Cost of Windshield Replacement Is Going Up

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Today, it seems as if the prices on just above everything (food, gas, rent) are going up–and glass is no exception. Unfortunately, maybe not all that surprisingly, the cost of automobile glass materials has been rising every month. . . and continues to do so. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data pulled back in January 2022 showed that motor vehicle parts increased by 5.2 percent from the previous year. Specifically, adhesives and sealants increased in price by 14.2 percent, while prices for materials related to motor vehicle repair and maintenance increased by 2.9 percent. Here’s…
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Tips To Consider Before Purchasing a Tesla

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Tesla offers an incredibly reliable and safe line of vehicles that have grown in popularity. Here are a few tips to consider before buying a Tesla. Understanding Tesla Features Depending on your Tesla model, you can include a few additional features in your vehicle. For instance, a Full-Driving Capability option allows drivers to sit back and let the car take over. The Tesla can automatically change lanes, parallel parks, and more. Furthermore, you can also purchase a premium upgrade package that includes custom audio systems, air filtration systems, satellite radio, heated seats, wiper blades, carbon purification filters, and more. Consider…
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Shift Q1 earnings: Company reviewing ‘strategic alternatives’

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Online used-vehicle retailer Shift Technologies Inc. said Thursday its board of directors is working with management and financial and legal advisers to assess a range of “strategic alternatives” for the company. in a statementShift said its board of directors was conducting a process to “explore and evaluate strategic alternatives, including exploring a potential sale of certain operating businesses, third party investment or partnership opportunities and/or funding alternatives for our marketplace business, to further enhance value for all stakeholders.” The company said its board did not set a timetable for the completion of the review process. There is “no assurance” it…
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Trade deals, tariffs and Brexit: how will they shape UK prospects?

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Home › Articles › Trade deals, tariffs and Brexit: how will they shape UK prospects?These significant forces have not yet led to a major change in export markets served by UK vehicle companies, but they could in the future, writes Ian HenryUntil the Brexit vote in 2016, few people in the UK, even within the automotive sector, knew much or even thought about trade deals and tariffs. The Brexit negotiations changed that and the actual and potential costs of leaving a large trading bloc were front and center of the industry’s concerns. The UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement…
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Braking defect prompts Tesla’s big recall in China

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Tesla Inc. recalled virtually every car it’s sold in China due to a braking and acceleration defect that may increase crashes and safety risks. The automaker will deploy an over-the-air software fix to more than 1.1 million vehicles produced in Shanghai from January 2019 to April this year, plus some models imported into China, the State Administration for Market Regulation said Friday in a statement. The defect relates to Tesla’s regenerative braking system, which makes use of energy created when drivers take their foot off the accelerator by sending power to the car’s battery. The vehicles haven’t allowed drivers to…
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Join the AutoForm Global Webinar: A Smart and Systematic Approach for Tube Forming Engineering, 24 May, 2023

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Systematic Process Improvement for Tube Hydroforming Tubing contributes to lower costs, advanced safety and lightweighting of automotive components such as chassis parts, shock absorbers, suspension arms, seats and instrument panel beams. Tube hydroforming is the process of manufacturing such critical components and the success of the tube hydroforming process depends on the best combination of material properties, process parameters, process sequence and die geometry. In this webinar we will focus on a smart systematic process improvement approach to find the optimum hydroforming solution for a high strength steel tube component efficiently in a shorter time. This can result in significant…
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Here’s a look at why

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Consumers who want to spend their tax refunds on a car may be disappointed this spring: Prices are rising. Signals from the used-car market are flashing higher prices ahead, reversing a decline that started last fall. Manheim, which auctions used cars to dealers, reported a 4.3% increase in vehicle prices in February, the largest increase for that month since 2009. Another tracker of wholesale used-car prices, Black Book, said prices rose 0.46% for the week ended March 11, the largest single-week increase since November 2021.Because prices in the used-car wholesale market typically change about four to eight weeks before…
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45% of used-vehicle loan terms ‘frighteningly’ long at 84 months, up from 25% in 2021

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With high vehicle values ​​and high interest rates compromising affordability, buyers — particularly entry-level ones — have been forced to extend borrowing time frames, Ross said. “Consumers are looking to stay in a consistent monthly payment range to what they used to previously, so the only thing they have is to elongate that loan term,” he said. Ross, Karwel and Abraham saw little relief in sight for buyers as both new- and used-vehicle inventories remained tight. UPSIDE: MORE F&I SALES For dealers, however, the longer loan timelines are creating opportunities. Finance and insurance products, once pitched when selling new-vehicle sales,…
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