ATS Euromaster has upskilled its entire network of tyre and maintenance centres on EVs to ensure technicians can work on both hybrid and electric vehicles safely.
All technicians have been trained in line with industry standards, set by IMI, as part of the first phase of its EV Safe Ways of Working upskilling programme. This ensures staff understand the dangers surrounding electric vehicles and the precautions they need to take to avoid potential injury.
It also means that ATS can meet the challenge of working on both vehicle types safely as car and van drivers increasingly switch to EVs. Latest registration figures show 12.4% – one in eight – of new cars was a battery electric vehicle in May 2022 along with 4.0% of new vans.
Mark Holland, operations director at ATS Euromaster, said: “We are committed to constantly improving the level of training we give to our technicians to ensure their skills meet the demands of our customers. Clearly electric vehicles with high-voltage batteries represent a safety hazard and can cause either severe burns or fatalities if incorrectly handled.
“The training they have received means they now have the knowledge to understand the dangers surrounding electric vehicles and the precautions they need to take in order to avoid potential injury.”
The ATS technicians can now work on replacing the tyres on electric passenger cars, 4x4s, SUVs and LCVs as well as providing tyre services such as balancing, wheel alignment, and valve replacement. They are also able to re-gas both types of air conditioning units and carry out MOTs on both hybrids and EVs.
“The next stage will be training technicians to work around high and low-voltage electrical systems, while carrying out repairs and maintenance to braking and suspension systems. This is phase two of our EV ready roll-out,” continued Holland.
The work will ready the business for increased EV work over the coming months and years.
ATS Euromaster runs over 250 centres, which currently provide 80,000 new tyres each month. A growing number of these are specialist tyres for EVs and the company expects to see the volume of EV tyre replacement work increasingly ramp up as the cars become more mainstream.
Mark Holland added: “This training will position us to service our customers both now and in the future.”
