Electric vehicles, vo-tech data, ADAS trust among popular features of Jan. 20-21 virtual CIC

The Mustang Mach-E just won Motor Trend “SUV of the season,” GM just redid its logo to worry electrification, and Volkswagen’s all-electric $39,995 ID.4 goes on sale “within weeks.” Charging networks are expanding nationwide. Some OEMs have even committed to ditching internal combustion engine-only powertrains in support of fleets that will at least be hybrids.
Electrification is poised to alter aspects of collision repair as the trend becomes more mainstream and a greater quantity of EVs get into crashes.
Auto body shops have a chance to get out ahead about this trend, as well as an agenda released Thursday indicates next week’s free, virtual Collision Industry Conference is going to be one starting point.
The Collision Industry Conference is an industry summit available to a person with a stake in auto body work, including shops, insurers, OEMs, suppliers yet others. It’s a way for all those sectors to educate one another and debate various issues arising in the industry. There’s also a wide open mic that you should say whatever’s on your mind.
The virtual event running 11 a.m. to three p.m. Jan. 20 and Jan. 21 will require place live on Zoom and become liberated to everyone utilizing a promo code on the sponsors page here. Sign up for the big event with that code here. The January agenda released Thursday even walks virtual meeting newcomers with the procedure for making comments and asking them questions of panelists live.
EV sessions
At 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, the Emerging Technologies Committee will present “Electric Vehicles 101-the coming tide of electrical vehicles to collision repair.” The agenda said the session will examine “National news associated with demand, investments and future models.” The audience will even discuss its 2021 plans. Committee Co-Chairs Chuck Olsen and Bob Augustine and Vice Chairman Jason Bartanen are slated to be on hand for the session.
The next day, Thursday, Jan. 21, will see the Future Disruptions Committee led by Jake Rodenroth and Frank Terlep present “How EV's Will Disrupt the Industry Through Potential Regulation, Advanced Education Requirements, Consumer Education, New Repair Business, Claims, Parts and Safety Processes” from 1-2:15 p.m.
Other vehicle technology sessions
Electrification will be only one aspect of what seems to be an automobile technology-focused CIC.
At 11:15 a.m. Jan. 20, Industry Relations Committee Chairmen Jim Keller and Mark Allen will host “The difficulties of ADAS: How do we improve trust? An interactive presentation discussing the challenges faced in the market.”
The next day, the Emerging Technology Committee will return at 11:15 p.m. Jan. 21 to go over topics such as the “To Repair act, Past, Present and future” and CIC industry wiki glossary updates on technical concepts. It’ll also host a presentation from Equipment and Tool Institute Executive Director Brian Plott.
The topic of technical definitions will even arise later that day as Automotive Service Association Collision Division Director Mike LeVasseur issues a “New position statement on the definition of scanning from ASA, joining with SCRS and others” at 2:35 p.m. Jan. 21.
MSOs and vo-tech students
Other highlights in the event include:
At 12:25 p.m. Jan. 21, the Education and Talent Pool Committee will host a special presentation by ASE Education Foundation Vice President George Arrants. When the tech shortage remains a problem for you — or might become one again when the pandemic subsides — you’ll want to check it out. Arrants “will present current survey data and statistics on people coming into the and technical colleges, and retention versus other trades,” based on the agenda.
You know of the competition from the publicly traded or private equity-backed giants Gerber, Driven Brands , Caliber and repair King. But there’s also investors trying to get in to the MSO game or already backing smaller MSO operations. Even though you have no desire to sell your shop to an MSO or be bought by private equity finance, it behooves you to definitely keep an eye on this trend.
In a noon Jan. 20 special presentation, Quality Collision Group CEO Jerod Guerin will discuss “A brand new and different wave of collision repair consolidation,” according to the agenda. “Medium sized capital equity companies are entering our industry, buying or merging regional MSO’s. Jerod will talk about the trend, and how it works.”
And there’s even more content on the agenda. Read the entire document here, and sign up for the CIC here after getting your free promo code on the sponsor page here.