Modern EVs can drive through deeper water than most turbodiesel 4x4 vehicles. The high-energy battery packs feature excellent insulation and safety engineering. That’ s the reason why you can stand in a puddle of water, at an EV charging station, and plug in an EV for recharging, without any risk of electrocution.
In a workshop where EV power- and drivetrain components must be disassembled, technicians need appropriate tools and a safe working environment. With most modern EVs having an 800-volt charging architecture, workshops want to standardise 1000-volt protection ratings for any tools and gloves used by technicians.
VDE-certified insulated gloves and hand tools, such as cable cutters, pliers, and screwdrivers, are essential to keep technicians safe whilst working on an EV. Comprehensive rubber floor insulation and non-metallic work benches are other requirements to ensure a safe workshop environment when working on EVs.
Why are on-board charger repairs so expensive? With voltages being such an important factor in reducing recharging times, non-Chinese automakers are struggling to adapt from 400- to 800-volt systems. Integrating on-board chargers to cope with the increased output capacity of ultra-high-power DC chargers is another challenge.
A non-electric repair, suspension fixes, ranked fourth among the most requested repair items for EVs. The possible explanation for this is the much heavier weight of EVs compared to traditional ICE vehicles, even when they share a similar platform. Wishbones and bushings are vulnerable to high side loading on heavy EVs with a low centre of gravity. The average repair cost for suspension work on EVs was R26,000.
Rounding out the five most requested EV repairs for maintenance specialists is, ironically, a legacy electrical issue: the 12-volt auxiliary battery. Many non-Chinese automakers still use 12-volt batteries to operate functions like door locks, power windows and other low-power draw functions. Auxiliary 12-volt battery repairs cost an average of R10,000 to resolve.
Physical repairs still needed
The Warrantywise data shows that over-the-air updates cannot easily resolve every EV repair issue. Some of the core electrical architecture and on-board charger issues are hardware-related and require formidable next-generation auto-electrical skills and specialised diagnostic tools to fix.
Diagnostic and test equipment to make an EV service workshop or dedicated EV service bay function optimally includes CAT III / IV multimeters, megohmmeters( insulation testers), EV-specific scan tools, and oscilloscopes.
Battery cradles and hoists
Beyond the insulated tools and EV diagnostic equipment, workshops planning to service more EVs in the future need to consider their actual vehicle-handling hardware. Even small EVs can weigh about a third more than a comparable petrol or diesel vehicle. And many large EVs, with their heavy battery packs, are much heavier than they look. Aftermarket workshops with a growing demand for EV servicing need to consider whether their lifting and handling equipment is rated to handle the weight of EVs and their individual battery packs. That could require an investment in heavier-duty vehicle hoists, cradles, or hydraulic tables to handle EV powertrain components, such as battery packs.
Complex EV powertrain repairs may require removing the battery pack. With battery packs weighing between 300 and 500 kg, hydraulic battery lift tables are required, because the traditional skyhook-and-chain method used for petrol or diesel engine removal and movement won’ t work with a large, rectangular-shaped EV battery pack.
EVs have much lower mechanical, lubrication, and cooling complexity than traditional petrol or diesel-engined vehicles. And the pure mechanical component count is much lower, too, because a battery pack and electric motor don’ t have pistons, crankshafts, camshafts, valve gear, oil pumps, or multi-gear transmissions.
Workshop readiness
Investing in a dedicated EV service and repair capability should not require the same level of specialised tooling that many workshops need to work on the latest high-compression turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. But there are essential tools, procedures, and diagnostic equipment needed for a safe working environment.
JULY | AUGUST 2026 19 WORDS IN ACTION