China’s highest-ranking diplomat tours CARSTAR Abbotsford and 360 Fabrication
![Rick Francoeur of CARSTAR Abbotsford and 360 Fabrication (right), giving a tour of the operations he co-owns with his brother Daryl to Chinese officials, including H.E. Consul General Liu Fei, the highest-ranking Chinese diplomat in Canada.](https://www.collisionrepairmag.com/wp-content/smush-webp/2017/04/images_360Fab_ChinaTour_LG.jpg.webp)
By Laura Ballance Abbotsford, British Columbia — April 15, 2017 — You can tell you’ve gained a certain reputation when high-ranking foreign officials start asking if they can stop by for a visit. Rick and Daryl Francoeur, owners of CARSTAR Abbotsford and 360 Fabrication, received an unusual request in March when the People’s Republic of […]
The Autonomous Report: Cadillac catches up to Tesla; universities compete in AutoDrive Challenge
![Officials from SAE International, General Motors, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo at the official announcement that the universities will compete in the upcoming autonomous vehicle design competition, AutoDrive Challenge. The other competitors are Kettering University, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, North Carolina A&T University, Texas A&M University and Virginia Tech.](https://www.collisionrepairmag.com/wp-content/smush-webp/2017/04/images_AutoDriveChallenge_LG.jpg.webp)
By Jeff Sanford Toronto, Ontario — April 15, 2017 — This week’s Autonomous Report digs into the upcoming AutoDrive challenge, a three-year competition between eight universities working on self-driving tech; a Ford exec who says autonomous vehicles (AVs) will be ready in five years, but it will be another decade before the public can buy them; […]