Page 31 - Australasian Paint & Panel magazine Nov-Dec 2021

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everything's calibrated and adjusted through their specific computer sys- tems,” he says.
“I think the technology is superior, very far advanced. Even with the phys- ical repairing, it's all very neat through riveting and bonding.”
David Iacobucci at DSI Panels in Mel- bourne, another Telsa-certified bod
pair shop, reckons he sees about 2 Teslas a month, but rarely for colli- sions where the Tesla is at fault.
Besides making similar shop a justments to Drive Accident Solutions, Iacobucci also says his shop has had to take extra care when placing EVs in the spray booth.
“You’ve got to have your settings right on your booth to make sure you don't go over a certain heat temperature for a certain amount of time - you have to fol- low procedures to make sure you don't put the oven up too high, or bake the car for too long,” he says.
He also says that getting fully equipped for Tesla repairs has helped his shop when
it comes to repairing other vehicles that they previously wouldn't have been able to. “The rivet gun we purchased to get certified by Tesla, we’ve been able to use on BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz models, so it’s been great in terms of al- lowing us to perform other work as
well,” he says.
Getting in on EVs in the
early stages... and not being scared of them,
has already put us miles ahead of the competition”
Jason Trewin at I-Car says the training they offer in regards to EV repairs chiefly involves safety and awareness due to the high-voltage batteries involved.
“When an EV turns up in a body shop it’s in a vulnerable state, so the training is really about what they can and can’t touch,” he says. “It’s really all about de-
activating the battery - they’re not going to pull a high-voltage system apart.”
With more EVs, hybrids and even hy- drogen-powered cars coming in the fu- ture, Trewin sees more challenges on the horizon for body repair shops.
“The concern I have is space, because shops will need isolation bays as EVs start to roll in,” he says. “You’ll have to have protocols in place so staff know which cars are EVs, and which are deactivated, and which are live. Then there’s the likeli- hood of needing special tooling, and hav- ing the knowledge to use it.
“It’s a big learning curve, and it has to happen now.”
Chris Manteit’s advice to body repair shops thinking of getting fitted out for EV repairs is simple: do it as soon as possible.
“Getting in on EVs in the early stages, and not being scared of them, has al- ready put us miles ahead of the competi- tion,” he says.
“You’ve just got to get the people in the EVs first. Once they’re in them, though, they’ll never look back.”
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