ETI Expands to Europe, Heads-Up Displays and Airless Tires

In this episode, hear the latest developments in the automotive repair industry, focusing on several innovative technologies and industry trends. Brian Plott from ETI shares insights into the expansion of ETI into Europe, replicating their successful American model to engage with new members and OEMs overseas. Auto makers are pushing for advancements in automotive head-up displays, including both hologram and augmented reality technologies aimed at enhancing driver safety without distraction. Additionally, Michelin's progress on their airless tire technology, Uptis, emphasizes its potential benefits and ongoing real-world testing. 

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Braxton Critcher [00:00:06]:
You're listening to automotive repair news today. I'm Braxton Kricher. Big news from Tooltech. Last week, the equipment and Tools Institute, ETI, announced they're expanding outside the United States, a move they've been working on behind the scenes for around six months. ETi Eu or ETI Europe, is expected to take launch soon. Brian Platt from ETI shares more.

Brian Plott [00:00:32]:
And we're basically carrying the exact same model that we do here in the States. We're going to carry it over there, open a branch office, and it looks like it's going to be in the UK. And then we'll be doing the same thing of trying to bring on new members, which are aftermarket tool and equipment manufacturers, and start working the relationships with the oems, leveraging our relationships with the oems here in the States.

Braxton Critcher [00:00:56]:
Automotive heads up displays huds are generating excitement in the automotive space. A hologram display on the dash of a vehicle in the early testing phases will help eliminate the need for drivers to look away from the road to check onboard diagnostics, gps or music selections. Current testing shows the 2d features have limited depth perception, crucial for signaling road hazards effectively. Now, something else in testing is augmented reality huds. These are envisioned not only to display vehicle information, but also to highlight potential dangers on the road, necessitating technologies capable of delivering immersive experiences with depth perception. Ongoing experimentation with 3d displays are taking place as well. Expect more news on this in the future, as developers hope to see installation begin in a decade or less. Speaking of the dashboard, warning lights are going off everywhere these days, but many of them are going unchecked.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:05]:
In fact, according to carmd.com quote s vehicle health Index report, nearly half of vehicles on the road today have a warning light on across the US. The survey found that nearly half of the drivers ignore dashboard lights, with a significant increase in the number of check engine light issues. The study also notes that a 5.1% increase in repair cost in 2023, reaching an all time high, driven primarily by a more significant uptick, over 7% in parts costs, plays a role in this. If that trend continues, expect even more drivers to ignore those warning lights. The automotive Training Institute announced their selection for 2023 repair Shop of the year Silver Lake Auto and Tire centers, an automotive repair provider Waukesha County, Wisconsin. They have five locations and 50 years in business. The award was announced at ATI's super conference 2024 in March. Have you ever heard the expression, there's an app for that? Well, there should be a new expression.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:14]:
There's a technology for that. Today's new tech? Airless tires. Yes, tires without air. Michelin and their prototype uptis unique puncture proof tire systems is working towards this goal. Their scientific team hopes to address issues like sidewall damage and punctures, estimating they could save around 320 million tires annually with the new tech. Uptis was introduced in 2019 with plans for testing on the Chevy Bolt EV. Although results have not been disclosed, real world trials of UptIs are currently underway in Singapore and France. These tests will continue until the end of 2025.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:59]:
While Michelin previously introduced airless technology with the tweel concept in 2005, Uptis represents a significant advancement. While other manufacturers have presented airless tire concepts, Michelin stands out for its extensive real world testing efforts, aiming to gather valuable data for further development. More news on this next week. I'm Braxton Kricher, and thanks for listening to automotive repair news today. Know of news that needs to be shared? Let me know via [e-mail]. That's Braxton automotiverepairnews.com.