Tesla Cybertruck Production Inches Closer as Final Stamping Component Arrives

Written by Iulian Dnistran, InsideEVs
Published May 16, 2023

Teslacontinues to prepare the commercial launch of its much-anticipated Cybertruck all-electric pickup. A photo posted by eagle-eyed Austin, TX, Gigafactory enthusiast Joe Tegtmeyer on his Twitteraccount showed what appeared to be a big part of the second 9,000-ton Giga Press that set sail from Italy’s IDRA Group about two months ago, becoming the last big stamping component to be moved to Tesla’s Stamping 2 facility at the Texas factory.

As seen in the image, the soon-to-be-assembled die-casting machine was spotted just outside the

Maaco Martinsburg Honors Military Families with Grand Opening

PublishedMay 16, 2023

Maacorecently hosted a community-focused grand opening event for its new shop in Martinsburg, WV. The new shop, Maaco Martinsburg, is located at 1357 Edwin Miller Blvd.

The grand opening event featured a car show, opportunities to connect with members of the community, and a sponsored booth where attendees could learn more about national military nonprofit Operation Homefront, one of Maaco’s charitable partners.

Operation Homefront’s mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities---our communities---they have

Fix Auto USA is Green with Opportunity

PublishedMay 16, 2023

The automotive industry continues to change and evolve, especially as it relates to sustainability and the increasing introduction of carbon-friendly transportation options. Fix Auto Escondido recently participated in the Greater Escondido Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Green Transpo Expo in Escondido, CA.

The event was hosted April 22 at the North County Mall and gave the community insight into the evolution of the transportation industry. The event covered popular topics such as electric cars and bikes, solar power and additional EV trends, as well as more niche topics such as alternative fuels, “green hydrogen” and the

St. Louis Auto Repair, Collision Industries Raise $11K for Tech Schools

PublishedMay 16, 2023

On April 25, St. Louis-based automotive and collision repair businesses participated in the first-ever Clays for Careers sporting clays event. The clay shoot brought together 15+ companies from throughout the industry with one goal: to assist students pursuing trades by supporting local tech schools’ automotive and collision repair programs.

The three schools benefiting from Clays for Careers were Lewis & Clark Career Center, North Tech High School and South Tech High School. Each school will receive $3,714.90 to purchase new equipment and/or repair existing tools.

“The collision industry has a unique opportunity

BBB Investigating WV Classic Car Sales Company

Written by Jim Michaels, News-Talk 1480 WHBC
Published May 16, 2023

The Canton, OH, office of the Better Business Bureau is alerting consumers to a West Virginia-based company it said is ripping off would-be buyers of high-end automobiles.

A BBB Scam Tracker submission and other complaints indicate Woolie Auto Sales and Trucking in the Fayetteville, WV, area has collected up to $22,000 from several customers interested in signing an online purchase agreement.

That’s when they say all communication with the company ends.

To add to the confusion, there is a legitimate truck sales business by that name in Fayetteville.

The

Nearly 15% of Consumers Allow Auto Insurance Coverage to Lapse 

PublishedMay 16, 2023

Auto and property insurance shopping rates continued to rise in Q1 2023, up 7% and 10%, respectively, compared to Q1 2022. However, as shopping has increased, the number of consumers switching carriers is beginning to decrease, indicating premiums are rising among virtually all insurers.

The findings are part of TransUnion’s latest quarterly Insurance Personal Lines Trends

Freer Auto Body in Godfrey, IL, Earns Small Business Honor

PublishedMay 16, 2023

The RiverBend Growth Association has chosen its May Small Business of the Month award honoree to be Freer Auto Body & Accessories, Inc. of Godfrey, IL.

Located at 4512 N. Alby Road, Freer Auto Body has been a business mainstay now for 31 years with 16 employees who all have a part in supporting “the dream.” This dream was launched into reality by a young 19-year-old entrepreneur in 1991, with help from his grandfather, his brother and his whole family. David Freerwas that young man with a vision. His grandfather was Arnold Freer, an auto body man with a genuine talent.

Freer

ATMC Annual Conference Highlighted by Release of Training Benchmarks Survey Results

PublishedMay 16, 2023

The annual conference of the ASE Training Managers Council(ATMC) was recently held in Grapevine, TX. Featuring several presentations and roundtable discussions focused on training and manager development, conference attendees were also updated with the latest findings of the ATMC training benchmarks survey.

“We had a terrific turnout at this year’s ATMC conference with representatives from the OE, aftermarket, trucking, fleet and collision segments of the industry,” said Matt Shepanek, president of ATMC. “The feedback received was very positive and attendees said that the presentations and

Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show to Bring High Energy May 19-20 in Kansas 

PublishedMay 16, 2023

The Midwest Collision Repair Trade Show and Conference is this week in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS. 

Mike Anderson, from Collision Advice, will kick things off at noon May 19 with his “Be Extraordinary” presentation. In today’s collision repair industry, it is no longer enough to just be average. You need to be extraordinary! Anderson’s message is hard hitting, timely and full of encouragement to “Be Extraordinary!” 

Details may be found at the show’s

Bronx Lawmakers Want to Bring Auto Repair Shop Oversight

Written by John Whittaker, Post-Journal
Published May 16, 2023

A pair of New York state senators want to bring more oversight of local car repair shops---including allowing a history of parking violations or other complaints to be part of the ability to register cars or receive a state license to operate.

Sen. Gustavo Rivera, D-Bronx, and Sen. Luis Sepulveda, D-Bronx, have introduced S.5936 to amend the state Vehicle and Traffic Law to create a system in which motor vehicle and repair shops are overseen by a commissioner to make sure they are operating legally. Companion legislation (A.6951) has been introduced by

‘Hertz Electrifies Orlando’ Launched

PublishedMay 15, 2023

HertzChair and CEO Stephen Scherrand Orlando, FL, Mayor Buddy Dyer launched Hertz Electrifies Orlando, a public private partnership aimed at accelerating the adoption of EVs and expanding the environmental and economic benefits of electrification across Orlando.

As part of the partnership, Hertz aims to add up to 6,000 rental EVs to its existing fleet in Orlando, for availability to leisure and business customers as well as rideshare drivers. To help expand charging, Hertz will support the installation of up to 50 public fast chargers across the Greater Orlando area, in partnership with bp.

In

John Rupert Appointed to CAWA’s Manufacturers' Advisory Council

PublishedMay 15, 2023

John Rupert of XGM Automotive Inc. has been appointed to CAWA’s Manufacturers’ Advisory Council.

“I am pleased to announce that longtime automotive associate John Rupert is joining the CAWA Manufacturers’ Advisory Council," said Young Suhr Jr., chair of the Board of Directors. "I look forward to John’s participation and contributions to CAWA in assisting the association in achieving its goals as an effective and valuable automotive care industry organization."

Rupert has 52 years of service in the automotive industry of which 35 have been devoted to automotive lighting. He

Crash Champions Donates Restored Vehicle to Fort Collins, CO, Family

Published May 15, 2023

The Crash Champions Collision Repair Team, together with Family Promise of Greater Denver, Allstateand local partners, transformed the lives of a deserving Fort Collins, CO, family by handing over keys to a fully restored vehicle.

The celebratory NABCRecycled Rides® giveaway took place May 10 at Crash Champions’ Fort Collins repair center, where Jetta Graham and her family of six drove home with the fully restored NissanPathfinder.

“I could not be more excited to receive this generous gift,” said Graham, a mother of four. “Having a safe and reliable vehicle

CCC, Verisk Partner to Prevent Auto Insurance Fraud

PublishedMay 15, 2023

CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. and Verisk Analytics, Inc. announced May 9 a strategic partnership to leverage the two providers’ market-leading technologies to bring new innovations to P&C insurance claims. CCC is a leading cloud platform for the P&C insurance economy and Verisk is a leading global data analytics and technology provider.

The first project announced through the partnership is the planned integration of anti-fraud analytics from Verisk’s claims fraud detection solution with CCC’s claims platform. This integration will help P&C insurers fight the rising threat of fraud in auto physical damage (APD)

GM ARC Exploding Airbag Recall Affects Nearly 1 Million Vehicles

Written by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com
Published May 15, 2023

A General Motors exploding ARC airbag recall includes about 995,000 BuickEnclave, ChevroletTraverse and GMCAcadia vehicles that need new driver's airbag modules.

The 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, 2014-2017 Chevrolet Traverse and 2014-2017 GMC Acadia airbag inflators supplied by ARC Automotive could explode, even in minor collisions.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an ARC Automotive airbag inflator investigation in July 2015 which was upgraded in August 2016.

NHTSA investigated airbag inflator

WIN Hosts Annual Educational Conference

Written by Abby Andrews, Autobody News
Published May 12, 2023

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) held its annual Educational Conference, May 1-3 in San Antonio, TX, themed “Reimagining Tomorrow,” offering a three-day chance for women in the collision repair industry to connect, learn and celebrate.

This was the second year the conference offered attendees the choice to attend in person or virtually.

In her opening remarks May 1, WIN Board Chair Tanya Sweetlandthanked everyone for taking the time out

CARSTAR UCF Collision Pflugerville Opens in Texas

PublishedMay 12, 2023

CARSTARannounced the opening of CARSTAR UCF Collision Pflugerville, located at 4674 Priem Lane Suite 206, Pflugerville, TX 78660.

Sam Naimat, owner of CARSTAR UCF Collision Pflugerville, is an experienced business developer with a proven track record of establishing multiple Mercedes-Benzdealerships across Florida. Naimat is laser-focused on healthy ROI, maintaining production levels, controlling costs, building loyal clientele and maintaining a positive work culture. His team attributes his success to his strong organizational and leadership skills. Naimat takes great pride in his team’s ability to not

Maine Collision Repairers Lobby for ‘Right to Repair’ Law

PublishedMay 11, 2023

Auto body shop owners came to the Maine State House on May 9 to show support for a bill that would give independent repairers access to new vehicles’ repair and diagnostic information, so owners can decide where to get those vehicles fixed when needed.

The Maine Right to Repair coalition gathered more than 70,000 signatures in support of the bill, which were certified in February, allowing the question to go to the voters on the ballot in November if the Legislature does not pass the bill first.

“This is about the ability to choose where you get your car repaired,” said Tommy Hickey, director of the

Catalytic Converter Thefts Nationwide Surge More Than 200%

PublishedMay 11, 2023

A new report based on insurance claims data released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows a surge in catalytic converter thefts across the country. In total, the nation experienced more than 64,000 catalytic converter thefts in 2022---a 207% increase from 2021.

Leading the country are California and Texas, which experienced more than 32,000 catalytic converter thefts last year.

"This new data is just a snapshot of an underreported crime that affects communities across the nation," said David J. Glawe, president and CEO of NICB. "While a catalytic converter can be removed in just a few

Rhode Island Adopting Clean Cars, Trucks Emissions Policy

Written by Brent Addleman, The Center Square
Published May 11, 2023

Rhode Island will join seven states to rein in carbon pollution.

Democratic Gov. Dan McKee said May 10, along with state officials and legislators, the state will adopt clean car and truck emissions standards to reduce greenhouse gases. The policy would slash tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and SUVs.

“The Act on Climate put us on the clock for meeting major carbon reduction mandates, and it’s clear to me that Rhode Island will only meet the mandates by addressing the transportation sector head-on,” McKee said in a release. “Implementing the Advanced Clean

Tesla Accused of Race-Based Discrimination, Retaliation by Former HR Manager

Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Published May 11, 2023

Teslais currently facing a new race-based discrimination lawsuit, this time from a former human resources manager at the Fremont Factory in California. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

The plaintiff in the case, Karen Draper, 47, is claiming she was terminated for refusing to unlawfully fire a Latina employee who was targeted by a White supervisor. Draper, an African-American, was hired in February 2022 to manage a team of HR personnel at Tesla’s Fremont factory.

Per the complaint, Draper faced issues seven

GM Robotaxi Unit Announces Major Expansion in Texas

Written by William Johnson, Teslarati
Published May 11, 2023

The General Motors robotaxi unit, Cruise, announced it will expand to the Houston and Dallas metro areas in Texas in the coming weeks.

Autonomous driving technology is quickly becoming a top development priority for many automakers. GM’s autonomous driving unit, Cruise, not only operates as an in-house testing lab for its upcoming technology, but also as a standalone robotaxi operator, which hopes to take the ride-hailing sector by storm.

The announcement of the service expansion was made May 10 by the Cruise CEO on Twitter. It should be noted due to regulatory

NWACA Holds Successful Inaugural Collision Training Expo

Written by Abby Andrews, Autobody News
Published May 10, 2023

The Northwest Auto Care Alliance (NWACA) held its first Collision Training Expo (CTE) on May 6 at Clover Park Technical School in Lakewood, WA.

Forty people attended the all-day training and exhibition event designed for collision shops, by collision shops. The classes---several of which were hands-on---consisted of training for managers, owners, estimators and technicians, with trainers from leading industry names like CCC,

Jason Caldwell Appointed to CAWA's Board of Directors

PublishedMay 10, 2023

Jason Caldwell of RPS Marketing has been appointed to CAWA’s Board of Directors.

“I am pleased to announce that Jason Caldwell is joining the CAWA Board of Directors," said Young Suhr Jr., chair of the Board of Directors. "He has participated in the association’s Manufacturers Advisory Council for some time and now the board. I look forward to Jason’s continued participation and contributions to CAWA in assisting the association in achieving its goals as an effective and valuable automotive care industry organization."

Caldwell is starting his 20th year with RPS Marketing, where he

At the second annual Southeast Collision Conference in April, collision repair professionals had the opportunity to participate in various educational sessions, attend a tradeshow with more than 50 exhibitors showcasing their products and services, and network with industry peers.

The two-day event in Doswell, VA, was hosted by the Carolinas Collision Association (CCA) and the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association (WMABA). A membership awards dinner was held the evening before the show celebrating those who work in the industry.

See more photos of the show

Tesla Cybertruck Accessories Steal the Show at TX Lithium Refinery Event

Written by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Published May 10, 2023

Teslaheld a groundbreaking event for its South Texas lithium refinery, and during the event, CEO Elon Musk arrived in the Cybertruck, attracting attention to the accessories featured on the vehicle.

Musk breezed through most of his presentation on the all-electric pickup truck. Some slides were not discussed at all.

One of the slides Musk did not discuss featured what appeared to be Cybertruck accessories. One showed camping equipment, another showed a trailer, one showed an ATV later unveiled at the event, and the fourth showed what appeared to be

Tesla Working on New Crash Test Lab in Austin, TX

Written by Steven Loveday, InsideEVs
Published May 10, 2023

Teslaofficially revealed it's building a new crash test lab in Austin, TX. This comes as no surprise since it has a new factory there, and it also already has such a lab in California.

Tesla crash tests its own vehicles, which isn't uncommon, but it also tracks the EVs' real-world safety and publishes periodic crash and safety reports, which other automakers don't tend to do. In order for the EV maker to provide such data, it needs to not only track every car in its fleet, but also run its own simulations and tests to ensure its safety engineering is working as intended.

A recent

Toyota Auto Insurance Now Available in California

PublishedMay 10, 2023

Toyota Auto Insurance, the automaker's branded insurance product, is now available to customers residing in California.

Introduced to select markets in 2021, Toyota Auto Insurance offers customers quality, customizable coverage at affordable rates. Expanding into the Golden State represents a major milestone for Toyota Auto Insurance. Not only is California the nation's most populous state, it's also home to the first Toyota manufacturing facility in North America, Toyota Auto Body California.

Toyota Auto Insurance offers consumers a quick, easy and flexible policy purchase process via Toyota's state-of the-art mobile app, call

Minnesota Auto Body Shop Sponsors Technical College Uniforms

PublishedMay 10, 2023

Abra Auto Body Duluth, a locally owned and operated collision repair facility located in Duluth, MN, provided and sponsored uniforms for technical college students in the community. 

This generous act was made possible by partnering with other organizations including I-CAR’s Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) and the Cintas Corporation. 

Among the uniform recipients were Lake Superior College and St. Cloud Technical Community College students currently enrolled in the auto body technology program. Abra Auto Body Duluth supplied the uniforms for Lake Superior College and Abra

St. Louis Veteran Receives NABC Recycled Ride

PublishedMay 10, 2023

On May 7, one worthy St. Louis area veteran received a vehicle to provide him with independence and the ability to work and take care of his family, thanks to the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides® program, along with car donor GEICOand repair partner Schaefer Autobody Centers.

The presentation was held at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport as part of the I-CAR Regional Meeting.

“Schaefer Autobody Centers is truly humbled to repair and donate another vehicle to a service member through the NABC Recycled Rides program. Local heroes, such as Dustin, routinely put their lives on their line and