Highly Autonomous Vehicles

The automotive mechanical and collision repair industries have always had changes over the years, requiring new diagnostic tools and new hand and air tools frequently. However, the newest upcoming changes may require a change in how technicians work on vehicles in addition to new diagnostic and repair tools and equipment.
Vehicles no longer use only steel or fiberglass, so collision repair technicians must learn new skills, including welding aluminum and high strength steel. Almost all automotive systems have electronics embedded in them. Hidden damage is easy to miss unless you, as a collision repair technician, have been keeping up with training.
The Biggest Change: Highly Autonomous Vehicles (HAVs)
With more and more “automatic features”
Meanwhile, vehicles are already expensive, so most people tend to drive them for more than a few years. Thus, older vehicles with little to no autonomous technology will still be on the road. This means that a person's HAV may not crash, but the technology won't stop vehicles without the technology from crashing into it.
Furthermore, collision repair technicians may find themselves in the retrofit business. Third parties may offer this technology for the older vehicles, and someone will need to install it for the average person.
And, the sensors and cameras that run a HAV do not last forever. These will need to be repaired or replaced. Should a sensor or camera stop working and the driver does not get it repaired right away, there is a possibility of that vehicle being involved in a crash since the system that would prevent the crash is not working. Those same sensors and cameras will also need periodic adjustment, calibration, cleaning or correction. In many cases, because of the location of the equipment, a collision repair technician will be the person to do that work.
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