Fleets need to be aware of additional service bay time needed for EVs and hybrids, despite a potentially lesser SMR requirement overall, according to ATS Euromaster.
The SMR firm said that the vehicles required, on average, an additional 15-20 minutes in the maintenance bay, in order for their high-voltage batteries to safely discharge before they could be worked on.
It said protocol required the car’s keys to be placed in a lock box and left for the time recommended by the manufacturer before the vehicle was deemed safe to work on.
ATS Euromaster operations director Mark Holland said: “Many people think that high voltage just means fully electric cars, but our safety protocols, national safety standards and manufacturer’s specific safety regulations and guidelines, cover all cars, from hybrids through to full EVs.
“It means additional time in the service bay and that has a knock-on effect in terms of maintenance costs.
“While high voltage vehicles often require less maintenance overall thanks to fewer moving parts and the benefits of regenerative braking on brake pad wear, the additional time off-road needs to be considered and cars should be booked in to minimise downtime.”
