Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_February_2020 - 8

EDITOR'S NOTE

A decade of change

Sara Scullin
Editor

Looking back at the past decade and the
changes it brought to vehicle repair.
By David Brierley, Managing Editor
David@VehicleServicePros.com

o some, 2010 may seem like it was
just yesterday. But a decade is a long
time - a lot can change in 10 years. From
advancing technologies to vehicle owner's
rights, 2010 through 2019 was a busy time
in the automotive aftermarket.
In the last decade, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as adaptive
cruise control, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking went from futuristic
pipe dreams to standard features in many
passenger and commercial vehicles.
At the same time, battery electric vehicles
(BEVs) started to become a more common
sight on the road thanks to a governmental
push for reduced greenhouse gas emissions
and the availability of affordable options
such as the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt, and
Tesla Model 3.
As these technologies have grown, you,
the technicians maintaining and repairing
the vehicles, have had to learn a lot - and fast.
While ADAS and BEVs are not yet ubiquitous in the market, their presence is growing
at exponential rates. That means you'll be
seeing them in your shop more often.
Another area of automotive news making
headlines was the Massachusetts Right to
Repair bill. Enacted in 2012, the bill requires
automakers to share the same technical
information with independent shops as
they do with dealerships. A memorandum of
understanding between automakers and the
automotive aftermarket was signed in 2014,
holding automakers to those same standards
in all 50 states.
This is good news for the aftermarket
since it ensures independent shops can complete repairs without having to send customers to a dealership. But what changes will

PTEN

FEBRUARY 2020

VehicleServicePros.com

new connected vehicle technologies bring?
Will manufacturers share data received
remotely from vehicles with shops as well?
The new decade is bound to bring more
change as technologies continue to advance.
Will we see fully autonomous vehicles before
2030? Most signs point to no, but a major
breakthrough could occur overnight and
transform the automotive landscape. One
thing is for certain: shops will continue to
see more advanced vehicle technologies, and
new tools and equipment will be required
to keep up.
One change coming to the pages of PTEN
is the addition of a new contributing editor,
Scott Brown, an ASE Master Certified L1
Technician. With over 37 years of industry
experience, he has the knowledge to teach
us a thing or two about vehicle repair. He'll
be writing the new diagnostic column,
Diagnostic Tech. Check out his first article
on ADAS sensor calibration (p. 50) to learn
more about the precision involved in this
type of service. Brown is also hosting a new
podcast series, Torque Factor, which you can
find at VehicleServicePros.com/podcasts or
on your favorite podcast app.
As we look forward to the new decade, we
can only make educated guesses on what's
to come. Whatever changes may be in store
for the automotive industry, vehicle maintenance and repair will remain relevant. And
for automotive technicians like you, that
means job security.
One change that came with the new decade is an addition to PTEN editor Sara Scullin's family. So, don't get
too used to seeing my smiling face on this page - I'm just
filling in until she returns after spending some quality
time with her little one.

Tyler Fussner
Assistant Editor

Emily Markham
Assistant Editor

Kayla Oschmann
Assistant Editor

Barry Hoyland
Contributing Editor
PTEN Editorial Advisory Board
Technicians
John Harris,
Brooks-Huff Goodyear, Timonium MD
Eric Moore,
DeMary Trucks, Columbus, OH
Lou Fort,
K.A.R.S. Inc., Huntingburg, IN
Shop Owners
Phil Fournier,
Phil's Auto Clinic, Hemet, CA
JD Goad,
Goad's Body Shop, Lexington, VA
Edwin Hazzard,
Southeast Mobile Tech, Goose Creek, SC
Barry Hoyland,
VSSCA, Camarillo, CA
Pete Rudloff,
Pete's Garage Inc., Newark, DE
Equipment Manufacturers
Chad Schley,
Schley Products/SP Tools
Jim O'Hara,
Clore Automotive

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com/podcasts http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

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