Two New Tesla Cybertruck Builds Spotted at Giga Texas

Okay, so you followed the disconnect procedures, repaired and the vehicle, and you’re ready to reconnect the battery. Are you researching those procedures every time as well?

I know the answer to that question because it’s something we ask about in our “Who Pays for What?” survey every year. We found less than half of you (46%) say you’re researching those procedures all or most of the time. While I would say even “most of the time” isn’t good enough, I’m even more concerned about the 41% of you who say you do it “some of the time” or “only occasionally.” And the 13% of you who said “never” are just inviting trouble.

Every vehicle manufacturer I’m aware of has certain procedures that must be done when you reconnect a battery. Some of them may be initializations, like for a one-touch feature on a window or sunroof.

I can tell you I recently saw reconnect procedures for a Ford that said the vehicle must be driven for a certain amount of time and distance so the engine can relearn or reprogram itself. I’ve seen other OEMs say when you reconnect the battery you have to do a steering angle sensor procedure.

At Collision Advice, we recently built a new training course focused just on battery disconnect and reconnect procedures. We found enough content related to this topic to fill more than six hours of classroom instruction to ensure estimators and technicians understand what they need to know.

So now that you’ve read this article, I’m going to ask you again: If I walked into your shop, and asked you if you research the procedures in the OEM repair manual before you disconnect a battery, what would you say?

Oh, and another incentive for taking this important step: The “Who Pays for What?” survey found that among the shops performing the OEM battery reconnect procedures, nearly two-thirds (63%) said they are paid for that labor “always” or “most of the time” by the eight largest national insurers.

and 7 miles west of Classic Collision Memorial City.

l CONTINUED FROM COVER

Classic Collision

— Source: Classic Collision

www.autobodynews.com

By Joey Klender

Teslarati

Two new Tesla Cybertruck builds were spotted under wraps by a drone operator at Giga Texas. Tesla is working toward the initial production phases of the Cybertruck at Giga Texas after several production delays. The Cybertruck is set to begin production in mid-2023, Tesla said earlier this year. The Cybertruck was unveiled in late 2019 and has been under development since then. Tesla has revised the dimensions and design of the Cybertruck on several occasions. CEO Elon Musk confirmed earlier this year the company has finalized what it will bring to the market next year.

However, Tesla has kept several prototypes of the Cybertruck floating around the country, making appearances at various places though the past three years. New prototypes were spotted Oct 14 at Giga Texas by drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, who noted the Cybertrucks were located near the north portion of the facility.

Tesla has maintained it will build the Cybertruck at Giga Texas, but Tegtmeyer stated the prototypes arrived when he was finished filming. These prototypes were likely built at Fremont, where the previous prototypes were built.

It is tough to tell with these photographs as there is not much in the photo to compare dimensions of the Cybertruck prototypes to, but these are likely the revised body designs, which are slightly smaller in size compared to the original design Tesla brought to the stage in Hawthorne, CA, in 2019.

Musk said the Cybertruck needed to be smaller to fit in the Boring Company tunnels, but the vehicle has also spurred some debate as to whether it could park in standard parking spaces. “That’s pretty much what it [the Cybertruck] will look like, with very small differences. You know, we adjusted the size a few percent. Like around 3% or smaller. You don’t want it to be a couple of inches too big for the tunnel,” Musk said on the Joe Rogan Experience in 2021. The Cybertruck is set to be manufactured by a massive 9,000ton Giga Press from IDRA. According to import data, Tesla has received shipments to Giga Texas from IDRA for casting equipment.

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and calibration software platform. He also authored a book, “Auto Industry Disruption, Who and What is Being Disrupted and What to Do About It.”

In October, Auto Techcelerators was acquired by Opus IVS™, a global diagnostics, ADAS calibration, programming and on-demand remote support company.

At the 2022 SEMA Show held in November in Las Vegas, NV, Terlep was honored for his hard work and dedication over the years. During the event, he was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame; received a SEMA Best New Product Award in the category of Collision Repair & Refinish; was given a Chairperson’s Award for co-chairing the CIECA Emerging Technologies Committee; and was named chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC).

Autobody News recently had the opportunity to ask Terlep about his accomplishments and what he attributes his success to.

Q: What prompted the sale of Auto Techcelerators to Opus IVS and how will this impact Auto Techcelerator’s focus?

A: The sale to Opus IVS started with a phone call from Brian Herron, the CEO, inquiring if we had an interest in selling our company. After multiple phone calls and a trip to the Opus IVS office, it became apparent that our organizations had many synergies and business opportunities if we integrated Opus IVS solutions with our technologies. Based on the synergies and opportunities, the decision to sell the company to Opus IVS was easy.

I think the acquisition will allow Opus IVS to make a much bigger impact on the industry when it comes to ADAS services, calibrations and validation. When we combine our technologies, we hope to deliver a single end-to-end diagnostic, ADAS, calibration and validation platform that everyone in the automotive, collision, glass, truck and insurance companies can benefit from.

The acquisition will also allow us to expand the sales and marketing of our existing Auto Techcelerators CoPilot suite to existing and future Opus customers in North America, the UK and Australia.

Q: With the sale of the company, what will your new role be?

A: My new title is vice president of ADAS solutions. My focus will be on designing, developing and delivering this platform. It will also include educating the industry on the importance of proper diagnostic, ADAS, calibration and validation processes and documentation.

Based on previous experiences with Auto Techcelerators and other corporations, I am sure I will be involved in other aspects of the company, such as business development, marketing, sales, etc. I want to help the company and its employees be successful.

Q: Congratulations on the awards you received during the SEMA Show, including being inducted into the prestigious Hall of Eagles. Only a few distinguished individuals receive this honor for their contributions toward the betterment of the industry. What do you attribute your success to?

A: Humbled… honored… thankful… When I started in this industry in 1984, I had no idea my “collision industry adventure” would take me to where I am today. When I look at the names of previous inductees, I never thought my name would be added to this list of industry icons. I am thankful and blessed to have met thousands of great people in this industry who have had a positive personal and professional impact on me and allowed me to learn from them.

I attribute my success to hard work, perseverance and always striving to “do the right thing,” as well as listening and being willing to help anyone who needs it.

Q: What was your reaction to receiving the SEMA New Product Award for Test Drive CoPilot?

A: I was at dinner with some of my new Opus teammates when I was told. As you can imagine, I was shocked, excited, happy and satisfied! I had to call Jordan Hendler, the administrator of CIC, at 8 p.m. the night before the CIC meeting to reschedule my committee presentation the next morning so I could attend the SEMA Awards Breakfast and receive the award.

When someone like me invents something from an idea and receives this type of award, it validates all the blood, sweat and tears it took to launch a product like Test Drive CoPilot.

It was also very satisfying to have Test Drive CoPilot receive runner-up in the new ADAS Product Category, be selected as a top five finalist in the SEMA Launch Pad competiton, and receive the SEMA Global Media Award.

Q: What is the importance of being involved as the co-chair of CIECA’s Emerging Technologies Committee and helping to create new standards for the collision industry?

A: Being co-chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee with Gene Lopez from Seidner’s Collision allows us to “see around the corner” on what and potentially how “the next big thing” will affect our industry and how CIECA needs to get involved. CIECA plays such an important role in data and technology and I believe the Emerging Technologies Committee plays a critical role in helping CIECA Q: As the new CIC chairman, what is your goal during your term and what are you most excited about?

A: I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next CIC chairman for 2023 and 2024. I know I have a lot of big shoes to fill but I am excited about the opportunity. Darrell Amberson, the past chair, really raised the bar, so I hope to raise the bar even further. I am most excited about my opportunity to lead an organization and work with committed people who can positively impact the collision industry.

I have a few goals and objectives during my term. This includes continuing to “raise the bar,” as past chairs Jeff Peevy and Darrell Amberson have done over the past four years. I would also like to position CIC as THE industry event to learn from, contribute to, participate in, network, challenge industry norms, debate, have fun and leave each meeting wanting to come back. I will challenge “the body” to become more engaged, more vocal and, when appropriate, more provocative. Overall, I want to leave CIC better than it was when my term ends.

Frank Terlep was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame, during the SEMA Show

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