Mitchell expands support for EVs

Mitchell International , a provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the P&C claims and Collision Repair industries, has signed a data licensing agreement with EV manufacturer Rivian . This will allow auto insurers and collision repairers using Mitchell Cloud Estimating and Mitchell Cloud Estimating TruckMax to write damage appraisals and access repair procedures for the OEM’s full line-up of passenger and commercial vehicles: the R1T, R1S and Electric Delivery Van (EDV).

“Rivian is committed to supporting our passionate, adventurous owners and customers throughout the vehicle lifecycle. Unfortunately, this may occasionally include a collision event. We are eager to make Rivian’s data available in Mitchell’s collision estimating database. This is a crucial step in helping insurance carriers and repairers restore our vehicles to pre-accident integrity and get our customers back on their adventures quickly.” – Rivian’s Manager, Collision Data and Industry Relations, Brandon Chittenden.

“Increasing EV adoption rates have reinforced the need for accurate data on the latest vehicles along with a technology platform built for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and their unique design differences. Mitchell is meeting this need through expanded EV coverage and enhancements to our cloud-based estimating platform, which are designed to better support accurate and efficient BEV damage appraisals.” – Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell’s Auto Physical Damage division.

Among the ‘patent-pending, industry-first’ enhancements to Mitchell Cloud Estimating are features that directly address the design and construction differences between EVs and ICE-powered automobiles. This includes the addition of a BEV-specific data structure, which dynamically updates the user interface—displaying only information relevant to BEVs once the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is decoded. With new part categories and data organization, insurers and repairers can easily locate the BEV information they need to complete the collision-damage appraisal. Additionally, Mitchell has established industry-standard definitions for EV battery capacity and motor size, which appear on the vehicle selection screen and under the vehicle description detail on the printed estimate.

The updates to Mitchell Cloud Estimating were made available to U.S. and Canadian customers in fall 2022 and the first Rivian-authored vehicle data will appear in 2023 in Mitchell TechAdvisor and Mitchell’s estimating solutions. In total, Mitchell has authored data for 168 mild hybrid, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles, which represents 3,500 unique configurations.

Bottom Line: Too few cars on the road.