Gorman’s Auto Service & Tire Center in Marco Island, Fla., decided to introduce EV charging options to the area back in November 2018 after customers brought attention to the fact that there was only one other station on the island.
“Obviously, electric cars are not going to go away,” Tim Gorman, owner of Gorman’s, says. “There will be more and more cars that require it.”
Gorman believes the investment will benefit customers as EVs become more common in the future.
“You need to stay up with the times,” Tim says. “You need to stay current and be aware of what’s in the industry so that you don’t fall behind. You have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.”
Looking to the Future
In order for auto repair shops to keep up, they’ll have to get ahead of the curve. Cathy Gorman, Tim’s wife and co-owner of the shop, says that’s their shop’s focus.
“Good shops, I think, keep up-to-date with everything” Cathy says. “If you’re going to repair everything, you need to [invest].”
To start the process, the shop ordered the necessary equipment to repair EVs, along with the charging station. From there, they put an emphasis on education. Their techs first went through the necessary ASE training and now go through their EV parts suppliers to get the latest training. Cathy says Tim constantly reads articles and does his research, which is how they knew the steps to take to get started.
Yes, the focus at the shop has been adapting to the era of electric vehicles, but overall, it’s more about keeping up with the times. Cathy says when you’re up-to-date, you’re keeping your customers up-to-date, too.
