UK College to Start Training EV Mechanics This Sep
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Although it is quite young, the electric vehicle (“EV”) industry is poised to gradually take over the roads. Eager to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and ultimately cut down their carbon emissions, several countries around the world are planning to gradually replace their internal combustion engine (“ICE”) vehicles with zero-emission EVs. The UK, which recently brought forward its timetable for phasing out ICE vehicle sales from 2040 to 2030, will soon be home to one of the world’s first batches of independently trained EV mechanics.
Save for a few similarities, electric vehicles and conventional gas-powered cars have vastly different internal structures. Even the most experienced car mechanic wouldn’t be able to fix an EV without proper training, but a college in the UK is now providing an opportunity for mechanics to learn. There are around 239,000 EVs and 900,000 hybrids in the UK, and Coleg Cambria will teach mechanics how to service and repair such vehicles at its Bersham Road Campus in Wrexham.
With several countries across the globe working to replace their fleets with electric vehicles over the next decade or two, the demand for skilled EV mechanics will skyrocket. At the moment, however, only a paltry 5% of the 202,000 vehicle technicians in the UK are qualified to serve and repair electric vehicles. Alex Woodward, a course tutor at Coleg Cambria, says that as the number of EVs on the road increases, the motor industry has to be adequately prepared.
Qualified independent EV mechanics will be especially crucial as the second-hand EV market picks up more steam. Once warranties start expiring, EV owners will have to take their vehicles to independent garages for servicing and repairs. If there is adequate qualified and reliable EV mechanics, drivers will be more willing to buy secondhand electric vehicles. The college will offer a motor-industry hybrid, EV-repair level-three qualification, and according to Woodward, the college is at the helm of a revolution.
Since electric vehicles are powered by massive battery packs, dangerously high voltages are involved. To keep the students safe while they train, Coleg Cambria purchased a simulator that allows the students to learn in a safe, controlled environment. Sam Conway is an apprentice mechanic who works at a garage in Fljntshire while he studies diagnostics. He will be graduating in September, after which he plans to complete the new EV and hybrid course Coleg Cambria offers.
As this college churns out top-rated EV mechanics, this effort will be an excellent complement to the work of other entities, including Ideanomics Inc. (NASDAQ: IDEX), which are investing in facilitating a speedier adoption of electric vehicles, especially heavy commercial vehicles.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Ideanomics Inc. (NASDAQ: IDEX) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/IDEX
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