LEESBURG, Va. — After launching a pilot program last year, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has opened up testing and certification for electrified propulsion vehicle (xEV) high-voltage safety, including light-duty and medium/heavy-duty hybrid and electric vehicles.
Hybrids and electric vehicles surpassed 16% of the total 2023 U.S. light-vehicle sales.Shops are seeing more of these vehicles in the service bays, but many shops are not familiar with the risks of high-voltage vehicles or comfortable working on or around them, according to the ASE.
The ASE provides two options — level one and level two — to certify shop personnel based on their involvement with xEVs. Industry standards accompany both certifications and are intended to be used in conjunction with high-voltage vehicle safety training.
ASE said training managers have found that technicians who have attained xEV certification have increased confidence and lower anxiety while working on hybrid and electric vehicles.
To make the certification accessible to all shop personnel, the test can be completed online. Those whole pass the test will receive an electronic credential and a certificate that can be downloaded and printed for display.
The two options are:
- xEV Electrical Safety Awareness Certification (Level One) — This certification is designed for anyone who may encounter xEV in the workplace, including individuals who perform tasks near electric-powered vehicles, such as sales, service, repair and support. Level One individuals require high-voltage electrical safety awareness to identify the hazards and reduce the associated risks when working on or near xEVs and/or near high-voltage components of electrified propulsion vehicles.
Skills performed by Level One individuals may include: operating (driving) a hybrid or electric propulsion vehicle; performing maintenance and repairs not related to high-voltage systems or their components; handling non-high-voltage components of electrified propulsion vehicles and working near electric powered vehicles and/or high-voltage components of electrified propulsion vehicles.
- xEV Technician Electrical Safety Certification (Level Two) — This certification is for those service professionals, technicians or specialists who have received high-voltage electrical training; have demonstrated skills and knowledge related to the construction, operation and repair of electrically powered high-voltage vehicles; maintain an electrically safe working area and use required personal protective equipment. They have also received safety training to identify the hazards and reduce the associated risk.
Skills performed by Level Two repair professionals may include: evaluating and classifying the condition of the high-voltage battery and high-voltage electrical system; isolating the voltage from the high-voltage systems and checking the isolation from the supply; securing the high-voltage system against being activated; re-starting the high-voltage system; performing general work on de-energized high-voltage systems and components and assessing the risk of high-voltage vehicles that were involved in an accident.
"Today, shops must consider the exposure and liability related to servicing hybrid and electric vehicles," ASE President and CEO Dave Johnson said.
"The ASE xEV certifications should be a critical component of a shop's high voltage safety training. The standards were developed to keep shop personnel safe and earning the credentials is a great way for shops to showcase the ability of their knowledgeable staff to work on high voltage vehicles."
