With electric vehicles becoming increasing popular — especially as gas prices soar — industry experts say future repairs could be costly and harder to access unless automakers provide service information to independent mechanics.
Information on how to repair many parts of EVs is currently limited, with manufacturers preferring drivers service their vehicles at dealerships, said Emily Chung, an independent mechanic and owner of AutoNiche in Markham, Ont.
“All the manufacturers, their [fuel-powered] engines are pretty much the same,” she said. “We understand the basics, it’s just the plumbing around it that is different.”
“When it comes to EV technology, though, every manufacturer does it differently and there’s no standardized way to do this.”
That means mechanics like Chung can do basic maintenance, such as Replacing brakes and swapping tires, on EVs — but not service the complex, high-voltage systems that drive electrified vehicles.
“That’s like telling me to operate on