The increase in the sale of electric cars is causing the different players in the automotive sector to be experiencing a moment of transformation. One of the areas that is having to adapt the most is car repair workshops.
The electrification of the world’s fleet of cars is unstoppable. For some time now, it has become commonplace to see electric cars on the streets and in our garages. A change that each year affects more and more vehicles.
So much so that, as shown by a report prepared by the European Association of Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), by 2025 the share of electric cars is expected to be around 30% in the European market, 32% in China and 16.5% in the US. A strong rise if we compare it with the data from last year, when around 14.1% were sold in Europe, 20% in the Asian country and 6% in the US.
There is a strong commitment to sustainable mobility that will make electric cars increasingly prominent on the roads. A transformation that will require the adaptation of many other actors within the automotive sector. This is the case with mechanics.
Although combustion vehicles will coexist with fully electric and plug-in hybrid models, at least for a while, car mechanics must begin to adapt. A number of changes affect both the training of staff and their workspace itself, and pose a series of challenges for car owners and workers.
The first change that workshops that want to adapt to electrification must carry out will be the installation of charging points.These spaces will be necessary to repair the cars and will also be available for customers to charge their electric vehicles.
In addition, they must create specific boxes for these cars. It must be taken into account that electric car batteries are high voltage, so safety when fixing them must be essential. Marked and signposted spaces will have to be created where mechanics can carry out their work safely.
It is also important that the garage has specific tools and equipment to work with this type of car. For example, class 0 insulated gloves, high-voltage floor mats, face shields, voltage meters and special lifts to repair batteries, among many other measures.
Another very important point for mechanics to adapt to electrification is that staff is trained to know how these new cars work. Their training must be based both on the specific knowledge necessary to repair their parts and on the security measures that must be implemented during the process.
In this way, they must know about the characteristics of the cars’ components –such as the battery and the electric motor– and where they are located. And they must also learn to work safely with high voltage parts and use special tools.
This knowledge will ensure the safety of both workers and people who are in the facilities. For this, the most important steps that must be followed will be the placement of the car in a specific box and the deactivation of the battery with the switch before starting work on it.
