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Any individual that wants to become a hybrid mechanic must first become highly knowledgeable and have hands-on practice in repairing and maintaining the standard gasoline internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. There is no substitute for the ICE skillset, as the hybrid vehicle contains all the components that a regular gas-powered vehicle does. The difference is the addition of an electric drivetrain that works in conjunction with a gasoline engine. There are a few variations to the hybrid powertrain layout and function, but they all have one thing in common: a gasoline internal combustion engine. If you want to become a hybrid mechanic, you must first become well trained as an automotive mechanic for gasoline-powered cars and light-duty trucks.

The Differences Between the Gas-Only Cars and Hybrid Cars

The major components of a hybrid include:

1. Gasoline Engine 鈥� Depending on hybrid layout involved, the gas engine might be used for powering the vehicle, charging the battery, or both. Some hybrids can run solo on their gasoline engine.
2. Battery Pack (Traction Battery) 鈥� Significantly larger and much more powerful than the gasoline engine鈥檚 standard 12 Volt lead-acid car battery, the traction battery is usually of lithium-Ion construction. The Toyota Tundra鈥檚 .
3. Electric Motor 鈥� a large electric motor that applies power to the drive wheels through a specialized transmission, sometimes in conjunction with the gasoline engine, other times as a solo workhorse.
4. Power Split Device 鈥� A type of transmission that joins the power outputs from the gasoline and electric motors to seamlessly apply power to the drive wheels.
5. Power Control Module 鈥� The PCM reacts to driver input through the gas and brake pedals and uses this signal to regulate power for propulsion and regenerative braking.
6. Voltage Inverter 鈥� A device that converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), and can then then throttle the speed and torque of an electric motor as needed¹. The voltage inverter is used on both hybrid and fully electric vehicles.
7. Regenerative Braking Systems 鈥� This is a specialized design that becomes active during deceleration and generates power to add back to the battery.

Items 2 through 7 above constitute the additional components not found on a standard internal combustion engine powered vehicle. The skills and knowledge needed to work on these extra components is what the auto mechanic turned hybrid mechanic needs to develop.

What Skills Does A Hybrid Mechanic Need?

First, all Hybrid Mechanics need to be competent ICE mechanics, and also have gained the knowledge of how series, parallel, and series/parallel hybrid drivetrains work. The unique components added to a hybrid drivetrain make specific skills a pre-requisite:

• Gasoline Engine - The hybrid mechanic must know how to maintain, diagnose and repair a gasoline engine. Along with this, a hybrid mechanic must also have the knowledge for repair of fuel intake and exhaust systems, as well as hands-on skills repairing brakes, suspensions, hydraulic, and the 12-volt electrical system specifically for the gasoline engine and other electric components.
• Electrical safety 鈥� because of the high-voltage and high-amperage batteries used, a hybrid mechanic must be extremely careful handling any component of the electrical system. While electrical safety is must-have skill for the ICE mechanic, it becomes even more important for a mechanic replacing, repairing or working with a battery system that stores the major motive force (current) that can move a vehicle.
• Electrical Systems 鈥� Along with electrical safety knowledge, the hybrid mechanic must have experience and knowledge working with hybrid electrical systems, including the functions of a voltage inverter and control modules (CPUs).
• Regenerative Braking 鈥� This is an added function that operates alongside the hydraulic braking system. When the driver signals that they are going to slow down by lifting their foot off the accelerator and/or applying the brakes, a sensor detects this change and switches the electric motor to 鈥済enerator mode,鈥� where the rotation of the wheels during deceleration turn the generator to add a charge to the electric battery. This charging output sounds small, but it can add up to a lot of energy recovered and placed back into the battery, thus extending the range of the vehicle.

Certifications Testing For Hybrid Mechanics

Simply put, a qualified hybrid mechanic is an automotive mechanic with additional skills in repairing hybrid drive components. As we鈥檒l learn in the next section, to even qualify to take the ASE Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist (L3) examination, the test-taker must have already successfully passed the certification exams for both the ASE Automobile Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) and Engine Performance (A8). These further underscore the point that a prospective hybrid mechanic first be a competent mechanic on internal combustion engines and automotive electrical systems before taking the .

Why Hybrid Mechanics are Growing In Demand?

The hybrid vehicle is quickly gaining popularity. The reasons for this vary; drivers may enjoy the extended range of a hybrid vehicle or feel a sense of environmental stewardship by driving a vehicle that generates less pollutants. For others, the rising efficiency and slowly decreasing costs of hybrid batteries have brought some of these vehicles into their budgetary means, or that their favorite vehicle model is now available as a hybrid. All of these add to the demand for hybrid vehicles.

According to Kelley Blue Book, . There are now well over 900 models now on the market in the United States, offered by 32 major manufacturers, foreign and domestic. The future looks bright for hybrid vehicles, and the economy will need skilled hybrid mechanics to service these vehicles.

References:

¹ 鈥淭he Inverter: The Unsung Hero of an EV Drivetrain鈥� from Published on August 16, 2019. Retrieved on November 19, 2024.