Technicians gain confidence ‘At Ease With EV’ training course

Garage owners and technicians attending the latest 'At Ease With EV' training session at the award-winning Cleevely EV workshop in Cheltenham have praised the course for its refreshing approach to EV training.

Developed to build the confidence of technicians with IMI Level 2, 3, or 4 qualifications, it brings an exclusive chance to learn directly from EV servicing and repairs pioneer, Matt Cleevely and acclaimed technical trainer, Alistair Finch.

“It was great to see how they do things at Cleevely EV,” said Dan Hogg of Hogg MOT Service Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, having attended the latest session on 20th July. “The day was full of little tips and tricks. We dropped a battery pack down from a car to test the cells, which is the way to go, rather than just replacing the entire battery pack. They show you all the intricate stuff that nobody else teaches.”

‘At Ease With EV’ offers unique hands-on experience using a 2018 Nissan Leaf and a Tesla Model Y Performance. Topics covered include interlocks, charging issues, testing and fixing high-voltage batteries, EV servicing, common problems, and an in-depth demonstration of Tesla's service mode.

“There’s always that safety fear in the back of your mind because you’re working on a high voltage system,” said Adrian Smith of Warmington Garage in Banbury. “But, if you get this kind of training and gain practical experience, you’ll realise that EVs aren’t as dangerous as everyone thinks. Unless you get that experience by working on EVs, you’ll never get to know them.”

With more than one million EVs already on UK roads, they represent a significant opportunity for independent garages to expand their services and tap into a rapidly growing market.

“I was only talking to one of our customers the other day who had been struggling to find a garage to service his Tesla,” said Adrian. “A lot of our EV service work comes from other garages that just don’t touch them.”