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This time-lapse video of Tesla Model 3 body repairs is weirdly soothing

This Tesla-authorized body shop mends a bent Model 3 after a crash, showing us that we're a long way from same-day body work.

Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
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Kyle Hyatt

During the annual shareholders meeting, one of the ideas outlined by CEO Elon Musk was upgrading parts stock so that body shops could perform same-day body repairs on Teslas. When we heard that, we were more than a little shocked because body work is typically complicated work that requires both time and a great deal of skill.

Almost as if the universe is trying to help us prove our point, a Tesla-authorized body shop recently posted a time-lapse video showing one of its skilled technicians doing crash repair on a newly crumpled Model 3. The time-lapse is over 7 minutes long but it's incredibly interesting to see what goes into putting one of these complicated vehicles back together.

So, sit down, get a fresh cup of coffee, mute the Michael Bay music (we suggest listening to Looking Glass' 1972 hit "Brandy" instead) and try to imagine a world in which body shops are able to bang out repairs like a Nascar tire change, because we haven't been able to.