Manitoba Public Insurance has received about 20,000 claims since a severe storm swept the Canadian province June 9, a total the public auto insurer expects to become the most it has ever recorded from a single event. The Crown corporation said the count is on pace to surpass its previous single-event record of about 24,000 […]
Lucid Begins Hands-Free Highway Driving Rollout for Gravity SUV
Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) has begun deploying an over-the-air software update for its Gravity SUV that adds hands-free highway driving in North America, the centerpiece of a broader release that also revises the electric SUV’s navigation, headlights and charging functions. The hands-free capability runs through DreamDrive 2 Pro, an optional driver-assistance package that supports […]
SUN Collision Adds QuickSpecs Feature for Faster Vehicle Specification Lookups
SUN Collision has added a feature called QuickSpecs to its online repair-information software that surfaces common vehicle specifications — such as wheel torque, engine oil pressure and belt routing data — directly from a technician’s search rather than from long reference tables. The feature, part of SUN Collision Repair Information, changes how Common Specs appear […]
New Light-Vehicle Sales Rise in May Ending Eight-Month Decline Streak
A softer year-ago comparison and a five-weekend selling month lifted the sales pace, but the year-to-date total remained below last year. New light-vehicle sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.1 million units in May 2026, up 3.1% from May 2025, according to the latest National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Market Beat report […]
AutoCanada Enters Thunder Bay With Acquisition of Mascarin Collision Centre
AutoCanada Inc. (TSX: ACQ) has completed its acquisition of Mascarin Collision Centre, a collision repair business in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the company said June 10. The deal establishes AutoCanada’s first presence in the Northern Ontario transportation hub and grows the company’s collision network to 36 centers. The acquisition lands two days after AutoCanada closed its […]
U.S. Light Vehicle Aftermarket Forecast to Grow 5.2% in 2026, Top $500 Billion by 2029
The total U.S. light-duty automotive aftermarket is projected to grow 5.2% year over year in 2026, with the market forecast to surpass $500 billion by 2029, according to the 2026 Joint Channel Market Size and Forecast released June 11 by the Auto Care Association and MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers. The report cites rising penetration of advanced […]
IAA Increases Annual CREF Donation to $100,000
Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc. (IAA) is raising its annual contribution to the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) from $75,000 to $100,000 in 2026, the foundation announced. “We increased our donation because the need has grown,” said Mark Helvenston, vice president at IAA and a former CREF board vice chair. “Schools are struggling to keep programs […]
Collision Repair Industry Production Down in April
Production was down in April both month over month and year over year. Wages for all employees reached new records as production hourly wage growth accelerated to 12.5% from a year earlier. An analysis of the latest data released from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) covering the preliminary April collision […]
AkzoNobel Issues €750 Million Bond to Support Axalta Merger Financing
AkzoNobel N.V. (AMS: AKZA; OTCMKTS: AKZOY) on June 9 launched a €750 million ($868 million) bond with a three-year maturity and a coupon of 3.625%, with proceeds supporting financing initiatives related to the company’s proposed merger with Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. The bond issue is the latest step toward completing the $25 billion all-stock merger […]
Driven Brands Reports First Quarter Revenue of $484.4 Million
Sees collision repair industry stabilizing in 2026. Driven Brands Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: DRVN), the parent company of collision repair networks CARSTAR, Abra and Fix Auto USA and paint franchise Maaco, on June 11 reported first quarter 2026 revenue increased 8% to $484.4 million, with same-store sales up 2.1% across the company’s portfolio. The report marks […]