EV/AV Report: Confused AVs, Ford price-cuts and Montreal on the map
Toronto, Ontario — A first responder yells at an autonomous vehicle (AV) driving towards a San Francisco fire truck, Ford announces its own electric vehicle (EV) price cuts in a bit to compete with Tesla’s own reductions, and Montreal’s EV investments begin to bear fruit in North America’s e-trucking industry. This is the latest in […]
Two Becoming One: Celette acquires Wedge Clamp, will now offer floor system product line
Toronto, Ontario — In a deal bringing together two collision repair powerhouses, Celette announced Friday that it has acquired Wedge Clamp Systems and will begin selling the company’s popular line of floor systems. Celette said in its press release that “Wedge Clamp Systems has delivered a variety of innovative products to the market that are […]
New Kid in Town: Mitchell becomes first info provider to sign data agreement with Rivian
Toronto, Ontario — The first time for anything is always special—the team at Mitchell surely agrees, as the company announced Thursday that it is officially the first collision information provider to sign a data licensing agreement with Rivian. With this agreement, users of Mitchell Cloud Estimating and Mitchell Cloud Estimating TruckMax will be able to […]
Plan of Attack: B.C. gov. announces $3,500 skills grants in newly unveiled Future Ready Action Plan
Victoria, British Columbia — The B.C. government unveiled its Future Ready Action Plan on Tuesday, which details a number of incoming grant opportunities potential tradespeople in the province. British Columbia Premier David Eby says that with the Future Ready Action Plan, the province is “taking action” to get a handle on the evolving trades industry […]
Industry Shakeups: Automakers frustrated at Quebec’s tightened ZEV sales mandate proposal
Montreal, Quebec — Automotive industry stakeholders warn that the Quebec government’s plan to toughen zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) regulations will keep older, polluting vehicles on the road longer, despite the intent to boost electric vehicle supply and sales. This follows an announcement from Quebec’s Environment Minister, Benoit Charette, stating that the province would accelerate the yearly percentage […]
Human Cost: U.S. probes complaint following death of woman trapped in a burning Dodge Journey
Michigan, United States — U.S. safety regulators are conducting an investigation into potential electrical problems in Dodge Journey SUVs, after a woman was trapped and died when her vehicle caught fire in December. This may be related to inoperative door locks and windows that may prevent escape during emergencies, according to the National Highway Traffic […]
Close but not Quite: YouTuber attempts to colour-match rare Ford Mystichrome colourshifting paint valued at $26,000 a gallon
Toronto, Ontario — A YouTuber has published a video showcasing his attempts to colour-match the coveted and incredibly exclusive Mystic coating from Ford, and the results aren’t too far off from the original. Going by the pseudonym of “Fonzie”, the owner of DipYourCar mixed a dry pigment in xylene to create his proprietary blend by Tommy […]
Apprentice Appreciation: Pair of Man. collision apprentices honoured at achievement awards Thursday
Winnipeg, Manitoba — Carrying on a proud tradition of honouring the province’s tradespeople, the Manitoba government recognized its best and brightest on Thursday at the thirty-first annual Apprenticeship Highest Achievement Awards ceremony. Automotive painter Jacob Doerksen and body technician Trevor Marshall represented the collision repair industry among 36 other newly certified apprentices, declared to be […]
The Takata Toll: BMW issues ‘Do Not Drive’ order for 38,000 early-00’s models
Toronto, Ontario — As Takata airbags continue to rear their defective heads, BMW made the call on Thursday to issue a “Do Not Drive” order for approximately 38,000 models sold in Canada between 2000 and 2006. First announced in a news release from the U.S.’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which identified an additional […]