As electrified (xEVs) vehicles become more common, after-market vehicle repair shops must also adapt to the requirements of battery-powered cars. Batteries don’t like high temperatures, but baking a new coat of paint in an oven is a necessary step for many collision repair jobs. It is also not realistic to expect paint shops to remove the high voltage traction battery from the car. Bridging this disconnect between paint repair processes and battery health is tricky.
There is a strong correlation between battery health and exposure to high temperatures. This is why it is important to ensure that cooling vents and fans at the back hybrids (HEVs) are well maintained and for BEVs, coolant piping for the battery are regularly inspected.
Without going too much into chemistry, the simple explanation on why high temperature harms batteries is that all matter is made up of atoms and molecules that are always in motion. Heat is a form of energy and when heat is applied, the erratic movements of these atomic particles and molecules become greater, and therefore more chemical reactions result from the materials within the battery’s cells, resulting in accelerated degradation.
In normal driving conditions, your hybrid or BEV’s battery is more than capable of dealing with even the hottest weather conditions. It is safe to say that you will collapse from heat first before your hybrid or BEV's battery starts throwing up an error code.
The problem, however, is that temperatures inside a spray paint booth can reach 80 degrees Celsius, which is beyond the operating range of any high voltage traction battery. Since the vehicle must be disabled during repairs, the car's battery cooling system is not operational, and this is when extreme heat becomes a problem.
All manufacturers of hybrids and BEVs have their own guidelines for high temperature 'force dry' paint curing. Usually the recommendation is to keep it below 60 degrees Celsius, for no more than 45 minutes.
But if your vehicle has been involved in a bad accident, then the obvious choice would be to send the vehicle back to the manufacturer's authorised body and paint centre, why? Because few independent auto body panel beater shops are equipped to do digitized chassis alignment measurement. You get what you pay for.
Speaking of collision repairs, electrified vehicles, especially battery electric ones, are completely different from regular combustion engines. Even if the car is switched off, the high voltage electrical architecture is still active and body repairers need high voltage certification and protection gear before they can work on electric cars.
This EV repair training facility is by Bermaz, and is open to school leavers
Despite so much talk about EVs being the future, only two companies in Malaysia - Bermaz Auto (Mazda, Kia, Peugeot) and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia offer apprenticeship to school leavers, equipping them with the necessary certifications to work on high voltage cars.
But the subject on lack of investment in growing local talent to support the EV shift is another topic that we will keep for another day. For now, let’s just digest on the max temperature guideline for curing paint on electrified vehicles.
Over 15 years of experience in automotive, from product planning, to market research, to print and digital media. Garages a 6...
Over 15 years of experience in automotive, from product planning, to market research, to print and digital media. Garages a 6-cylinder manual RWD but buses to work.