State Farm will reduce auto insurance rates for Texas drivers by an average of 4.1 percent and pay qualifying Texas customers an average dividend of $105 per vehicle, the company announced. New-business policies reflect the lower rates beginning April 15, and renewal policies follow June 4. The reduction represents more than $250 million in lower […]
EV Sales Decline Moderates in Q1 as Market Share Holds Near 6%
U.S. electric-vehicle sales fell 27% year over year in the first quarter of 2026 to 216,399 units, according to the latest estimates from Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book. Sales were down 7.8% from the fourth quarter of 2025, a considerably smaller sequential decline than the 46% quarter-over-quarter drop recorded in Q4 — a sign that […]
AASP/NJ Awards $5,000 in Tools to 2026 Young Technicians of the Year
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) recognized two technicians at its Sixth Annual Young Technician of the Year Awards during the NORTHEAST 2026 Automotive Services Show last month, awarding $2,500 in tools and equipment to each recipient. Shamar Lewis of Livingston Collision in Livingston, N.J., and Christopher Edmonson of Westview Service […]
New Ownership Announced for Abra Yankton Franchise in South Dakota
Abra Auto Body Repair has a new franchise owner in southeastern South Dakota, with Bruce Nerison taking the reins of Abra Yankton, the company announced. The ownership transition maintains local service at the 8,000-square-foot facility, which operates inside Northtown Chevy Buick GMC and employs five technicians across more than 10 work bays and two paint […]
Safelite Donates $50,000 to Collision Engineering Career Alliance
The Collision Engineering Career Alliance said April 9 that Safelite, the vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration company, has contributed $50,000 to support the nonprofit’s technician training program at partner colleges across the country. The donation adds to a growing list of industry contributions aimed at expanding the pipeline of collision repair technicians at a […]
Auto Care Association Launches Grant Program to Equip High School Automotive Classrooms
The Auto Care Association’s Tool and Equipment community has launched a grant program to supply tools and equipment to high school automotive vocational programs across the United States, the association announced April 9. The “Tools for Tomorrow’s Technicians” initiative invites high school instructors and program leaders to describe their classroom needs and the challenges they […]
Triple-I Targets Oklahoma and Wisconsin Lawmakers With Legal System Abuse Campaigns
The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) has launched consumer and legislative awareness campaigns in Oklahoma and Wisconsin that tie rising auto, home and business insurance costs to lawsuit abuse and press state lawmakers to advance tort reform before their sessions adjourn. The campaigns pair digital out-of-home advertising around the Oklahoma and Wisconsin state capitols with targeted […]
NHTSA Issues Initial Decision Finding Safety Defect in Chinese DTN Air Bag Inflators
Airbags linked to 10 deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued an initial decision finding that frontal driver air bag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Safety Technology Co., Ltd. (DTN) of China contain a safety-related defect, a step that could lead to a permanent ban on the sale of the inflators in […]
Progressive Renews Long-Term Contract With Mitchell
Mitchell announced today that Progressive Insurance has signed a long-term renewal of its contract for auto physical damage software, extending a relationship that began in 2010. The renewal provides Progressive with continued access to Mitchell’s platform for collision claims, damage appraisals, total loss valuations and interactions with repair facility partners. The renewal preserves a key […]
Autel U.S. ADAS Training Program Earns ASE and I-CAR Accreditation
Autel U.S. announced that its Autel Academy ADAS Training Program has received accreditation from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR). The dual accreditation verifies that the instructor-led program meets curriculum, instruction, facility and resource standards set by two of the collision and mechanical repair […]