In Germany with SATA: Collision Repair mag team visits SATA’s headquarters
Kornwestheim, Germany — The Collision Repair mag team is in Germany this week visiting SATA’s headquarters. The SATA team was kind enough to invite the crew of Gloria Mann, Darryl Simmons and William Simmons to Germany for an exclusive tour of their head office and manufacturing facility. Over the next few days, we’ll be exploring […]
Robotic Reassurance: Automated paint inspection procedures at BMW’s Regensburg plant an industry first, OEM says
Regensburg, Germany — In what is being considered an industry-first move from the German automaker, BMW announced Tuesday that its Regensburg, Germany plant has cemented an end-to-end automated process for inspecting painted vehicle surfaces. The company says it has been using AI-controlled robots to process each vehicle individually to quality standards and has ultimately resulted […]
EV/AV Report: Teaching cars and unplugged EVs
Toronto, Ontario — In this week’s EV/AV report, scientists teach cars about social cues, Honda releases a hydrogen and electric based CR-V successor, and the Dutch Lightyear 0 solar vehicle enters production. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles. Social Faux Pas German scientists from the city of Karlsruhe have presented a prototype that […]
Got it Covered: BASF announces new e-coat research centre
Münster-Hiltrup, Germany –BASF has inaugurated a new research centre at its German headquarters, where the coatings company will investigate the use of e-coat to “simulate [its] customers’ processes and paint systems” to paint pre-treated original parts like doors, fenders and hoods. The electrophoretic or cathodic dip coat (e-coat) process protects the surfaces, edges and cavities […]
Willkommen to the Big Leagues: Automechanika Frankfurt returns with 78,000 attendees
Frankfurt, Germany — The biannual Automechanika Frankfurt auto show wrapped up its five-day stay in Germany’s financial capital on Friday, closing out nearly a full week of presentations and demonstrations on the latest tips and techniques the international auto industry has to offer. Drawing in some of the biggest brands the industry has to offer, […]
Paint Recon: Drone images reveal new deep crimson, mercury silver shades for Tesla Model Y
A Tesla Model Y painted in new Deep Crimson Multicoat faces testing at Gigafactory Berlin. (Photo by Tobias Lindh) Toronto, Ontario — What Elon wants, it seems Elon gets; including a new Deep Crimson Multicoat for the Tesla Model Y, which has finally been spotted by drone photographers scoping out the company’s Berlin Gigafactory. Musk […]
Good Hustle, Herbert: VW boots CEO for poor handling of software division, severe delays result
Toronto, Ontario — Bloomberg reported on Monday that a series of software setbacks at Volkswagen have caused the company to give its CEO the boot as it now faces severe delays in the launch of new Porsche, Audi and Bentley vehicles. In a move that surely speaks to the current desperation among automakers to get […]
Under Pressure: Tesla owner reports damaged frame was ‘painted over’
Berlin, Germany – “Step on a crack, break your mother’s back”, the old kids’ phrase and superstition goes. Fortunately, for children worldwide, if a crack appears on a Tesla vehicle, they’re likely to simply paint over it. A Tesla Model 3 owner reports that their car’s undercarriage was found to have damage that the Tesla […]
Surprise Visit: European authorities raid Hyundai and Kia, diesel defeat devices suspected
Frankfurt, Germany — On June 29, European authorities raided multiple Hyundai and Kia buildings in Frankfurt and Luxembourg. This operation was coordinated by Eurojust under suspicion that the South Korean companies were equipping vehicles with illegal diesel defeat devices. This device analyzes different inputs such as steering and throttle to identify whether a vehicle is […]
Geofence Gameplan: Ford engineers in Calif. and Germany testing geofencing tech
Toronto, Ontario — A joint project between Ford engineers in California and Germany is currently in the midst of trials for a geofencing technology that the OEM boasts “could one day do away with the need for speed limit signs completely.” What Ford is calling the Geofencing Speed Limit Control system is purported to make […]
