How to Prepare Your Dealership Service Department for EVs

The EV wave isn’t “coming”, it’s already here. And if you’re still running your dealership fixed operations like it’s 2010, you’ll be watching your competitors capture the market.

EVs now represent 12.2% of retail sales in the United States. That 2.6% more than 12 months ago. In Canada, that number hit 14.3% in 2024. This isn’t a trend you can ignore, California and the entire country of Canada are banning the sale of new gas cars by 2035.

Your OEM is teaching you how to service EVs. But what they aren’t telling you is this changes your profitability model, staffing guidelines, and long-term customer retention strategy. That’s what we cover in this guide.

Why EVs require fundamental change to your service lane

The whole economic model of a service department is changing. You’re moving away from the high-volume, turn-and-burn work to low-volume, high-complexity work that requires another set of skills, tools, and pricing strategies.

Moving from routine maintenance to complex repair

The bread-and-butter service that were bringing in customers are disappearing.

• Oil changes

• Fluid fills

• Spark plugs

• Exhaust work

• Timing belt

• Transmission and fuel service

All that high volume, repeatable work that’s paid the bills are now gone.

Same goes with brake jobs. They are now a long term relationship. Regenerative braking means pads life is extended by 2 to 3 times ( though rotors can rust from lack of use). You’ll still see them, but way less often.

But when an EV breaks, it’s not a simple, $200 fix, it’s often a major repair. The battery is the heart of the car, and replacing it can cost $5,000 to $15,000. High-voltage component failures require specialized diagnostics and complex repairs. That’s where the money is now. Complex diagnostics and high-skill repairs that customers can’t get at independent shops.

New critical wear items

With EVs, tires are the new oil change.

EVs are tanks. They’re 30% heavier than comparable gas cars, and the instant torque just chews through rubber. We’re talking tires wearing out 15% to 20% faster. You should be seeing these customers for tire rotations and alignments more often. This is your new entry point to sell other work.

They are an opportunity to inspect suspension, brakes, and coolant systems.

How to prepare your fixed ops for more EVs

Preparing your fixed ops for EVs requires change from top-to-bottom. It requires investment in three areas: your team, your safety protocols, and your tools.

1. Training and personnel development

You cannot fake EV expertise. The liability risk is too high, and customers can see incompetence instantly when facing a $10,000 repair estimate.

Certification requirements:

• At least one ASE-certified EV technician (minimum)

• Level 2 high-voltage certification for any tech working on HV systems (up to 800 volts)

• Annual refresher training as technology evolves

Service advisor training

Your advisors need to understand EV systems well enough to explain repairs confidently. A customer with a $7,000 battery thermal management system repair will walk if your advisor can’t articulate what’s wrong and why it matters. Invest in technical training for your front-line staff.

Tech hiring strategy

Look for electrical aptitude and computer diagnostics skills. The best EV techs often come from industrial electrical backgrounds, HVAC, or even IT. Not traditional automotive. Be prepared to pay 15-20% more than you’re paying gas-vehicle techs.

If you can’t staff full-time EV expertise yet

If you can’t afford a full-time EV tech, hire a consultant to come in and train your team. A few grand for a training course is cheaper than a lawsuit or losing customers because you can’t service their cars.

2. High-voltage safety protocols (PPE and procedures)

Only one small mistake with high-voltage systems can kill a technician or burn down your shop. Safety isn’t optional.

Required personal protective equipment:

• Class 0 (1,000-volt rated) insulated gloves with leather protectors

• Non-conductive rescue hooks (wall-mounted in clear view)

• Arc-rated face shields

• Insulated tools

Work area protocols:

• Dedicated EV service bays with orange floor markings

• Safety cones and barriers to establish HV work zones

• Clear signage indicating high-voltage work in progress

• Secondary technician requirement for certain HV procedures

The “orange cable” rule: Orange cables indicate high-voltage lines. No technician touches them without proper certification, and only after following complete power-down and verification procedures.

Essential specialized tools and diagnostics

Your technicians will be hands-on with these tools, but as a service manager, your role is to understand what they do, why they matter, and how to explain the investment to your team and customers.

Here’s an overview of the gear you need.

What this means for you:

• Budgeting for this equipment is non-negotiable. Use it to justify labor rates, warranty claims, and training needs.

• Translate into plain language for customers. For example: “This scanner shows us the health of each battery module, so we can fix the problem without replacing the entire pack.”

Quick action checklist

• Have at least one technician EV-certified.

• Audit and update high-voltage PPE.

• Invest in a megohmmeter and thermal imager.

• Add a Level 2 charger in the shop.

• Promote tire service and alignments as EV entry points.

The best strategies to maintain the profitability of your service department with EVs

You shouldn’t be thinking about volume. Your new goal is to become the go-to expert.

Maximizing warranty dollars and high-value work

With all this EV technology, a big piece of your work for the next five to ten years is gonna be under warranty. It means your techs need to document everything with clear notes, photos, maybe even video of the diagnostic readings. You’re essentially building a perfect, undeniable case for that repair so that when the claim lands on the auditor’s desk

And since no one wants to buy a new battery pack. The real skill is in repairing them. That means doing module balancing, pack discharging, and component-level fixes. Learn how to clean bus bars without screwing them up (hint: no sandpaper). This is high-skill, high-margin work.

Essential fluid and system management

Coolant is king: That massive battery needs a liquid thermal management system to keep it from getting too hot or too cold. Checking the coolant levels for this system is a new, critical inspection point.

Brake fluid: Still needs to be checked and replaced, with many manufacturers recommending a flush every two years regardless of mileage.

Sensors everywhere: EVs are loaded with sensors for everything from regenerative braking to the Battery Management System (BMS). They all require maintenance and calibration.

Software updates: These cars are computers on wheels. Software updates, many now done over-the-air (OTA), are essential for performance and security.

A/C servicing

The A/C system often cools the main battery. If it fails, the car’s performance dies and the battery cooks itself.

The compressors are electric and use a special, non-conductive oil. If your tech contaminates it with the wrong oil, you can short out the entire high-voltage system. It’s a five-figure mistake. You need dedicated hoses, injectors, and leak detection dye for EVs. No sharing equipment.

Chassis services and collision repair expansion

Remember how heavy these cars are? That means constant stress on tires, suspension, and brakes. Alignments are a goldmine. Brake inspections are still necessary, and you can partner with local collision shops for HV system resets and cable replacements after a crash.

Conclusion

EVs are a massive change, and will be painful for shops that aren’t ready. But for those who invest in training and tools now, it’s a wide-open field. Dealerships that act today will own their market tomorrow. Those who wait will be chasing from behind.

At Kimoby, we help dealerships stay ahead of these changes by giving service managers and advisors the tools to communicate faster, reduce no-shows, and improve CSI scores. If you want to dive deeper, check out our other resources: How to Increase Your CSI Score and How to Reduce No-Shows in Service.