6
SKILLS
GETTING AHEAD OF THE POWER CURVE Located in a small township on Phillip Island, 140km southeast of Melbourne, Trackside Garage owner Tom Christensen can see the future of electric vehicles (EVs) will be here sooner than we know it. “I believe it’s coming faster than most people expect it will,” said Tom. That’s why, despite considering other courses in Queensland and Victoria, Tom made the trip to South Australia to undertake the nationally accredited Hybrid and Battery Electric (HEV/BEV) five-day course earlier this year. “I wanted to ensure any training I did would hold up when the new Australian standard is completed,” he explained. “The current industry standards are being re-written with the rise of new technology – it’s an ever-expanding field. “The subject matter was thorough, and trainer Steve Richardson was very patient and concise with his instructions. There was a good mix of practical activity in the workshop and theory.” Tom has been toying with cars as soon as he could pick up a spanner, but was formally trained in the military before making the move into automotive as a mature-aged apprentice. He’d always seen EVs as the future of the industry, and an important way to help address climate change.
“We’re now reaching a pivot point on price where it is more cost effective to move to an EV, which will become more apparent in the next six to 12 months,” he said. “At the moment, we’re currently only servicing electric passenger cars, but there are more commercially-focused vehicles arriving in the next few years. Notably, electric dual cab utes are expected to reach Australia in the last quarter of 2023.” But the industry needs to keep up with the skills required to service and repair these vehicles safely. “Most people wouldn’t realise the scope of energy in these vehicles – currently an EV can have a power supply of up to 700 volts varying from direct current as well as a portion of the system using alternating current. That is significantly more than a domestic power point and a licensed accreditation is required to carry out that work,” Tom said. “It’s important that people aren’t complacent – specialist training is very much required to work on these vehicles. “Many new and more affordable EV options for Australian consumers are on their way and I am keen to be ready to meet that need. “It’s only a matter of time.”
THE HYBRID AND BATTERY ELECTRIC VEHICLE 5 DAY COURSE COVERS THE FOLLOWING UNITS: AURETH101 Depower and reinitialise battery electric vehicles AURETH002 Service and maintain battery electric vehicles AURETH103 Diagnose and repair high voltage rechargeable energy storage systems in battery electric vehicles AURETH107 Diagnose and repair system instrumentation and safety interlocks in battery electric vehicles AURETH110 Diagnose and repair high voltage rechargeable energy storage systems in hybrid electric vehicles AURETH011 Depower and reinitialise hybrid electric vehicles AURETH012 Service and maintain electrical components in hybrid electric vehicles Register your interest here
mtasant.com.au
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