As the number of electric vehicle owners grows, so does the gap in technicians able to salvage their batteries when they fail, leading to many EVs being prematurely disposed of, reports KUOW Public Radio.
Medlock and Sons, an auto repair shop in South Seattle, is one of the few businesses in the U.S. that performs repairs on EV batteries. The shop’s parking lot is full of Teslas and other EVs, overflowing to EVs parked along the road outside.
“We have like 350-plus appointments for Model S battery repairs, and we just don't have time to go any faster,” said Carl Medlock, the shop’s owner.
When Christine Barnes experienced her Tesla Model S battery dying, she was told by Tesla that the entire battery would need to be replaced, costing her $20,000. She opted not to do that, and her husband called up Medlock’s shop. Though they were told it could be a while before the battery could be repaired and Barnes sold the Tesla to Medlock, Medlock eventually was able to repair Barnes’ former battery.
The situation underscores a larger problem stirring in the repair industry, as noted by Gary Fantozzi, director of automotive programs at Shoreline Community College. Though technicians could begin to be trained on how to repair EV batteries, automakers aren’t interested in that as a solution.
EV batteries can be dangerous to operate on, with only a couple automakers even allowing their techs to perform repairs on them. If customers are willing to buy a new car after their battery dies, automakers aren’t as motivated to invest in the training and resources it would take to salvage more EV batteries.
