Autel, CREF Donate ADAS Equipment to Collision School Programs

Autel, CREF Donate ADAS Equipment to Collision School Programs

Autel has partnered with CREF to donate an Autel ADAS calibration package valued at $162K to eight standout U.S. collision repair school programs. 

Autel has partnered with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) to donate an Autel ADAS calibration package to eight standout U.S. collision repair school programs. 

The Autel IA800 Lane Departure Warning (LDW) ADAS Calibration Package includes an IA800 ADAS Optical Positioning Frame System; LDW targets and patterns for 20 vehicle brands; a MaxiSYS MS909 tablet with ADAS calibration software; a VCI/J2534 pass-thru programming device; and a full-color, 244-page Autel Academy ADAS training manual. 

CREF is the collision industry’s national 501(c)(3) charity that works to support high school and post-secondary collision programs, students and instructors nationwide. This includes roughly 1,000 collision school programs (high school programs, technical/community college) that educate roughly 30,000 collision students each year. Schools were eligible to receive the Autel equipment donations by applying for CREF’s annual Benchmark grant program, with the recipients being announced during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas later this month. 

“On behalf of the collision school programs that CREF works to support, I would like to thank and recognize Autel for this incredible ADAS equipment donation,” said Brandon Eckenrode, executive director of CREF. “As instructors face challenging program budgets, it’s through our industry partners that we are able to help invest in their programs and ensure that these schools have up-to-date equipment and technology for their students’ technical education. We look forward to this collaboration with Autel and connecting them with collision instructors so that students are better trained and prepared for employment within the industry.”

The donation is Autel and CREF’s first prong in its just-launched, three-prong campaign to enable automotive vocational schools, colleges and universities to develop curriculums using software and equipment that offers comprehensive ADAS vehicle and safety system coverage based on OE specifications. CREF will gift an additional Autel-donated IA800 LDW Calibration Package at a CREF webinar titled, “The Importance of Adding ADAS to Your Curriculum”, on Nov. 15, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. Register here to attend the webinar.

As the third prong in the campaign, Autel is offering the package at a significantly reduced rate to automotive vocational schools. Interested schools can visit here for package details and purchasing options.

“Autel is proud to partner with CREF, an organization dedicated to ensuring that the schools it represents have the best tools, equipment and supplies the industry offers, giving students the skills they need to face the challenges of servicing today’s sophisticated vehicles,” said Chloe Hung, CEO of Autel. “It is estimated that by 2043, 95% of all registered vehicles in the U.S. will be equipped with most ADAS including rear parking sensors, rearview camera, LDW and blind spot warning. The importance of correctly calibrating these systems cannot be overstated; it’s truly a matter of life and death. Our tools are designed for the skilled technician dedicated to providing exceptional diagnostic and repair services to their customers. We are grateful to CREF for allowing Autel, through our tools, to be part of the learning process for these future technicians.”

For more information on CREF, visit CollisionEducationFoundation.org.

For more information on Autel, click here.

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