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The motor vehicle has changed significantly over the last 50 years. The expectations of our customers haven't. Every vehicle owner wants to drop off their car at the local service center and know that everything is checked and maintained correctly.

As an industry we've adapted and met our customers needs and even offered them wi-fi, a caffeine hit and an EV charge along the way.

The arrival of EV and Hybrid brings new challenges. EV and Hybrid  account for around 10% of new vehicle sales. It's going to take some time to switch out the +4million vehicles with internal combustion engines on our roads, but there will be a shift in serving requirements and we can start to build that into our businesses today.
 

What Will An EV Service Look Like?

This is a big question that many workshops are looking at when planning investment.  We are already starting to see less investment in oil and lube equipment and more emphasis on other services such as brakes, tyres, wheel alignment, Air-con, ADAS calibration and batteries.

Most EV brands suggest a 6 monthly service to check over the batteries, we need to take these recommendations and build full service packages around them including checks like:

• Battery testing and reporting
• Wheel Alignment and tyre care
• Brake and suspension checks
• ADAS Calibration
• Air-con check (R12 and R134A  gases)
   

Getting Equipped

If your service center isn't handling tyres you should investigate this as a source of revenue, adding roller brake testing with a slide slip suspension plates rounds out servicing options for both EV and ICE vehicles, as does air con servicing and Driver Assistance Systems calibration.

Insulated footware, Arc flash-rated clothing including gloves and eyewear are important health and Safety additions.

Battery replacement equipment like the Steiner Battery Lift Table, and a solid Two Post Hoist suitable for battery removal should also be key considerations. Hoists with asymmetrical or double jointed arms give excellent access for battery removal (Nussbaum is top of the line here).
 

Building Your Reputation

It's going to be a while before the phrase "Grease Monkey" brings a blank stare from future generations, but in the meantime we can make sure that when your customer switches to EV or hybrid they  can continue to take their car to their favourite mechanic. Treadway Equipped can help make that happen.