Aftermarket September 2022

year-on-year. Understandably, vehicle manufacturers are allocating seismic R&D budgets to EV development, with suppliers also enhancing their product offering to suit. Such a scenario seems far removed from the day-to-day workings of an independent garage yet, depending on the Tier 1 supplier, this focus can pay dividends for these small businesses looking to cater for EVs.” However, Julian believes the shift could be beneficial to garages. “We all know that there will be a significant ICE vehicle parc that will need catering for long after the ban, yet also that the aftermarket needs to be able to support EV servicing if it is to secure a long-term future and enjoy the additional revenue opportunities that such vehicles present. “Recent figures show that the aftermarket has a rapidly increasing appetite for EV training, with 2022 seeing a 4.5% year-on-year growth in the number of EV-ready technicians, but indications are that there will still be a shortfall of these skilled personnel when the ban kicks in.” He continued: “We’re committed to helping overcome this shortfall and give independents the skills they need to prosper, and our class-leading training offering notably benefits from the work that Borg Warner, our parent group, has invested in meeting the changing powertrain requirements of OEMs. “At Delphi Technologies Aftermarket we use our group’s expertise and knowledge of this complex area and channel it into our own products and training. We are comprehensive in our IMI-accredited electrified vehicle training offering, whether online or in-person, while we also have a growing aftermarket power electronics portfolio that covers inverters, onboard chargers and charging cables. And, of course, we are always enhancing the availability of more traditional items for EVs, such as brake pads, giving independents the opportunity to offer EV owners a more affordable alternative to main dealer servicing.” Lubricants and fluids With the move to EVs comes the requirement for specific lubricants and fluids. According to Patrick Bauer, Castrol Senior Technologist PD Driveline & EV Fluids, Castrol is working closely with carmakers and motorsport teams to develop its latest range of Castrol ON EV fluids. “With some predicting that 80% of passenger cars on our roads could be EVs by 2050, these products will soon become mainstream in the aftermarket space.” Castrol’s EV fluid range currently consists of Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluids, Castrol ON EV Thermal Fluids, and Castrol ON EV Greases. ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES Patrick continued “As greater volumes of electric vehicles enter the aftermarket, more OEMs have asked us to make an advanced EV transmission fluid available to their workshop partners, to support ongoing repair and maintenance activity. While these fluids in some EVs are deemed fill for life, workshops need replacement product i the event of a repair, and there can also be a requirement to change the product early to safeguard protection in certain use cases. We have collaborated very closely with OEMs and Tier One suppliers to develop, test and deploy products to meet the required performance criteria.” Patrick added: “Castrol has been working closely with the Jaguar Racing Formula E Team to ensure the ON EV Fluids range delivers performance, efficiency and durability for the most demanding electrified powertrains. The two companies recently renewed their technical partnership, with Castrol the race team’s official supplier of advanced e- Fluids.” According to Harry Hartkorn, Head of Application Technology at LIQUI MOLY, part of adapting to EVs and hybrids involves a change of mindset: “Whereas regular oil changes are a reliable source of revenue and customer traffic for workshops in the case of cars with combustion engines, this is not the case for purely electric cars. This makes it all the more important for workshops to look at electric cars not only from a purely technical perspective, but also to keep the opportunities for additional sales in mind. “In concrete terms, this means that every mechanic is not only well advised to take a thorough look at the electric car once it has found its way to the workshop. Due to the long and irregular service intervals of all-electric cars, it is possible that undiscovered defects will be found in the process that also need to be rectified.” It will also be important to identify additional sales opportunities around EVs and hybrids: “Take a plug-in hybrid, for example, which is mainly driven electrically. If the combustion engine only runs rarely, the petrol in the tank ages and loses its properties. The constant cold starts also cause deposits to form on the injection system. Hybrid Additive by LIQUI MOLY addresses both problems. It slows down the aging process of the petrol and removes deposits on the injection system. It is therefore a good idea to approach the vehicle owner about the problem and sell them some cans of this additive. “ EVs and hybrids employ many of the same systems as internal combustion engine vehicles. However, they may b Above: Nissens 1 New Energy Vehicles, R744 CO2 station. For the future viability of a garage, the ability to maintain, troubleshoot and fix EV climate control systems will be vital Below: Additive application of LIQUI MOLY Hybrid