Co-Designing Modular Training to Upskill Auto Technicians for Emerging EV Repair and Maintenance Challenges

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly entering dealership service departments and independent repair shops, but training pathways for current automotive technicians have not expanded at the same pace. EV repair and maintenance require additional skills and knowledge related to high-voltage hazards, battery risks, software-based diagnostics, and procedure-sensitive tasks that differ from conventional automotive training. This study presents the co-design, development, and refinement of a modular curriculum for safer, scalable upskilling in EV repair and maintenance. An initial curriculum was developed through a focused review of EV instructional resources, then refined through two processes: (1) semi-structured interviews with 13 technicians and service managers and (2) a stakeholder workshop with 12 participants. Findings showed that technicians prioritized the need to develop training modules on high-voltage safety, de-energization and verification procedures, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), diagnostic workflows, and cross-system understanding. Training barriers included time, cost, access, and brand-specific certification pathways.