Cover Story Audi EV
We talk to Audi about their EV journey from the after sales and service perspective.
Last year at an Audi Drive day at Hampton Downs Audi GM Dean Sheed was talking about their journey to install 50kW or better EV chargers at all their dealerships as they look to expand their portfolio of EV and PHEV models. We thought a more in-depth-follow-up would be of interest, so we spoke with Duane Jarrett, Audi NZ Dealer Development and Training Manager and visited the Giltrap Audi Dealership.
Audi have a comprehensive programme to ensure dealerships have the trained staff, specialised tooling, safety equipment and charging equipment to allow them to service and support Audi EV’s.
This started with their Master Technical Trainer heading to Germany for the initial training so he could in turn train the New Zealand team.
Audi dealerships have three levels of technician – Service Technician, Diagnostic Technician and Master Technician. With EV’s they now also have High Voltage Technicians (HVT’s) – initially these were Master Technicians, but the training is spreading with just over half the technicians now
HVT’s with a target of over 80 percent in the near term.
Only an HVT can work on a vehicles HVT system and a non HVT technician can only work on other parts of a vehicle if the HVT has first isolated the High Voltage system (for instance do say brake pad changes). The HVT training not only encompasses repairs to the system, but a knowledge base on the technical and health and safety hazards relating to High Voltage systems (specified as over 400 volts). They can do any repairs up to removing the battery pack from the vehicle (they are removed downwards).
There is a higher qualification of High Voltage Expert, who can work on the batteries which are modular (typically 36 modules or cells). These experts can remove and replace these modules, currently there are two HV Experts in New Zealand so they need to go to the dealership and do the battery repair and then the HVT can replace the battery in the car. As the EV carpark increases dealerships may have an onsite HV Experts.
The HVT training is a multi-day programme.
Part of this uses new digital tools including smart glasses, AR applications via iPads and VR to conduct repairs virtually. In addition, all staff in the dealership including sales, groomers etc are trained as EIP’s – Electrically Instructed Persons – this is an online course containing four modules covering the knowledge they need around an EV.
Each dealer is required to have a dedicated EV service bay, this has an EV charger (Min 7.2kW
AC), a 3.5t lifting hoist with a configuration that