Are You Fixing Hybrids Cars? [THA 221]
Craig Van Batenburg, AMAM, is the CEO of Automotive Career Development Center [ACDC] and a former repair shop owner. Craig is engaged full time in the understanding of the technology used in hybrid and electric cars. His 45 years of automotive experience serves him well. He travels throughout the world doing training on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. Previous Episodes HERE.
Cameron Lee-Ernie Lee’s Service Center was founded in 1972 by Cameron’s grandfather. His father and Cameron now currently operate the business as a team. He went to work in the family business right out of college and started as a Tire and GS Tech and moved my way up to being the Lead Technician. Cameron serves as the Shop Manager and focuses on the day-to-day operation of the shop, developing the business, and meeting the needs of the ever-evolving aftermarket repair industry. Early in 2020 after attending Up Your Voltage by ACDC, Cameron opened another division of Ernie Lee’s known as Raleigh Hybrids due to the ever-growing demand of Hybrid and EV repair and maintenance. In many ways, his role is modernizing and expanding the family business and the development of Raleigh Hybrids was a natural progression of that.
Eric Carlson has been a technician for over 40 years. His formal automotive education came from Ferris State University where he took all 8 ASE tests prior to graduation in 1977. Eric has re-certified every 5 years since. He took the L1 when it was introduced and is now L3 hybrid certified. Full disclosure: Eric is a subject matter expert for ASE and has participated in writing test questions, in the past 2 years, for the L3 test.
Eric and his wife Jamie bought Ervine’s in 1994 and added Grand Rapids Hybrid to the family in 2013 after Eric became the first Master Hybrid Service Technician in Grand Rapids, MI. Eric has been interviewed by several local television stations and publications seeking his expertise on everything from basic maintenance to the ramifications of “Right to Repair” legislation. Ervine’s Auto Repair and Grand Rapids Hybrid became an ASE Blue Seal of Excellence shop when it was introduced and have been since. Previous episodes HERE
Key Talking Points
- HybridsAnother revolution in emissions
- Stepping stone to pure electric cars
- Another means of controlling pollution
- Honda announcement- no internal combustion after year 2040You MUST be a part of the evolution and start handling hybrid repairs
- “It’s not a question of should you get into hybrids, it’s a question of why haven’t you done it 10 years ago?”
- SpeedbumpsReceive rare unicorns that other hybrid shops don’t want to touch
- Need to say yes to every hybrid vehicle- capitalize on marketing as the shop that can “fix everything”
- Tools you need- test every connection
- Advice- buy Gen 2 and start working on it
- Get into hybrid first to learn basics before EV (electric vehicles)Properly trained
- Proper tooling- inexpensive compared to others
- Hybrid car owners will turn into EV owners- natural evolution to be conscious of the environment
- Fixev.com- keep independent shops in businessOffer management training
- Webinar training- learning at your own pace
- Move your 12 volt brain to high voltage thinking Conditioned at early age that a car sound is “vroom vroom”
- Pure electric vehicles First fluid change is 150,000 miles or 10 years, all LED lights
- Need level 2 charging station.
- Lift fixtures to take 1500lb batteries out
- A special thanks to Craig Van Batenburg, Cameron Lee and Eric Carlson for their contribution to the aftermarket.
- Books Page HERE
- Listen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.
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