Hybrid sales surged in 2024 and 2025 after changes to federal tax credits.
As a result, more hybrid vehicles are now entering collision centers. This shift happened quickly. For most shop owners, it is unrealistic to track every market change while running day-to-day operations. Here is what is changing and why it matters.
The Mistake: Old Habits
In collision repair, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are often estimated like standard gas cars. A Camry Hybrid looks like a regular Camry after a front-end hit, so estimators often write a standard collision sheet.
That assumption is costly.
Hybrids require high-voltage safety steps and have more complex front-end systems. When a hybrid is repaired like a standard vehicle after a collision, shops perform extra safety and diagnostic work without documenting or getting paid for it, while also taking on added liability.
The Fix: Update Your Collision Estimating Logic
Stop using estimating habits built for internal combustion vehicles. Update your collision SOPs with these steps:
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Create a “Hybrid Front-End” Checklist If the VIN flags a hybrid, require a checklist at intake. This forces hybrid-specific inspection before teardown, not during a supplement.
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Write for High-Voltage Safety De-power and re-power procedures are mandatory safety steps during collision repair. This is billable labor (often 0.5–1.0 hours). If it is missing from the estimate, the shop absorbs the cost.
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Verify Calibration After Impact Do not assume “no visible damage” means no calibration. OEM guidance from manufacturers like Honda and Toyota often requires calibration after bumper removal, even if sensors were not touched.
It is reasonable to push cars out as fast as possible;
throughput brings dinner to the table.
But in 2026, auto body shops will no longer be competing only with other owners. They are competing with software, automation, and processes that move faster and make fewer mistakes. Speed alone is no longer an advantage.
The real value is what makes your shop different: your judgment, discipline, and repair standards, supported by systems that protect margins and safety while technicians handle repetitive work.
