High Tech Textiles: UBC researchers develop carbon fibre process sourced from oil sands materials
Photo by UBC Applied Science/Paul Joseph Vancouver, British Columbia — A research team from the University of British Columbia is currently in the process of weaving together the threads of Canada’s automotive future—literally, as they develop a new carbon fibre process sourced from oil sands materials. A Monday news release from the university revealed that […]
Superior Steel: GM to use recycled, renewably-produced steel from Hamilton’s Dofasco plant
Hamilton, Ontario — General Motors announced last week plans to shift its North American production lines toward more recycled and sustainably-produced steel, courtesy of Hamilton’s long-standing ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant. This steel, which is sold under the brand name of XCarb, is ArcelorMittal’s way of contributing to the reduction of carbon in steel production, which […]
Frame by Frame: Tesla Cybertruck ‘crash test’ video broken down by crash safety engineers
Toronto, Ontario — Tesla’s attempt at April Fool’s Day humour this year involved a Cybertruck “crash test” video that must have been shot by the crew of “Taken 3”—luckily some automotive safety engineers have taken the time to dissect what can be gleaned from the very goofy teaser. Tesla CEO Elon Musk must have thought […]
Frames, Glass and ADAS: Ford’s first On Target newsletter of 2023 goes deep on materials, glass functionality and more
Toronto, Ontario — Ford published its first On Target collision newsletter of 2023 this week, bearing official OEM repair positions on the F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E SUV, Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, among other technical tips. This latest repairer newsletter from the automaker opened with a recap on a recent “Repairers Realm” video demonstration from the […]
Aluminum Exclusivity: BMW bulletin restricts more than 100 structural aluminum parts to certified facilities
Toronto, Ontario — BMW’s North American division announced in a bulletin Thursday that it has restricted more than 100 aluminum structural parts for its vehicles “due to complexity of repair and the requirement of highly specialized tools, training, and repair procedures.” Going forward, parts on that list can only be ordered by facilities with technicians […]
Extra Charges: Little evidence to support electronic rust protection, despite high install costs, report says
Toronto, Ontario — With Canadian drivers doing all they can to keep their vehicles on the road and avoid today’s precarious buying market, many are looking to the aftermarket for products to bolster their ride’s lifespan, as a recent report from CTV News shone a light on one particularly contentious piece of equipment. Jennifer Capel […]
Casting Call: Tesla Model Y with front casting, structural battery spotted at Giga Berlin
(Tobias Lindh/Twitter) Toronto, Ontario — In its recent Q3 financials release to stakeholders, Tesla announced plans to integrate front castings and structural battery packs to the Model Y; plans that have since been confirmed by DriveTesla Canada, who posted a photo Tuesday of just such a model outside the automaker’s Berlin Gigafactory. This sighting, made […]
Old Car, New Style: Carbon fibre 1970 Dodge Chargers for sale through Mopar
Toronto, Ontario — Since Dodge announced that it was closing the chapter on its current generation of Chargers and Challengers, customs shops and restorers have gone wild designing tribute models of the iconic muscle cars; including a customs shop out of Oklahoma that has created a welders worst nightmare. Finale Speed of Yukon, Okla. has […]
Quarterly Check-in: New Ford On Target touches on glass and ADAS, Mach-E welding and more
Toronto, Ontario — Ford dropped the third edition of its 2022 On Target newsletters last Thursday, where the legacy OEM offered a reminder to glass repair technicians, clarified some welding details on the Mustang Mach-E SUV and announced the approval of a lift table from Bosch. Ford made a point of opening this issue of […]
EV Repair Checklist: Repair centres must prepare for shifting mix of EV repairs, says Mandell
Quebec City, Quebec — Mitchell International’s Ryan Mandell took the stage at the Fix Network National Conference in Quebec City last week, delivering a keynote address on the latest trends in automotive electrification and what collision repair facilities need to prepare for. “It is really a very different process, not only in terms of writing […]
