Week 1 – Watt’s New: Intro to Hybrid and EV Shops

Tesla L -

This week, I took the first steps in my journey to learn about hybrid and EV repairs, expanding my expertise in sustainable technology and innovation. I started the week by learning and memorizing the workflow of the shop. The owner showed me around the shop and introduced me to her employees. The general workflow of the shop includes many layers. The repair process starts when the owner receives a service request. After the car arrives, a technician inspects it, prepares a report, and advises the owner on necessary repairs. Once approved, parts are ordered, repairs are completed, and a test drive ensures everything is in working order. Before the car is returned, follow-up appointments are scheduled. Afterward, a thank-you card is sent to their address.

I logged all the parts and their prices that were used for repairs in January and prepared thank-you cards for January’s customers. I quickly started to recognize which repairs were the most common, what parts they required, and how much the repair would cost. Oil changes, battery changes, and inspections were the most common jobs. Throughout the day, couriers dropped off parts at the shop. The owner walked me through how she utilizes websites such as Shopmonkey and ALLDATA to decide what parts are needed, to quote the repairs, and to order parts.

Although I haven’t done too much yet, I’ve already absorbed so much knowledge about the workflow and shop. I am excited to learn more and continue working for Tucson Hybrids. I enjoyed talking to the owner while writing the thank-you cards, listening to music, and sipping the lemonade she kindly got me.

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Comments:

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    johnny_y
    Interesting project! Are parts standardized or brand/car-specific?
    February 14, 2025 at 9:12 am - Reply
    rob_lee
    I would be interested to hear the owner's perspective about the relative reliability of the drivetrains of ICE, hybrid, and EV
    February 14, 2025 at 9:16 am - Reply
    aditya_s
    Does Tucson Hybrids replace the traction battery in EVs? What are the most common types of damage that happen to a traction battery requiring it to be replaced?
    February 14, 2025 at 2:42 pm - Reply
    tesla_l
    Parts are very brand and car specific. Using ALLDATA, we can check which part was the original. If an incorrect part/fluid is used, it would likely cause more problems over time. For example, one customer visited another shop before our shop, and they used an off brand part in the car. This caused the car to have some other problems. The technician made sure that our shop ordered the correct Toyota brand part. Fluids are also very specific to cars, and if the wrong fluid is put in the car, then it could cause the car to overheat and have other issues.
    February 14, 2025 at 2:51 pm - Reply
    tesla_l
    I can ask the owner about her opinion on Tuesday, but from what I understand pure EVs' drivetrains are the most reliable while hybrids are the least reliable. Drivetrain reliability depends on how many moving parts there are, how complex it is, and how often you have to do maintenance. While maintenance and repairs may be more difficult, EV's have the least moving parts and are the simplest because they are electric. EV's are supposedly getting more reliable as time goes on. ICE drivetrains are completely mechanical, so the wear and tear make them less reliable over time. With proper maintenance and part replacement, they can last hundreds of thousands of miles. Hybrids would be the least reliable because they are a mixture of ICE and EV. They are complex and have many moving parts because they are both electric and gas. Both EV's and hybrids also have the downside of the battery and other electrical components going bad and needing expensive replacements over time.
    February 14, 2025 at 3:34 pm - Reply
    tesla_l
    Tucson Hybrids does replace batteries. They try to avoid it because it can be very expensive for the customer. Usually when there is a problem that seems like it is the hybrid battery like the car not turning on at all, it is actually something else. There are many different problems that don't allow the car to turn on such as a potentially hazardous leak. These batteries are designed to last hundreds of thousands of miles, so battery degradation isn't as common as it might seem. Of course, the extremely hot temperatures in Arizona does not help the lifespan of the battery. I think the most common reason to have the battery replaced is either from some sort of crash or from another problem causing the battery to be damaged. As I said before, a leak could easily harm the battery by causing shorting and chemical problems. A coolant leak would probably be the most common of these.
    February 14, 2025 at 3:49 pm - Reply
    austin_l
    What is the difference between changing a car battery in an EV versus a regular car? It seems to be a more difficult task if people need to come into the shop to change a battery.
    February 14, 2025 at 5:11 pm - Reply
    tesla_l
    Regular car batteries and EV car batteries are very different. For one, a regular car battery is just a 12V battery that is used to start your car and power any electronics in your car. An EV doesn't just have this 12V battery, but also a large battery that can be 400-900V that runs the motor. The EV battery can store much more energy and is designed to be rechargeable. EV and hybrid batteries are only replaced if they are malfunctioning or dangerous to use which is uncommon. These batteries are designed to last for hundreds of thousands of miles. Meanwhile, 12V batteries lose their charge after a little while and are easily replaced.
    February 17, 2025 at 8:54 pm - Reply
    makeen_s
    Hi Tesla, I don't know too much about cars, but what kind of margins does the shop operate on when they order and install parts?
    February 19, 2025 at 12:10 pm - Reply
    tesla_l
    Hey Makeen, Hopefully you learn a bit more about cars from my posts! The margin depends on what we are doing. Inspections are always $100 no matter what car it is and how long it takes since its usually about the same. The owner and technician create a quote for whatever repairs and parts are required. Usually the parts required are marked up a bit, but I'm not sure on the exact percentage. The cost of labor is calculated by estimating how long it will take to repair the car and how frustrating the repair might be.
    February 19, 2025 at 3:15 pm - Reply

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