TECHNOLOGY
THE EV ARMS RACE
Pabst estimates that between 20 to 30 percent of the cars Pfaff Autoworks repairs in the next three to five years will be EVs.
Lead the charge
BY MAX REID
I
t’s often hard to know you’re at a turning point in history until well after the corner has been turned. Technology continually accelerates and progresses while seamlessly integrating into our daily lives without a thought. But like the race to the moon and the advent of the assembly line before it, experts from across the automotive industry are warning of the signs of an ongoing technological arms race over the electric vehicles (EV) market and how that could change the way collision repairs are done forever. “All of these OEMs are playing catch-up to each other right now and it’s almost like an arms race. They’re all trying to out-do each other—I’ve never seen so much tech evolution in this industry in its history.” said Mark Millson, director of operations at Excellence Auto Collision in Toronto, Ontario in an interview with Collision Repair. “I really kind of equate the change we’re seeing now to when the Model-T rolled out. There was everyone sitting there going, ‘Ah that’ll never take off,’ and the blacksmiths kept on hammering out horseshoes. Obviously, we know the history.” Those on the ground floor of collision repair already see change on horizon. “One thing that I find interesting from
Millson said Excellence Auto is working hard to stay ahead of the curve. “It’s really going to be all about staying up to date on the latest platforms and models that are coming out,” he said.
looking at sales trends is that EV sales seem to be seeing less of a reduction during the pandemic. I think EV sales, for the most part, are still very strong and I think that that shows that the general public has a drive towards green tech and wanting that transition to continue, even amidst uncertain economic times,” said Millson. Jeff Pabst, general manager of Pfaff Autoworks in Vaughan, Ontario expects EVs to make up a considerable portion of his business in the near future. “We’re anticipating somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 to 30 percent of the cars that we repair in the next three to five years will be EVs,” said Pabst. For Pabst and many others who are starting to see more EVs popping up in their shops, the priority is getting safety guidelines established across the board for OEMs. “First and foremost, really is safety. Every manufacturer, even between Audi and Porsche, their procedures are all different, even though they are really all under one umbrella. The technology and processes among those brands are different in many cases.”
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According to Millson, this again points back to the historical idea of the arms race and each automaker’s drive to develop the leading proprietary electric driving system, but with little consistency between technologies. “One thing that is definitely a carry-over from when we look at traditional combustion engine vehicles to EVs, is how different each OEM is approaching EVs, from a technical standpoint,” said Millson. He continued, “I think that it is even more paramount now to have OEM documentation and repair procedures and certification, because we’ve always been dealing with the occupant of the vehicle’s safety, during collision repair—that’s always been part of our business. And, technician safety has always been a concern, but of course, it’s even more paramount now when dealing with electrified vehicles. There’s so much more information that needs to be researched prior to even a simple repair.” Even in the most basic safety procedures technicians are receiving mixed messages from OEMs on how to safely repair their technology. “The interesting thing that I find is how the
