With any new powertrain comes new safety instruction. But where internal combustion engine (ICE) advancements often introduce new components into familiar systems, electric vehicles (EV) are virtually unknown technologies to many truck technicians.
That unfamiliarity can lead to catastrophe if service providers don’t complete their due diligence in training associates and providing essential personal protection equipment (PPE) and safety solutions within an EV service bay.
“Training is absolutely paramount when it comes to safety around EVs. So much of what we know about being safe around diesel engines doesn’t apply to EVs,” says Chas Voyles, Navistar senior director of regional sales, and chair of TMC’s “Safety Aspects of EVs” task force. “If our industry is going to support this equipment, we have to ensure our people know how to be safe around it.”
It shouldn’t take AC/DC rocking out to inform technicians of the high-voltage risks associated with EVs. There are warning stickers right on the truck.
While most Class 8 diesel trucks operate using 12-volt electric systems, Class 8 EVs can run on as much as 650 volts. That much electricity requires incredible caution at all times.
Beyond TMC, which has five EV safety-related recommended practices in development (below), OEMs, government and other third-party groups like ASE are all working to create comprehensive safety guidelines for industry to use.
