OEM NEWS

February 8, 2023

CRISIS COORDINATION

Ford released an emergency response guide (ERG) in its recent OnTarget newsletter. The free document was distributed with the aim of equipping technicians with a deeper knowledge of the locations of various safety features, including airbags and sensors, as well as detailed procedures on how to safely approach and deactivate a damaged EV. “The ERG provides a lot of detailed information on how to approach a damaged EV, what to listen for, what to look for,” said Gerry Bonanni, senior damageability engineer at Ford. The ERG also provides steps for what to do if a Ford vehicle’s charging cord lock does not release after charging, including how to safely disconnect the charging cord itself from the vehicle.

JUNK IN THE TRUNK

Observers of Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory were seen doing dramatic double-takes after images of the yet-to-be-released Cybertruck’s massive single-piece rear megacast were leaked. The images, which found their way online in the days following Tesla’s recent Q3 earnings call, depict several versions of the huge part; one appearing to be an aluminum megacast while the other is likely hydroformed stainless steel, according to Teslarati. The use of megacasting first began with the production of the Model Y’s chassis in 2020. This time around, Tesla engineers have been using a far larger casting to account for the Cybertruck’s large body and long truck bed.

UPSTANDING EV

Rivian’s 2022 R1T electric pickup has earned an International Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Pick Safety+ award. The all-electric pickup was shown to withstand the small overlap quite well, as a video released by the IIHS saw the occupant compartment of the R1T remain secure, while its driver-facing airbags successfully kept the test dummy cushioned from the brunt of the impact. To be eligible for a Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must earn “good” ratings in six IIHS crashworthiness evaluations, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests. It must also be available with a front crash prevention system that earns “advanced” or “superior” ratings in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations.

THIN-SKINNED

An American vehicle detailing shop has an interesting discovery— the OEM coating on a new Lucid Air Grand Touring is so thin that polishing can damage the paint. According to a Youtube video by Out of Spec Detailing, the Lucid Air’s Grand Touring paint was too thin to even polish. In fact, paint thickness measurements regularly scored below 3mm but went as low as 2.24mm. For context, most vehicle coatings vary between 4mm to 7mm—enough for a polishing abrasive material to polish scratches away. Nevertheless, a solution was found. The Out of Spec Detailing team used a paint protection film to cover scratches, and highlighted vinyl wrapping as another possibility

CCCR ANNOUNCES CO-CHAIRS AND REGIONAL REPS

The Canadian Council of Collision Repairers (CCCR) has announced the introduction of Co-Chairs Kelvin Campbell and Max DiFelice as well as the Regional Representatives from across the country. Regional Reps are: Atlantic: Kelvin Campbell Southern Ontario: Max DiFelice Eastern Ontario: Shawn Stenson GTA: Jeff Pabst Northern Ontario: Daniel Trevisanutto Manitoba: Joel McPhail Saskatchewan: Mike Mario Alberta: Steve Hammond British Columbia: Wade Bartok. The CCCR was formed to provide a voice for owners and managers to promote the highest standards of safety, quality, and professionalism in the industry. The council will also provide a platform for members to share their knowledge, expertise, and best practices. For more information visit www.collisionrepaircouncil.ca