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Elon Musk Shares Update on Tesla’s In-House Collision Repair and Insurance Efforts by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated Tesla is building up its collision repair capabilities. He added Tesla Insurance would ensure collision repairs would make the experience smoother for customers. “Tesla is building up collision repair capability to help address the grief that you went through, but usually insurance companies make you go [ to] their ‘ approved’ collision repair partners. Tesla Insurance will make it smooth sailing,” Musk tweeted in response to a tweet from “Everyday Astro-
naut.” After Tesla Model 3 owner and SpaceX enthusiast Everyday Astronaut received his car from a Tesla certified body shop, he noticed the driver’s side mirror wasn’t working, and a loud whistling noise came out of his windshield. A Tesla Mobile Service technician fixed the side mirror and windshield in minutes. In 2018, Musk announced Tesla was bringing collision repairs in-house. He noted outside firms were ta ing too long on repairs, and it was “driving Tesla owners (and us) crazy.” Musk shared Tesla was aiming to complete repairs See Musk Shares Update, Page 6
GM, LG Energy Solution Investing $2.3 Billion in 2nd Ultium Cells Manufacturing Plant in U.S. Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, on April 16 announced a more than $ 2.3 billion investment to build its second battery cell manufacturing plant in the U.S. The facility will be located in Spring Hill, TN. Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from GM. The new battery cell plant will create 1,3 00 new jobs. Construction on the approximately 2.8 million-square foot facility will begin immediately, and the plant is scheduled to open in late 2023 .
Once operational, the facility will supply battery cells to GM’s Spring Hill assembly plant.
AUTOBODYNEWS.COM Vol. 39 / Issue 5 / May 2021
President Biden’s $174 Billion EV Package Broken Down Dollar by Dollar by Joey Klender, Teslarati
President Joe Biden’ s $ 174 billion aid package for electric vehicles has been broken down in an email sent by officials from the .S. Department of Transportation. Biden’s plan to increase EV production and adoption across the U.S. is fueled by the massive spending package that aims to woo car buyers away from gas-powered engines, favoring electric cars instead. The $ 174 billion package can be broken down into several categories of different spending allocations.
The largest is the consumer rebates portion of the package, accounting for $ 100 billion of the $ 174 billion package, R euters said. The rebates would be a significant boost to U.S. automakers, especially ones like Tesla and General Motors, who cannot offer , rebates when a vehicle is purchased. Previous limits axed the EV tax credit after manufacturers sold 200,000 electric cars. The reintroduction of the , tax credit would undoubtedly convince some car buyers to consider all-electric options, bringing down See $174 Billion EV Package, Page 16
Autonomous Robotic Vehicle Starts Delivering Domino’s Pizzas in Texas by Chris Bruce, Motor1.com
The robots are coming, and they’re bringing pizza. Domino’s launched a real-world test in the Woodland Heights neighborhood in Houston, TX , for Nuro R 2 robots to deliver food. The autonomous bots will travel on public roads and will have to negotiate traffic on the way to their destination.
Early conceptual rendering of Ultium Cells LLC battery cell manufacturing facility in Spring Hill, TN. See GM, LG Energy Solution, Page 16
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To take part, customers have to place a prepaid order on Domino’s website from the restaurant’s Woodland Heights location and opt for the Nuro R 2 to perform the delivery. The company sends a text message with a PIN and the ability to track the robot’s location. When the bot reaches
the destination, the buyer enters the number to unlock the door and grab the pizza. “There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space. This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations,” D ennis Maloney , Domino’s senior vice president and chief innovation officer, said about the program. The Nuro is the first autonomous, occupant-less on-road vehicle to receive approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It does not travel on sidewal s or bi e lanes. As of December, the robot also has a permit to operate on public roads in California. The vehicle has a top speed of miles per hour. t has a - ilowatt-hour battery. The R 2 has a payload of 419 pounds. The sensor suite includes 3 6 0-degree overlapping cameras, thermal imaging camera, See Domino’s Pizzas, Page 12
4/19/2021 5:21:50 PM