Are the next generation of mechanics working towards an electric future?
With an increasing number of cars being powered by electric motors, are the next wave of mechanics and technicians preparing themselves for motoring’s attempts to move on from internal combustion?
If you work in motoring, you will have long grown bored of being told that electric cars are the future. As long as eco-driven cars such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius have been on the market, they have been heralded as the representatives of motoring’s new direction.
However, as we near the end of the 2010s, it does seem as though cars with plugs are starting to takeover. Strenuous emissions regulations mean that manufacturers are turning to hybrid powertrains, while others are looking to produce more electric cars than petrol or diesel equivalents within the next decade.
And with all of this in mind, it seems fairly obvious that the mechanic of the future is going to have to know just as much about electric motors as they will the traditional internal combustion engine.
With the government set to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040, and pressures to perform this effective outlaw ahead of that date, are we teaching the mechanics of the future in preparation for the impending seismic change in the industry?
We spoke to Highbury College’s head of automotive Martin Porter to find out where electric cars come into play within the current structure for students: “The qualifications are very grounded. We cover basic engineering to start with, all on internal combustion, but the units are being added to every year. So we’ve now got units in Levels 1 to 3 on electrical awareness, and mainly it’s around being safe around these vehicles.
“They do have a system which can quite happily kill you if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
In other words, the majority of course is still very much centred on ‘normal’ cars, though implementation of new units is changing that gradually, and additional courses are on offer at Highbury for those who wish to bolster their knowledge.
Alternative fuels becoming more prevalent at Highbury
While a typical Level 3 automotive engineering course is still largely focused on the internal combustion engine, learning centres like Highbury College are providing opportunities for students who want to future-proof their skillset.
Martin Porter said: “Hybrid is very important now — those cars are becoming more and more online. There are units within Level 2 and Level 3 which cover them, and we’re also branching out into hydrogen fuel cells as well, especially at Level 3.
“So, there’s a lot going on. We do have pure electric qualifications as well, so we can teach students — if they so wish — those qualifications at Level 1–3 at present, but there will soon be a Level 4 master technician programme out there, and we’ll be one of the only colleges to run that programme at present.”
But that brings us to a key question — do the students actually want to learn more about the industry’s electric future?
In addition, Morrison and fellow student Lee Hammal said that they were both likely to lose interest once electric vehicles became the norm, and also suggested that at least half of their classmates feel the same way.
Hammal added: “I don’t know how long I’ll be doing this for; 20 years, I might be doing something different.”
Both students would still very much be working by 2040 if they do pursue a career in the industry, and employers will gradually have to look for candidates with the ability to work on electric motors.
One such employer, electric car charging firm Pod Point, always value those who have put in the extra effort to learn and adapt to the industry’s evolution. James McKemey, head of insights at Pod Point, believes they are from alone in that ideology: “As the world transitions to electric and then autonomous vehicles, the role of automotive technicians will also evolve. EVs have fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel vehicles. This means traditional bread and butter work for an automotive technician, such as oil changes, or the replacement of exhausts, spark plugs and so on will eventually disappear.
“Instead, there will be an uplift in demand for automotive technicians with non-conventional skillsets, such as high voltage technicians and software engineers. Certainly at Pod Point, where we develop smart-charge points and associated systems, all of which must integrate with the cars, attracting graduates with relevant electrical and software engineering skills has been essential for our business. The same will apply to both automotive manufacturers, and even local garages will need to have a grasp of the electrical and software side to be able to remain competitive.”
Finding a specialist skill is important in many industries. As motoring continues to steer away from the technology that has defined it so far, students who want to sustain a career at any level, be it on a busy production line or a small MOT centre, would be smart to embrace new technology and learn the ropes before it is no longer the niche.
