- Thread starter AVI_8
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Ubique
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As above, timescales for diagnosis are not untypical for current dealership workloads - it's not specific to BEV's though. There is no requirement for a HV accredited technician to diagnose the concern - nor carry out the repair. only the 'make safe' and 're-energise' parts of the job require HV accreditation, the rest can be done by HV trained (i.e. basic safety awareness of BEV's) technicians, the same training that is required to carry out a service or replace the wiper blades.
Although I'm an accredited HV technician for several brands, I couldn't work on a brand I haven't been accredited on in a dealership without the brand-specific training & validation - unlike @premmington with his 'aftermarket' accreditation who can work on any BEV or hybrid in an independent workshop if he so chooses.... Just not manufacturer warranty work (but can carry out extended or third party warranty work).
The problem is two-fold, not enough people want to work in the industry, and dealerships cannot afford to lose people from the workshop for training because they're mostly running at 70-80% strength. It's also seen as a systems/diag tech role by manufacturers so service & maint. tech's don't have the prerequisite skill validation to be eligible for the training.
The reality of it is, you need to:-
Be able to read & write
Be able to identify components
Be able to correctly & safely operate a voltmeter
Be able to correctly & safely operate an insulation tester
Be familiar and able to operate manufacturer diagnostic systems
Be familiar with, and capable of identifying electrocution risks and mitigating them
That's basically it, nothing an electrician apprentice doesn't do on a weekly basis, but it's made out to be something much more 'risky', because it's a DC system on a vehicle - it's an IS system, so even if you attack the wiring with an axe, it's designed not to be able to kill you. (just don't trust it not to superheat and cause a self-sustaining thermal event even if you park it up and 'do nothing' with it for weeks, or, God forbid, put it on charge...)
The small brand-specific Indie I work for is currently booking 3-5 weeks ahead for all work, including PHEV/MHEV/BEV breakdowns, I'm basically 85% diag with most repairs passed to other tech's, the other 15% is diag & repair. PHEV/MHEV/BEV jobs are about 25% of my total workload.
Although I'm an accredited HV technician for several brands, I couldn't work on a brand I haven't been accredited on in a dealership without the brand-specific training & validation - unlike @premmington with his 'aftermarket' accreditation who can work on any BEV or hybrid in an independent workshop if he so chooses.... Just not manufacturer warranty work (but can carry out extended or third party warranty work).
The problem is two-fold, not enough people want to work in the industry, and dealerships cannot afford to lose people from the workshop for training because they're mostly running at 70-80% strength. It's also seen as a systems/diag tech role by manufacturers so service & maint. tech's don't have the prerequisite skill validation to be eligible for the training.
The reality of it is, you need to:-
Be able to read & write
Be able to identify components
Be able to correctly & safely operate a voltmeter
Be able to correctly & safely operate an insulation tester
Be familiar and able to operate manufacturer diagnostic systems
Be familiar with, and capable of identifying electrocution risks and mitigating them
That's basically it, nothing an electrician apprentice doesn't do on a weekly basis, but it's made out to be something much more 'risky', because it's a DC system on a vehicle - it's an IS system, so even if you attack the wiring with an axe, it's designed not to be able to kill you. (just don't trust it not to superheat and cause a self-sustaining thermal event even if you park it up and 'do nothing' with it for weeks, or, God forbid, put it on charge...)
The small brand-specific Indie I work for is currently booking 3-5 weeks ahead for all work, including PHEV/MHEV/BEV breakdowns, I'm basically 85% diag with most repairs passed to other tech's, the other 15% is diag & repair. PHEV/MHEV/BEV jobs are about 25% of my total workload.
AVI_8
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And I think therein lies the problem, EV’s probably need to be drip fed into the system at a slow rate over the next 20 years to allow infrastructure to slowly catch up, setting a target is proving to be an impossible task to the supplying dealerships, let alone garages outside of the dealership network.
Government targets are clearly becoming unsustainable in reality.
Government targets are clearly becoming unsustainable in reality.
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AVI_8
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Yes it was a local transport company who were coming to pick it up, and it couldn’t be towed from its position on my driveway, I spent over an hour turning it off and on before it eventually went into drive and I able to get it out of my property and able to get recovered by an 18 tonne flatbedHave you tried turning it off and on again?
Funny you should say that though it’s what we do with an Airbus if you power it up and get ECAM alerts, power it off then up and see if it goes away!
More or less exactly that!Ctrl+alt+delete.......
arther dailey
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wow . call me old fashioned but I will stick with fossil fuels , or at best if finance permits consider hybrid self charging type maybes ...
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Gave ous back last November...the car was actually great but just doesn't make sense when public charging it was double the cost of running a petrol hybrid which is what we bought now.
The heater controls in ours broke after a couple weeks...took quite a while to get sorted.
What I did learn is that you have quite strong rights in the UK but there are time limits that you need to be aware of. Get any issues in writing early!
The heater controls in ours broke after a couple weeks...took quite a while to get sorted.
What I did learn is that you have quite strong rights in the UK but there are time limits that you need to be aware of. Get any issues in writing early!
AVI_8
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Funnily enough I have received a rental car from enterprise whilst my car is in for repair, it is an ev which has batteries powered by a petrol engine which power an electric motor .
Now bear with me on this subject, it has an engine, which provides voltage via a generator to a heavy battery, which in turn provides power to the heavy EV motor, are you with me so far?
So why doesn’t someone develop a way of transferring the power from the engine directly, let’s say this fantastic invention could maybe be called something like a gearbox for example?
So that the engine is connected to this new invention a gearbox, that way you could do away with the heavy battery and electric motor?
Someone should suggest this to vehicle manufacturers, it’s a revelation, should I apply for a patent on this way of propulsion?
skotl
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I still don't think that's an excuse (and I applaud your patience).
I took delivery of my new car on November 30, 2023, and it got a puncture on christmas day. When I took it to Farmers Autofit (strong recommend) they told me the tyre variant didn't exist in the UK - I called the dealer and they confirmed that Pirelli weren't due to launch the tyre until Feb 2024. But they took a wheel off a demonstrator, drove to my house, and replaced the entire wheel on my drive.
And that was for a piece of rubber.
It's not the consumer's fault (whether that's a business or a home user) that the manufacturer hasn't sorted it's s**t out. I honestly think you need to be getting far angrier than you seem to be.
premmington
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I have never supplied a complete battery on a Bev. I have had loads out to do other repairs on them. I have only quoted 2x battery replacements both got refused. Wrote car off.
It is always the charging gear and inverters that fail.
The batteries I think is the best bit of the EV car thing
AVI_8
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My wife agrees with you @skotl, I’m absolutely feeeeking boiling inside, and I’m trying to do it the very clever way, I needed to get the leasing company on my side, because they are the vehicle owners and the registered keeper, it’s all very clever through salary sacrifice, I’m just a driver of the car, believe me I’ve read the legislation, so I’ve kept a professional cool head but been very forthcoming with regards to the facts, that’s the best way to deal with this type of thing in my opinion, there’s no point in getting emotional, that’ll just close down the person you’re dealing with.
If I went in guns blazing with the lease company it would probably have been a different situation, they are on my side just now as I’ve gone out of my way to orchestrate the process so far and because of that I think I’ll have a better outcome if I request them to reject the vehicle, because that’s not my decision, so I await Monday, I will drive up to Glasgow and won’t leave until I have the facts, if it’s going to be weeks to get this issue resolved, I will put pressure on the lease company and word it very carefully that this vehicle must be rejected.
I think I’m playing the best game here as showing to be receptive and understanding, but there is a limit as to what’s acceptable.
If I’d bought it myself via a dealership believe me it would have been rejected instantly.
skotl
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Fair. And it sounds like you know what the steps are, and when to escalate.
Sounds very stressful.
Beeezer
Things are really chaining for the better….
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Why did you think getting one would be a good idea?Ooooh yeh, I’m not happy just now with situation, but I won’t be played by the system.
roofman
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Talking to a guy at a charging station on the M6 recently and he said they have not even got the charging plugs on the machines all running the same plugs up and down the country, he has to carry an adaptor to make it fit his car if the plug does not fit from the station...what a fiasco 
Smallfry
HE's Spartacus.
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This is a vehicle from a well known make. A mate of mine is an RAC patrolman, has been for 20 years. They cannot as yet do much with EVs except recover them.
If you have had the good sense to buy a BYD, Jaycoo, Infinity, Wun Hung Lo etc ................Then the very best of luck with it.
His and his colleagues opinion is they are great. Dont need servicing, messy and expensive oil and filter changes, timing belts or water pumps and radiators etc. They are like washing machines. When it goes wrong, throw it away.
If you have had the good sense to buy a BYD, Jaycoo, Infinity, Wun Hung Lo etc ................Then the very best of luck with it.
His and his colleagues opinion is they are great. Dont need servicing, messy and expensive oil and filter changes, timing belts or water pumps and radiators etc. They are like washing machines. When it goes wrong, throw it away.
My mate is a digger driver and is working at Sizewell. To tick the green box they have some electric excavators on site he's driven one a 20 tonner and said it was lovely to drive and nearly silent but could only get 3 1/2 hours work from a full charge.
And this is the best bit they are being charged by diesel generators overnight.
And this is the best bit they are being charged by diesel generators overnight.
premmington
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They do have a "one life" feel about them - none of them look like they can be repaired for "second life"...
I drove a high spec BYD last week - super thing to drive - really was - but I don't wanna own/repair one for sure....
