Finding a Qualified Electric Vehicle Repair Shop Near You
The Hybrid Shop is relied upon nationwide for both hybrid and electric car repair. As independently-owned facilities located across the country, we possess a level of expertise and experience unrivaled in the industry of hybrid auto repair. We are knowledgeable in virtually every aspect of your car, including your high-voltage battery and drivetrains. Our method for hybrid auto repair and electric car services targets efficiency, affordability, and environmental awareness.
Your Electric or Hybrid vehicle is different!
The Hybrid Shop network of independent service locations provides a full spectrum of services for your hybrid and electric vehicles, the tools and expert knowledge to service and repair any component within a range of drivetrains, high voltage systems, and its traditional systems as well. Our Expert Technicians are trained to identify and fix all issues your vehicle may experience.
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Services
Hybrid vehicles, while more budget-friendly when it comes to fuel costs, have a lot of the same maintenance needs as traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. That means you should still expect to pay for things like oil changes, engine repairs, fluid exchanges and various other repairs, although the frequency may be reduced.
With a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), youll likely avoid costs associated with combustion engines, such as oil and some other fluid changes. Repairs and maintenance will mostly be related to the 12-volt battery, other fluid inspections, the brakes and the tires. An EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle), on the other hand, is equipped with a standard ICE (internal combustion engine) to assist with range, so it will require the same maintenance as a traditional gas-powered vehicle.
For a quote on specific repairs or maintenance for EV or hybrid vehicles, get in touch with the experts at Firestone Complete Auto Care.
Experts predict that the number of EVs and hybrid vehicles on UK roads will rise to over 11 million by 2030*. This shift is bound to bring enormous changes for everyone involved in the automotive industry from drivers and insurers right through to repairers.
Here we answer some common questions surrounding electric vehicle repair, including the challenges faced by repairers, and how these can be mitigated.
Are Electric Vehicles (EVs) harder to repair?
On the face of it, EVs should be no harder to repair than petrol/diesel vehicles. However, many of their parts and components, not to mentionthe battery, are drastically different from those found on petrol/diesel vehicles. EV repair therefore requires specialist training, access to the right parts, and often more advanced repair technology.
Repairing an Electric Vehicle after an accident
If an electric vehicle is involved in an accident, it will need to be recovered, transported, and repaired by an EV specialist due to the safety concerns regarding the high-voltage circuitry.
Your insurer will need to consider the additional factors which affect EVs like potential battery damage, and the presence of onboard technologies or automations.
This means every step of the accident management process must be tailored to EVs including the questions youre asked at FNOL stage, the way damage is assessed, and the repair methods utilised.
Watch: How Activate Accident Repair Caters for Electric Vehicles
All of our Activate Accident Repair centres have industry-standard EV repair bays. Heres a short video discussing how they work, and their importance for repairer safety
Can EVs/hybrids be repaired by a regular mechanic?
EVs can only be repaired by mechanics and technicians with specialist training and equipment, including high-voltage safety apparatus. This means that many local repair centres may struggle to cater for EV or hybrids, requiring them to be taken to a specialist when repairs are required.
Are Electric Vehicles more expensive to maintain?
Everyday maintenance of electric vehicles can actually be cheaper than petrol/diesel cars.
EVs have fewer moving parts, meaning service intervals can be spaced further apart than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles which need more regular, comprehensive servicing of their mechanical components.
In fact,Renault recommendsa service interval of 18,000 miles on its all-electric Zoe model, compared to just 9,000 on its petrol and diesel vehicles. This means drivers wont need to pay for maintenance as regularly bringing down the long-term cost of ownership to some extent when compared with ICE vehicles.
Here are 4 things mechanics will need in order to repair electric vehicles
EV repair has a number of different requirements when compared with fossil-fuelled vehicles. These include:
1 Specialist EV repair training
The different parts, components, and technologies fitted to EVs require specialist training to understand and repair safely.
This mans repairers will need to invest in employee training/accreditations to get mechanics up to speed with the requirements and complexities of electric vehicles.
If an EVs battery needs repairing, it will usually have to be taken to the vehicles manufacturer. The powerful batteries used by EVs are complex and expensive, and thus require specialist parts, expertise, and equipment for their repair.
2 Access To Replacement Parts
Electric vehicles are still relatively new to our roads. This means that replacement parts can often be difficult to get hold of especially aftermarket or second-hand.
To mitigate these challenges, repairers need access to a more diverse network of suppliers, who can deliver on the increased demand for EV & hybrid parts. Without these supply chain partnerships, repairers will quickly see delays in vehicle turnaround, impacting all parties involved in the process.
Our repair network is supported by our ownActivate Parts supply chain, which partners with a range of suppliers and manufacturers to secure access to parts for all vehicle types, including EV and hybrid.
3 EV Repair Technology & Safety Equipment
EVs often require more advanced repair technology, and specialist safety equipment. This includes equipment for reprogramming onboard software, safety apparatus & PPE, and EV-compatible diagnostic equipment.
For repairers, this often means making significant investment in new tools and safety equipment, as well as training technicians to use them safely. While this is a big commitment for many bodyshops, its a necessary part of adapting to the increased prevalence of electric/hybrid vehicles.
4 Facilities For ADAS Recalibration
All new vehicles, including EVs, haveADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)fitted as standard.
This software uses a combination of cameras and onboard sensors to monitor the area around the vehicle, and prevent accidents by correcting driving errors. Its what powers features like lane correction, emergency braking, and parking assistance.
ADAS needs recalibrating regularly such as after an accident, or even following everyday repairs like a tyre change or brake pad replacement. If this isnt carried out, the safety features will fail to work properly, increasing the risk of an accident.
EV-Capable Accident Repair for Insurers, Available On-Demand
Are you an insurer or MGA looking to increase your access to EV-compatible repair capacity?
Through Activate Groups Repair-as-a-Service solution, you can access EV-ready accident repair across all of our purpose-built UK bodyshops, as and when you need it, with no existing contract required.
You can decide how many vehicles you need to deploy, in whichever location works best, and even at varying levels as demand fluctuates.
Nation-Wide UK Bodyshop Network
Repair-as-a-Service gives you on-demand access to our UK-wide network of purpose-built Activate Accident Repair centres. Our bodyshops are equipped to repair all types of damage across vehicles of all shapes, sizes, and specifications and located in the areas our customers need them most.
The Latest Repair Tech, Standards, and Methodologies
All of our Activate Accident Repair centres house the latest repair technologies, including capability for EV & hybrid repair and ADAS recalibration. We take our standards seriously; all of our bodyshops and their practices are BSI accredited, and held to rigorous quality and efficiency standards.
Access to our Specialist Repair Management Services
Repair-as-a-Service also gives you the option to leverage our specialist repair management services, including initial vehicle triage, and repair engineering. This helps our customers to further increase the efficiency and accuracy of vehicle deployment, and ensure cost-effective, right-first-time repair.
Available On-Demand, with No Minimum Deployment
Our Repair-as-a-Service model can be delivered completely on-demand, no matter the number or location of vehicles you need repairing, or the services you need along the way.
This means you can harness our bodyshops for everything from overflow capacity for your existing network, to a complete, end-to-end repair management model.
To learn more about Repair-as-a-Service, and our industry-leading bodyshops, visit our product hub below:
Electric Vehicle Repair: In Summary
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. Experts predict that there will be over 11 million electric/hybrid vehicles on our roads by 2030.
This change brings a number of challenges for repairers, due to the key different parts and technologies fitted to EVs, and the enhanced safety considerations for their repair.
In order to cater for EVs, repairers will need to consider a number of their unique requirements, including:
- Specialist EV training for repair technicians
- Access to the right parts through their supply chains
- Investment in in-house EV repair equipment
- Facilities for ADAS recalibration
Through our hybrid repair network, our customers have access to UK-wide EV-specialist repair centres throughout the UK. Their repair requirements are assessed at triage level, allowing us to allocate their vehicle to the most appropriate repairer.
* Local Gov UK EV Report
Electric car repairs, servicing and maintenance: a complete guide
There are many benefits associated with electric cars, and one of them is that they generally require less and less frequent maintenance than a diesel or petrol vehicle. The main reason for this is that EVs have much fewer moving parts under the metal.
They do still require maintenance, however, and it's just as important to ensure your EV gets its regular check-ups, in order to preserve manufacturer warranty cover, as well as for safety and peace of mind. Read on for our full guide to electric-car servicing and maintenance.
Electric car servicing: general information
If youve previously owned a petrol or diesel car, the idea of having your vehicle serviced on a regular, predetermined basis will feel very familiar. Youll have a similar experience running an electric car, but thats not to say the servicing schedule is the same.
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In general, electric vehicles require less maintenance and less frequent servicing, and in many cases should be cheaper to run as a result. There are fewer moving parts and theres less to check on an annual or even biennial basis. Careful, though; just because your car requires fewer services, you shouldnt take your eye off consumables like tyres, lights and wipers. These should be checked on a regular basis.
Service schedules are available from your local dealer or direct from the manufacturer. Generally, all cars require servicing after a certain period of time or a given mileage. Keeping on top of this schedule will keep your car in top condition, and will ensure any remaining warranty is kept intact.
Which parts of an electric car need servicing?
While an electric vehicle has fewer moving parts, its still important to get your car serviced regularly. Internal-combustion engines (petrol or diesel) are complicated, potentially including hundreds of separate parts all working in unison, and some of those, like spark plugs, engine oil, oil and air filters, and coolant will need checking and changing on a fairly regular basis.
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Electric cars are generally much simpler in terms of what they need to start and go, but since they still need to roll, turn, and stop, there are also a lot of service items they share with conventional vehicles. The parts that are generally covered by an electric car service include items such as brakes, suspension, tyres, steering (and tracking essentially, the parts that keep your car driving straight and true), plus lights, wipers and cabin filters. This list is by no means exhaustive, and a comprehensive service will cover this and much more.
Remember, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars have engines, and therefore require many of the same checks as a conventional petrol or diesel model.
Many car manufacturers also offer updates for the software and firmware on electric vehicles. A great number of these can be done wirelessly over the air (OTA) but some may still require a physical connection at a dealer. While being serviced your car may not only get a check-up, but come back to you with some improvements even including greater range or performance, in some cases.
Where to get an electric car serviced
If you buy a brand-new hybrid or electric vehicle, chances are youll be offered an all-inclusive service plan thatll take care of many of the costs and concerns associated with running a car fresh off the forecourt. Of course, the best place to get your new car serviced is with your registered main dealer; with your warranty intact, theres likely to be little chance of retribution from the manufacturer should anything go wrong.
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But what are your options if you buy a used car, or youd like to use an independent electric-car specialist? While not all garages are qualified to work on electric or hybrid cars, an increasing number are. The best place to check local garages near you is via the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance (HEVRA), which has a list of facilities available allowing you to search by town or postcode.
All of the garages have been vetted for the right tools and qualifications, and receive ongoing training and unlimited technical support from HEVRA. A quick search around DrivingElectrics central London office shows three EV-friendly garages in Swanley, Sunbury and Hampton. There are plenty to choose from, in fact, including several in Scotland, Wales, and even the Channel Islands.
Electric-car servicing plans
Like many petrol or diesel cars, electric vehicles are often available with all-inclusive service plans. These will rarely cover consumables like tyres or brakes, but should look after other essentials like brake fluid and battery health as well as checking items like the suspension, steering and electrics.
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Manufacturers offer a variety of deals, most of which will last for between two and five years. Theyll normally allow you to pay up front or on a monthly basis, depending on which you prefer. One thing to note is that you may find your new electric car has longer service intervals (see below), thanks in part to its less complex powertrain.
Of course, you can also pay for a one-off service, though this is likely to cost you slightly more per service than if you were to take out an annual or pay-monthly plan.
Electric-car service intervals
Electric cars often have longer service intervals than their petrol or diesel equivalents, due largely to the fact they have fewer moving parts. This not only helps reduce cost, but relative wear and tear should be minimal, too.
Take the Vauxhall Corsa Electric as an example: this electric small car only requires a check-up every two years or 16,000 miles; buy a petrol version and youll find yourself popping by your local dealer for a service every 12 months or 12,500 miles.
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On the other hand, Europe's best-selling electric car, the Tesla Model Y as well as the Model 3, S and Xdoesn't have a fixed service schedule. Instead, the car will notify you via the infotainment screen when the car is due a service; you can schedule and alter an appointment all via the Tesla app, with the option of going to your local Tesla Centre, or having the technicians come to you.
Electric-car servicing vs hybrid servicing
Electric car servicing is slightly different to petrol or diesel car servicing. An electric motor is much less complex than a petrol or diesel engine, with fewer wear and tear items attached to it that need checking or replacing come service time. That generally means that servicing an EV is cheaper.
By their nature, blending both combustion and electric power, hybrids are typically more like regular petrol cars than electric cars even if they share a few components with EVs, such as their batteries and motors. They still require spark plugs, engine oil and coolant, plus various belts and pulleys to work as intended so servicing is more complex, and you should expect the cost to generally mirror that of regular petrol and diesel vehicles, rather than EVs.
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Thats not universal however some manufacturers, like Vauxhall, group hybrids in with electric cars, making these models cheaper to service than the equivalent petrol or diesel version.
Electric-car service costs
Its often the case that servicing an electric car is cheaper than it is for an equivalent petrol or diesel model. This is thanks largely to the less complex powertrain, but also due to the fact that there are fewer consumables and moving parts. Make sure you do the sums, however, as the longer intervals and less frequent services may mean that these plans actually work out costing a similar amount over time.
Electric-car servicing: exclusions
Like with any car, there will be things that arent covered in an electric car service. However, what is and isnt included isnt all that dissimilar; consumables like tyres will be checked, but will only be replaced at the owners cost, while all the necessary fluids will be subject to a visual inspection.
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Of course, if a major problem is detected and this is true for petrol, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars the garage carrying out the service will flag this and offer you options to have the fault rectified. Depending on what the issue is (and what caused it), will depend on whether this is covered by the service plan or warranty or whether youll need to fork out for repairs.
Electric-car batteries and servicing
Most electric cars come with an independent battery warranty, many of which last much longer than the standard manufacturer warranty for the rest of the car. For example, every Nissan Leaf comes with a five-year/60,000-mile manufacturer warranty, but the battery is covered separately for up to eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes soonest.
In this case, the battery will be replaced free of charge if the maximum capacity drops below nine bars, out of the 12 that are displayed on the Leafs screen. Normally, an electric cars battery will be subject to a health check at each service, with a report on its state of health (SoH) offered at the end.
Richard is editor of DrivingElectric, as well as sister site Carbuyer.co.uk,and a regular contributor to Auto Express. An electric and hybrid car advocate, he spent more than five years working on the news and reviews desk at Auto Express and has driven almost every new car currently on sale.
