18 million Euros have already been invested in Latvian Autoservices to work with electric cars

Regardless of the rate of sales of electric cars and trucks in Latvia, vehicle makers have established a strict course for total electrification, and in just seven or 8 years, many companies will use just electrical and also amazed cars That is why suppliers are already actively implementing standards without which the sale of e-cars is difficult.

The companies operating in Latvia have currently spent 1 8 million euros in diagnostic and also fixing devices, worker training as well as charging factors, and 70% of the participants of the Auto Association are prepared for the repair and maintenance of electric cars, the organization educates.

Both at the level of the European Union, which intends to decarbonize transport and also its production, and also in specific nations, choices have already been made to allow just zero-emission light lorries to be offered in the brand-new automobile market, as a result, when examined around the world, the question is only when vehicle customers will switch to electrical automobiles, not if it will happen Comprehensive electrification will require all kinds of adjustment, beginning with the development of a suitable charging infrastructure and also ending with the adjustment of vehicle dealerships to brand-new maintenance as well as repair service requirements.

It can be anticipated that new charging-related services will certainly show up on the marketplace and also their standardization will continue, in addition to problems connected to customer civil liberties will be dealt with The services are not prepared or .

are they? What does official dealership adaptation imply for the sale of electric vehicles? No matter of the amount of electrical or amazed versions each supplier uses, they have created particular criteria for their dealers, without which the sale of e-cars is difficult "To guarantee conformity, the main representative has to buy equipment essential for diagnosis and fixing, prepare safe working conditions required for working with high-voltage electric engineering, as well as mount billing stations, as well as conduct employees training.

The training program is offered by the automobile producers and is carried out at the regional importer level In Latvia, during the last six months, the viewpoint that the firms running in Latvia are not ready to serve the proprietors of electric vehicles has been expressed a number of times in the general public area.

This does not match to the fact," stresses the head of state of the Car Association Andris Kulbergs (AS) He includes that 70% of the participants of the Automobile Association await the maintenance and also repair service of electrical cars, and also those that can not show their preparedness are business whose portfolio of represented suppliers does not yet have electrical cars and trucks.

80% of the association's participants have registered to make use of the support program for the acquisition of electrical cars "The extent to which suppliers are getting ready for electrical transportation is likewise confirmed by the investments: the firms running in Latvia have actually spent 1.

8 million euros in the already pointed out devices, training as well as billing points," stresses Kulbergs It must be discussed here that there are three feasible levels for electrical cars and truck repair work.

In the very first, the car can be accepted for upkeep, yet it is not permitted to deal with electric drive parts At the second level, all kinds of job are allowed, except battery fixing.

If essential, the battery can be removed and also sent out for repair work If the solution is approved to work at the third degree, the dealer's solution professionals can repair the battery.

In practice, this means that when a single block defect is detected, the dealer's technician can replace it himself The issue of future specialists The increase in the proportion of electric cars creates an unprecedented situation with the qualifications of specialists.

If in the past mechanic and electrician were two different professions, working with electric cars requires a combination of these skills, and in general, the level of engineering knowledge must be higher Preparing the necessary specialists is not and cannot be the problem of car dealers only.

In the development of appropriate curricula, the initiative must come from both technical colleges and universities, so it is to some extent incomprehensible why criticism of the qualification of services comes out, for example, from the representative of the Riga Technical University However, despite some uncertainty, there is some good news in this area.

Firstly, there is no doubt that there will be a high demand for this type of specialist, and those who will choose the profession of a new generation car technician or engineer or will retrain according to the new requirements will not have to complain about the lack of work Second, in-demand specialists don't have to worry about pay.

"The Auto Association is constantly engaged in modeling the market development, and according to our forecasts, in 2040, electric light cars will make up 35% of the car fleet in Latvia We are not talking about new vehicles, but about all those registered in Latvia.

This forecast alone indicates that specialists will open up an extremely wide field of work," emphasizes Kulberg Consumer interests - or new restrictions? One of the side effects of the introduction of electric cars is the reduced amount of maintenance work.

Yes, electric cars have complex electric drive control electronics, but there are many times fewer moving mechanical parts For example, an electric car does not have a lubrication and exhaust system, thanks to brake energy recuperation, the load on working brakes is significantly reduced, etc.

Therefore, motorists can understand why they are wondering whether car manufacturers will not deprive their customers of mandatory services of official representatives, in this way compensating for declining revenues "Automakers are well aware of these changes, so work has been going on for a long time to create new services and revenue positions.

It can already be safely predicted that this will largely take the form of temporary connection or permanent installation of new functions, just as it is done in modern mobile devices, where you can install a certain app as needed," Kulberg says Secondly, the European Union regulates the service market in such a way that the consumer has a choice and, just as used cars can now be serviced and repaired outside the official dealer network, electric cars can also be serviced by companies that specialize in providing such services.

True, in order for this to happen, car service centers will need to reorganize both in terms of technical equipment and qualifications in order to avoid safety risks Another area where change is needed is the work of the rescue services.

Rescuers in Latvia have sufficient skills and experience to provide help if the driver and passengers of an internal combustion vehicle are involved in a serious accident, but electric cars pose a much higher risk of fire safety due to the battery and have a different design, so extensive cooperation between the industry and rescue services is required here, and it is necessary to educational work to inform consumers Solving these questions,.