What's different about repairing electric vehicles

Hey folks! This is Mike and Tom from Pacific One Collision and Restoration.

Welcome to another Q&A session where I answer questions from you all on the internet.

Today's question is:

"What's different about repairing electric vehicles"

Summary:

Mike notes the shop is seeing more and more EVs and hybrids, and that their high-voltage systems require specific training because, handled carelessly, they can seriously injure a technician. Whether the high-voltage system is disconnected depends on the repair: a simple bumper job won't require it, but many repairs do, especially welding, since pushing a lot of current through the car doesn't mesh with the EV system, so the high-voltage system and chassis battery are disconnected. Each manufacturer has very specific guidelines for how to disconnect the EV system, what to do while it's disconnected, and how to reconnect it, so the shop ensures its techs are properly trained and follow those procedures. Not every shop can do this work, and some refuse EVs entirely, but Pacific One works on EVs and hybrids, including Teslas and the newer EVs, sometimes doing additional research to follow the manufacturer's guidelines.

Answer:

EVs are a lot different, and we are seeing more and more of them in our shops, including hybrids. The high-voltage systems require specific training in order to work on them. It is a high-voltage system, and if you are not careful, it'll knock you into the middle of next week. A lot of times when we're doing repairs, we end up disconnecting the high-voltage system. Let me rephrase that: it depends on the repair. If it's just a simple bumper, we're not going to disconnect the hybrid system. However, we have had several where we have to disconnect the system, disconnect the chassis battery, and perform our repairs, especially if you're welding on vehicles. You're putting a lot of current through the car, and the EV system and that current from the welders just do not mesh well. Each manufacturer has a very specific set of guidelines on how to disconnect their EV system, what you're supposed to do while it's disconnected, and the process on how to reconnect it. So we need to make sure that we fully understand that and that our techs are trained properly. Not every shop can do this, and there are some shops that just refuse to work on EVs. But we do work on EVs here. We understand it's the wave of the future; EVs and hybrids are the way it's going. We work on Teslas here, and basically all the new EVs that are out there. But sometimes when they come in, there is a bit of research we have to do to make sure we're following the manufacturer's guidelines regarding the EV system.