Jason Stahl and Nadine Battah count down the top 10 feature stories of 2023.

Drum roll, please … here are the top 10 feature stories of 2023!

1. Hard Work, Hustle and Determination: One Auto Body Tech’s Rise to the Top. Jason Stahl profiled Juan Carlos Gasga Perez and how his ambition and drive led him to becoming the co-owner of his own body shop with a huge social media following.
2. The Great Awakening: Collision Repairers Taking a Stand. Barrett Smith discussed how many repairers, confronted with significantly increasing demands with added investments of time and financial resources being underpaid or even denied by insurers. are now taking a stand, realizing they cannot conduct business the way they used to.
3. What are Collision Repairers’ Obligations to Insurers? Barrett Smith discussed how many collision repairers often believe they must comply with insurers’ demands, but when asked why they believe this, few of them can give good answers.
4. In-Car Technology: New Challenges for Collision Shops. Brian Herron , president and CEO of Opus IVS, talked about how both electric vehicles and gas-powered vehicles are presenting new challenges today for collision and auto repair shops, particularly when it comes to advanced driver-assistance systems.
5. Auto Body Refinish: Paint Prep Fundamentals. Carl Wilson, who has over 30 years of experience as a painter and technical rep, pointed out how nothing is faster or more profitable in the world of refinish than accuracy — doing it right the first time.
6. Auto Body Consolidation Update: What Will 2023 Bring? Laura Gay, owner of Consolidation Coach, predicted that the bull market of consolidation was expected to continue in 2023 even amidst high inflation, rising interest rates and other challenges.
7. EV Batteries: Handling, Disposal and Storage. Dirk Fuchs once again grabbed readers’ attention by discussing key considerations for the proper and safe handling, storage, disposal and recycling of EV batteries.
8. Welding on a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle. Dirk Fuchs, CEO and founder of Electric Mobility Consulting, advised that as more and more hybrid-electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles roll into auto body shops, there are considerations to take when welding, such as remembering to disconnect both the 12-volt battery and the high-voltage battery service disconnect.
9. Feeling the Pressure? Follow the 7 E’s. Another gem from Barrett Smith, this article pointed out how auto insurers were hemorrhaging profits and thus clamping down on claims costs, and that following the 7 E’s — expose, edify, enrage, empathize, empower, equip and encourage — might be the solution for collision repairers to fight this trend.
10. Changes in Insurer Behavior May Create a Rough Ride. Barrett Smith talked about how collision repairers have experienced additional pressures by insurers to reduce claim settlements relative to repairs and procedures, parts and materials  being denied, forcing shops to make necessary changes to ensure the their viability.