think of the impact that that would have on business if you could take a lot of that front end work away,” Brower said. “To me, the biggest next step is really digitalization of direct repair, especially the assignment process.”

Discussed at Annual CIECA Conference

town, I’m happy to share those two documents. The worst thing for us as a new brand is to have one of our cars in a situation where it could hurt somebody because somebody didn’t know.”

One thing unique to the shop certification programs being rolled

need can be done by one of its mobile service providers.

“I’m not asking our [network shops] to do brake jobs and tire changes and things like that,” Rodenroth said. “These cars don’t need as many things as an ICE vehicle.”

There currently is no database of repair times for electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian’s vehicles, but the automaker has personnel who can help shops with repair planning for Rivian vehicles.

out by both Lucid and Rivian: A reliance on body shops in the program to handle mechanical work on their vehicles as well.

“Since we don’t have a dealer network service model, we require our [certified body] shops to take all the mechanical training,” Rodenroth said, something echoed by Rivian’s Frank Phillips. But he noted the bulk of mechanical work Lucid vehicles

“I have a team of folks who will assist our certified shops to make sure they are getting the information they need to get that estimate created,” said Phillips, collision program manager.

That group will work with insurers as well as Rivian’s 100-shop network.

“I use the analogy: I want to be the pillow between the insurer and the body shop,” Phillips said. “You can call those guys or chat with them online or text them or email them. Any method of communication.”

Peeters’ company operates standalone calibration centers and assists those looking to launch one. He said he’s often asked whether vehicles will eventually self-calibrate.

“I can tell you on even the newest technology, they don’t,” Peeters said. “The average age vehicle in a body shop right now is 6.2 years. So we’ve got quite a runway before we’re going to see self-calibrating cars. I will tell you what we’re also seeing in the field is sensor degradation. You take, for

The two-day CIECA conference also included a panel of automaker representatives discussing electric vehicle repair. Jake Rodenroth of Lucid Motors said anyone in the industry can get some information about his company’s vehicles to give first responders in their market.

“I went to our fire department and told them I work for a car company you’ve never heard of, and I’ve got a towing guide and a first responder guide that I would love to share with you,” Rodenroth said.

“They were very thankful. If you as a citizen want to do the same in your

Frank Phillips of Rivian

“I think diagnosing and replacing failing sensors is right around the corner.”

GREG PEETERS CEO, CAR ADAS SOLUTIONS

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GM Backup Camera Recall Involves Cadillac, GMC Vehicles

By David A. Wood CarComplaints.com

A General Motors backup camera recall includes more than 95,000 Cadillac and GMC vehicles equipped with the optional Surround Vision features.

The GM backup camera recall involves 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6 and GMC Acadia vehicles.

Those models are equipped with rearview camera coaxial cable connectors that may not have been crimped properly, causing the backup cameras to fail, or they may function just part of the time.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Cadillac and GMC backup camera failures in July. Vehicle owners complained the rearview camera screens turned black and red triangles with circles appeared on the screens.

GM previously investigated rearview camera-related

complaints involving the same vehicles in July 2020. GM closed the investigation based on evidence which indicated the rate of field complaints was low and there were no vehicle crashes.

The automaker also noted the backup camera performance was checked both at the end of the assembly line and at dealer pre-delivery inspections.

Once NHTSA opened its investigation, GM opened a second investigation and engineers found the rate of complaints had increased, a lot.

GM expects to mail backup camera recall letters Nov. 7, and dealerships will replace the coaxial cables once they have replacement cables. Second backup camera recall notices will be mailed once dealers have the cables.

With questions about the GM backup camera recall, Cadillac owners should call 800-4588006 and GMC owners may call 800-462-8782.

GM’s backup camera recall number is N222378380.

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