Garage focus 19 www.aftermarketonline.net JUNE 2026 vehicle details, fault codes, symptoms, and live data, and then receive support, test plans, and guidance. That support has helped Matt take on jobs with more confidence, including work that has already been through the dealer network. One example was a Porsche that had been to a main dealer, had a component replaced, but was still not fixed. Saffron Autos traced the fault to a motor on the gearbox, removed the gearbox, fitted the replacement unit and got the vehicle running again. Confidence is the real barrier There is no pretending the work is identical to what most garages are used to. High-voltage systems require a different mindset, stricter safety discipline and a clear process. And Matt said the fear is understandable: “You know you’ve made it safe, but in the back of your mind you’re still touching these wires and thinking about the voltage”. For him, though, the confidence comes from procedure. The vehicle is made safe, the team is aware of what is happening, the area is controlled, and the correct tools are used. He is currently the only member of the team fully trained to that level, but the next step is to train other technicians so the capability does not rest solely with him. That is an important point for any garage considering the move. EV work does not have to become the whole business overnight. Saffron Autos has grown into it gradually. One of the big opportunities, Matt believes, is that EV customers are starting to look beyond the dealer. As vehicles get older and faults become more common outside the warranty period, owners are searching for independent specialists who can diagnose properly, rather than simply replace expensive assemblies. He gave the example of a Tesla Model S with a blown fuse caused by a faulty positive-temperature-coefficient heater. Tesla’s approach to this issue is to drop the battery to replace the fuse, which is a big job. Matt was able to work in a very tight area through the bulkhead area to access the fuse, test it and then replace it. That, really, is where the independent sector has always been strong: taking the time to diagnose, repair where possible and give customers confidence. The technology may have changed, but the principle has not. Advice for other garages Matt’s advice to other independent garages is simple: do not ignore it, but do not rush in blindly either. Find a training provider that suits the way you learn. Do the training properly. Keep revisiting the material afterwards. When a hybrid or EV comes in for ordinary service work, plug in, look at data, learn the control units and get familiar with what normal looks like before you are faced with a fault. He also pushes back against the idea that there is no money in EV work. “People will say there’s no money in it,” Matt said. “There is money in it. There’s a lot to learn, but there’s a lot of satisfaction too. You’re doing things other garages can’t do or won’t take on.” In fact, Saffron Autos is now busy enough that Matt is considering whether a separate unit focused on hybrid and EV work could be the next move. A technician’s mindset That desire to keep learning also links back to another part of Matt’s story. In 2016, he won a Top Technician award. He admits he probably could have done more to promote the win at the time, but it still brought benefits. It gave customers confidence, helped reinforce his standing within the workshop, and showed the rest of the team that they were learning from someone who had been properly tested. For Matt, that is the wider value of competitions such as Top Technician. Even if you do not win, you learn where you stand and what you need to improve. That same mindset runs through Saffron Autos’ EV journey. The garage did not wait until every hybrid and electric vehicle in the area had nowhere else to go. It trained early, invested steadily, found the right support and built confidence job by job. For any independent still wondering whether EVs are worth the effort, Matt’s message is refreshingly straightforward: the work is coming, the opportunity is real, and with the right training and support, it is far less daunting than it looks.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=