If you’re debating whether or not you should make the changes needed to have your shop ready to service hybrids and electric vehicles, an expert in the area broke down what to take into consideration.

First of all, consider how many electric vehicles are out there that you can tap into at your shop, said Carolyn Coquillette, owner of Earthling Automotive in San Francisco and founder of Shop-Ware, emphasizing the importance of market evaluation before committing to new repair capabilities.

“How many of these cars are actually out there? How old are they to be able to come into my shop to the point that I want to start to prepare to work on them?” she listed as key questions during Worldpac STX in Nahsville. “But if there’s no market, there’s no reason to market to it,”

Coquillette drew comparisons to the already familiar territory of hybrid vehicles, specifically the Toyota Prius the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle.

“It’s also interesting to start to compare the hybrid numbers because we already have, anecdotally, a sense of how many Pruises a lot of you are already working on. My guess is you’ve made some money on Pruises; I certainly have. And so then the idea is, ‘Well, maybe I can also make money on electric cars,’” she said during the session, Positioning Your Shop to Service Electric Vehicles.

While EVs are gaining traction, Coquillette pointed out that hybrid vehicles will likely see greater growth in the near term.

“[The number of hybrids] is going to get greater. And it’s going to get greater, probably faster than [EVs] will long term in terms of gross volume,” she pointed out. “So there’s actually a lot to be done with hybrid cars because hybrid cars are basically becoming all cars.”

She noted that the transition to focusing on EVs should be timed appropriately, using herself as an example of her shop making the switch from primarily hybrids to primarily EV-focused.

“So the idea was, when is there enough movement inside of the EV market to say it’s finally time for really going to focus on the next thing?” she said.

Coquillette identified Tesla as the current leader in the EV market, making it a logical starting point for shops looking to specialize.

“The thing that was the next Prius is Tesla. We can finally see that Tesla is dominating in this space. And it gives us room to actually learn one specific platform, and then be able to drive a market around that,” she explained.

Jack Rosebro, who runs a training center for Earthling Automotive on EV and hybrid courses, pointed out that hybrids are a good gateway to EVs.

“Working on hybrids is kind of like the prep course for working on EVs,” he explained, though noting there are stark differences as well.

“And for the Tesla, they’re very, very, very different. But at least you start getting some experience with diagnosing more than battery packs and doing more than just maintenance — diagnosing an inverter, diagnosing a DC/DC converter.”

Whichever route you go, it can be a fruitful one, she pointed out. The hybrid market, as she mentioned, has been around for a whole and will be for some time longer. EVs have been growing rapidly in recent years.

“So there’s value in both of these markets,” she said.

The post Should you do EV or hybrid repairs? appeared first on Auto Service World.

Thanks for tuning in to the Enhanced Media segment for the Winter issue of EV World.

Hit the banner above to listen in as we share more from managing editor Adam Malik’s conversation with Darryl Croft, president of the Electric Vehicle Network and co-owner and vice president of OK Tire (Etobicoke), and Mavrene Brooks, EV consultant at the Electric Vehicle Network.

They talk about how the network got started, how they help consumers get more comfortable with EVs, how they help answer questions from skeptical customers and the first steps aftermarket shops should take to prepare for servicing EVs.

Tune in by clicking the banner above or by visiting your favourite podcast provider (where you’ll also find the full Auto Service World audio library):

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Here’s more from this year’s Jobber of the Year Winner, Chieftain Auto Parts and its co-owners, the brother and sister team of Trevor Heizne and Jayne Kelly.

They discuss the importance of inventory, having good relationships with suppliers and future opportunities.

Have a listen to what they have to say and then read more about the pair and the Chieftain in the November issue of Jobber News.

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Thanks for tuning into the enhanced media segment from the Fall issue of EV World.

We dive deeper into a conversation between managing editor Adam Malik and Vision Mobility’s principal consultant James Carter.

They touch on “negative hyperbole,” which Carter sees as some taking a position against EVs and making it bigger than it really is. He also goes into how regional differences between Canada and the United States may impact EVs.

Tune in by clicking the banner above, then read more about Carter’s thoughts in the Fall 2023 issue of EV World.

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Don’t miss out on thought-provoking discussions and enhanced commentary from industry leaders. Tune into our podcast, Auto Service World Conversations to learn about the latest happenings in the automotive aftermarket and the industry overall.

There are many ways to tune in. Here’s where you can find us:

• Spotify
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• iHeartRadio
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With 100 episodes available, there are plenty of interesting insights and discussions to help better understand the aftermarket.

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Thanks for tuning into the enhanced media segment from the May/June 2023 issue of CARS.

Get ready to explore key takeaways from the 2023 Annual Jobber Survey results. Your host and managing editor Adam Malik dives into the top concerns jobbers have with the way some shops operate their businesses, how that conflicts with views from the shop owner side and then highlights other findings that couldn’t fit into the main feature.

Have a listen to the segment by clicking the banner above, then read more about the survey results in the current issue of CARS.

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Thanks for tuning into the enhanced media segment from the May/June 2023 issue of Jobber News.

Your host Adam Malik takes a deeper dive into the results of the Annual Shop Survey. While touching on the big change in relationships, he explores how many jobbers stores they want to deal with, their concerns around quality and what they want from their jobber.

Have a listen to the segment by clicking the banner above, then read more about the survey results in the current issue of Jobber News.

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Thank you for checking out the enhanced media segment from the inaugural issue of EV World.

Here’s more of the discussion between managing editor Adam Malik and Kevin FitzPatrick, senior vice president of North America operations with Opus IVS.

With vehicle electrification on the doorstep of the automotive aftermarket, FitzPatrick wants the industry to get moving on the technology before they’re forced to.

Tune into the conversation by clicking the banner above and then open up the first issue of EV World to learn more.

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Welcome to the enhanced media segment from the CARS magazine April 2023 issue.

We bring you more of our discussion with Liz Perkins, owner of L1 Auto Group. She explains her passion behind ADAS and why it’s so important for auto care professionals to pay attention to doing the work properly.

Have a listen to the segment by clicking the banner above, then read more about the importance of ADAS in the automotive aftermarket world in the April 2023 issue of CARS magazine.

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Thanks for checking out the enhanced media segment for the March 2023 issue of Jobber News.

We bring you more of our conversation between managing editor Adam Malik and Shannon Spano, incoming chair of AIA Canada.

As chair, she will lead the group’s executive committee. Being the second woman to hold the seat was meaningful to her.

You’ll hear more about her passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as her desire to be a mentor — plus what she has in store for her year as chair of AIA Canada.

Have a listen and then be sure to catch the full feature in the March 2023 issue of Jobber News.

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Thanks for checking out the enhanced media segment from the June 2022 issue of CARS magazine.

Publisher Peter Bulmer and managing editor Adam Malik take a few minutes to discuss the results of the Annual Jobber Survey from this month’s issue. We surveyed jobbers about issues facing shop owners across Canada and we look at the feedback they gave.

Have a listen to the segment, then read about the survey in the June 2022 issue of CARS magazine.

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Thanks for checking out the enhanced media segment for the May 2022 issue of Jobber News.

Publisher Peter Bulmer and managing editor Adam Malik discuss what they found most interesting from the Annual Shop Survey — a survey of shops on their opinions of working with jobbers.

What stood out to them was the change in how many shops feel the relationship of the counterperson or the jobber as a whole has become less important. At the same time, ordering online has increased. Peter and Adam explore what this may mean going forward.

And to read the full feature, check out the May 2022 issue of Jobber News.

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Thanks for checking out the enhanced media segment from the April 2022 issue of CARS magazine.

We share part of our conversation with Andrew Shepherd, senior director of industry programs and executive director of I-CAR Canada at the Automotive Industries Association of Canada on the topic of the collision industry.

Have a listen to some of his thoughts on where the industry is at, what’s on the doorstep and what the top challenge and opportunity is.

And to read the full feature, check out the April 2022 issue of CARS.

The post Enhanced Media: The Collision Report, April 2022 CARS appeared first on Auto Service World.

Jason Yurchak will become chairman of the Automotive Industries Association of Canada for the upcoming year.

Managing editor Adam Malik spoke to Yurchak ahead of this move, which will be made official at the AIA’s annual general meeting in May. Have a listen to some of Yurchak’s key priorities.

And to read the full feature, check out the March 2022 edition of Jobber News.

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