EV's don't go wrong

Ask for and share advice on using the PicoScope kit to fix Electric Vehicles
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Steve Smith
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Pico Staff Member
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Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 7:22 am

EV's don't go wrong

Post by Steve Smith »

I find it interesting how things are starting to unfold with EV’s as Ben and I become more and more involved with EV & Hybrid case studies. Thanks to Pico we periodically attend such problematic vehicles that lend themselves perfect to case studies

Whilst we have worked with EV’s at dealer level, once these vehicles are outside the typical warranty period, they inevitably arrive at the independents and specialists and it is here where we see the most action

I have heard that once EV’s truly arrive in their masses there will be nothing to do as they are ultra-reliable with fewer components and hence never go wrong!

Well let’s look at where we are to date:
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... -displayed
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... ure-danger
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... ging-fault
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... ode-part-1
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... ode-part-2
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... ing-lights
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... ing-system
https://www.picoauto.com/library/case-s ... in-charger

I am also in the process of completing a new case study (BMW i3) for this month’s Newsletter which proves that such vehicles do go wrong and they still carry the faults we know and love such as broken wiring, water ingress, misuse, component failure and wear & tear

I must say, looking at the studies we have either attended or supported, the majority have been low voltage issues which dramatically effect the operation of the high voltage system

Whilst the high voltage systems do seem to be reliable (on the whole) they are not without fault and once again bring new opportunities

Whist on the subject of EV, with all of the cases we have researched and attended the information obtained by HEVRA (Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance Ltd) has been invaluable and well worth the investment www.hevra.org.uk

As an example, with the BMW i3 I attended recently, my product knowledge of this vehicle was zero!

Using the data supplied by HEVRA I was able to become familiar with the EV models associated with the brand, the terminologies used by BMW (which in itself is a God send when reading wiring diagrams) and discover how the vehicle is constructed in terms of power flow from the battery to the road wheels thanks to the “HEVRA Vehicle profile”

This certainly instils confidence when attending these studies and saves countless hours when commencing the diagnosis

Of course, these Vehicle Profiles are no substitute for training but form an essential part of your diagnosis in conjunction with additional studies and research.

Well done Pete at HEVRA, great work all round

I hope this helps moving forward with EV as it is not going away and will overtake us all if we are not prepared

Take care……Steve

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