September 2021

starts and never really gets up to operating temperature. This produces a lot of deposits in the injection system, thereby reducing the efficiency of the engine and increasing the risk of engine problems.” “LIQUI MOLY’s hybrid additive counteracts both problems, stabilising the petrol and removing deposits from the injection system. This means the combustion engine is ready whenever needed. It is suitable for resale to the customer too.” Influencers Commenting on the impact of new technologies, Jesper Petersen, VP, Product and Technology at Nissens, stated: “We see two main technology impacts on the independent automotive aftermarket currently – new energy vehicles (NEVs) and electrification of components. For electrification of components, emission norms and rigorous efficiency standards are forcing car manufacturers to provide vehicle systems with more intelligent parts.” Jesper continued: “Today, in our portfolio, we already offer a wide range of products for NEVs, almost 400 parts for the most popular hybrid and electric cars, for systems like A/C, including heat pumps and compressors, as well as parts for the engine cooling and efficiency and emissions systems, like EGR valves and turbo part upgrades. Since the heat exchange process is equally relevant for new technologies, including batteries, cooling systems and heating and ventilation, we expect that the growth in the NEVs car parc will place an increasing demand on the new type of systems and replacement parts development, and thus the service and parts market.” New materials With education in mind, Nissens recently released new modules in its training programme. The additions focus on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in hybrid and electric cars. Michael Ingvardsen, Training Manager at Nissens explained: “We see an increased demand for training in the modern HVAC systems. After the successful heat pump fundamentals training we launched a year ago, we now share two new self-learning courses: heat pump system fundamentals and the second, an advanced service procedure.” Michael added: “We can see that heat pump technology plays a significant role for the HVAC systems. Due to the vast number of benefits it offers, it will not be long before it dominates the new energy vehicle applications. What we aim to do is to prepare mechanics for the change and make them ready for an efficient and profitable service of these cars.” For more information, visit www.nissens.com/ntc Awareness Looking at EVs from the bodyshop standpoint, Graham O’Neill, CEO of ACIS, said, “Alongside the technical training, it is also important to remember that customers now expect bodyshop staff, no matter their position, to speak with confidence about the care and repair of their vehicle. This means businesses must undertake EV awareness training so customer facing staff such as drivers, damage assessors, reception staff and managers are able to demonstrate the professional and reassuring impression any EV owner will be looking for when their vehicle goes into the shop. “To meet the service work demands from end-users for these vehicles, the number of EV-qualified technicians in UK had risen to 6.5% of the total workforce by the end of 2020 according to the IMI. Although currently low, this figure should continue to grow. The investment on average is a few thousand pounds but on completion of the relevant technical training programmes and installation of the specific EV workstations on their floor, it pays for itself after a few jobs. It also enables businesses to class themselves as EV-ready, but how do they stay EV compliant? As an industry it is understood that EV and hybrid technology is going to continue to evolve at a rapid rate, so it is important that businesses continue to educate and upskill their technicians. ACIS recommends that businesses achieve this through the completion of refresher courses, which are run by recommended service/training providers every 12 months.” SEPTEMBER 2021 AFTERMARKET 51 EYEBROW Below: EV battery lifting option from Hofmann Megaplan www.aftermarketonline.net Seeing the aftermarket embrace electrified vehicles is a huge step in the right direction to ensuring independents can not only survive but also prosper in the future ”