By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario — June 14, 2019 — From mysterious fires in the GTA to SkillsCanada champs, Collision Repair has covered it all this week. Worried about what you missed? A week in review will get you up to date on all the astonishing automotive news you missed out on and have you ready for next week’s equally intriguing and exciting stories.
Could I Get a Lyft?
Self-driving cars are already here, well at least ride-sharing ones in Vegas. With the help of global tech company, Aptiv — Lyft has completed 50,000 rides in its self-driving cars in Las Vegas over the course of one year. For about 95 percent of the riders this was their first experience riding in a self-driving car, and exciting experience it was.
Tow Truck Turf War
The series of vehicle fires in Scarborough, Ont. last week could be linked to an ongoing turf war involving towing companies, sources have told CP24. Last Thursday Toronto police were dispatched to a driveway where a vehicle was on fire in a driveway. No less than an hour later the fire department received another call at a nearby auto body shop. Two vehicles were reported to be on fire and by the time the fire department arrived, the fire had spread to a third. According to CP24 this lot is also used by several towing companies. 45 minutes later, another call came through claiming that a CAA tow truck was on fire. Police continue to investigate the possibility that these fires may be linked.
Celebrating SkillsCanada Champ
Keegan Watkins – McIntyre, Crocus Plains Secondary School Student and AutoBody Repair whiz, struck gold at SkillsCanada competition this year in Halifax, winning first place in auto body repair and representing the province of Manitoba. He won SkillsManitoba earlier this year and hopes to represent Canada in WorldSkills in the future.
The Silence of the Scrapyard
A scrap and recycling company stationed in Saint John, NB. has just received approval to operate its auto shredder for six months despite community concerns. The facility was asked to halt operations after receiving several complaints of loud explosions coming from the yard. The company can continue to operate now if they promise to keep quieter and report all incidents to the Saint John Fire Department.
Cutting Edge Cleantech
As of next year Lithion Recycling, a company focused on cleantech will be able to recover 95 percent of electric vehicle batteries in Montreal. According to the company’s president Benoit Couture, they found a way to recycle components of the car’s batteries in a more effective way. Couture told CTV News that they went to the workshop where they were able to use their cutting-edge technology to recycle battery components.
