Category: electric vehicle

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Top Auckland car dealership chooses EIT for EV training | EIT Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 hours ago

A top Auckland car dealership chooses EIT as its preferred option to train its auto-technicians in the latest electric vehicle technology.

Andrew Simms Motor Group, which has six dealerships across Auckland, first began enrolling auto-technicians in EIT’s NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5) last year.

Andrew Simms Group General Manager Aftersales, Travis Cross, said that his company had sent  members of their team to an EV programme at another provider in Auckland last year as well as sending three people to EIT.

“We just wanted to test the water with the offerings that were available. And from the response we got back, the offering from EIT was relatively more substantial and significant than what was on offer locally up here.”

“We made the choice based on that, that we’d actually support EIT by flying our team there, putting them up in accommodation for the night to get a better level of training out of the programme that was offered.”

Travis said that the setup of the programme was ideal for his team in that it combined online classrooms with three practical block courses at EIT in Napier during the year.

“The environment at EIT is quite intimate so our technicians have good access to the tutors.”

Travis says that EVs have changed the dynamics of the industry and it was important to have a training organisation upskilling their technicians.

Scott Cunningham, the Programme Coordinator for Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering [Level 5]  at EIT, said that creating a solid industry connection with Andrew Simms motor group has been positive for both EIT and Andrew Simms.

“The high number of trained technicians coming through our programme have been able to extend their knowledge in the EV and Hybrid sector and  successfully diagnose uncommon and complex faults in these vehicles. They also now have a greater understanding of how all the systems and subsystems function and operate in depth.”

“We have also been able to keep in touch with these technicians after the programme and have received feedback on late model vehicles they have successfully diagnosed and repaired with their newly gained knowledge.”

“Andrew Simms Motor Group has continued to enrol more technicians throughout the year and EIT appreciates the support and commitment to our programme.”

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Napier auto technician completes EIT EV programme to keep up with fast evolving industry | EIT Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti

5 days ago

Scott Kyle, an auto-technician with the Notman Motor Group in Napier, has benefited from doing the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5) at EIT.

A Napier auto technician decided to complete an Electric Vehicle programme at EIT as he felt he needed to keep up with an ever-evolving industry.

Scott Kyle, who works for the Notman Motor Group in Napier, has been an auto technician for close to 25 years. He says that he has seen changes in the industry in that time, the most significant being the move to electric vehicles.

“It’s certainly a new style of vehicle to work on, with some big differences. It is not only the motor side of things, but also the systems that run alongside them.”

“I definitely enjoy it as the electrical aspect certainly appealed to me.”

Scott says that he realised that he needed to study further in order to keep up with industry changes.

He said that he was attracted to the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5)  at EIT because he had done his pre-trade qualifications at EIT and he had heard good reports about one of the tutors Scott Cunningham.

“My employer helped me with funding to do the programme, which was a bonus, but you’ve got to keep up with the times and keep learning.”

“Working on electric vehicles every day means that you need to have a solid understanding of what you are working with.”

Scott, who completed the programme at the end of last year, says that attending classes fitted in well with his working schedule. He said he also enjoyed doing the practical block courses during the year.

“They go right back to step one of what you would need to know, you know, the basic electrical principles and then build that up slowly all the way through so you’ve got a really good understanding and a refresher of some of the stuff you probably haven’t looked at for a few years with electrics.”

“The best thing for me was that I went from where we had all these electric cars coming in and feeling that I did not have a full understanding of how all those systems worked, to feeling a confidence in working with them when I finished the programme.”

Scott says that another important part of the programme was learning about the safety aspect of electric vehicles.

He says that he has no hesitation in recommending the EIT programme to anyone who wanted to progress further as an auto-technician.

Automotive Tutor and Level 5 Electric Vehicle Programme Coordinator Scott Cunningham says having technicians like Scott step up to further their knowledge in our ever-changing industry is great to see.

“Electric and hybrid vehicles are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Technicians who are great in their field need to adapt and upskill to be able to safely diagnose and understand this emerging technology. Scott is definitely a student that absolutely exceled in this programme, now putting his newly gained knowledge to use in industry.

“Having developed a year long, part-time programme in conjunction with Otago Polytechnic, we have spent the past four years delivering this programme, adding content and resources each year to keep up with technology. Having our programme gain overseas recognition from America, wishing to implement our programme and training there speaks volume.

“We have even tailored our delivery to meet the demands for students in Rarotonga that have had an influx of EVs on the Island, and have realised they will have to upskill to meet the new demand. If you are considering upskilling in this area like Scott, I highly recommend you get onboard.”