Schaeffler’s new E-Axle Repair Tool (E-ART) is set to help bring “the repair culture back into the trade,” according to the team at EV specialists LKQ Electriq.
They received training on the innovative new tool at the West Sussex-based business last week, with CAT getting an exclusive look behind the scenes.
With the very high price tag attached to replacing electric motors within e-axles making repair the more cost effective option, Schaeffler’s new piece of kit is intended to provide EV repairers with a way to perform targeted maintenance.
Via the E-Axle Repair Tool, technicians can undertake non-contact separation and reassembly of rotors and stators, and put a broken motor back in action at a fraction of the cost of opting to buy in a new one.
“At Schaeffler,” said Schaeffler technical manager Alistair Mason, “we design and manufacture electric motors for EVs and supply them direct to the vehicle manufacturers. We then look into repair solutions for the aftermarket. We've developed this tool to enable the trade to open motors safely.”
Following its installation at LKQ Electriq in Shoreham-by-Sea earlier this month (Wednesday 2 July), Mason took the company’s senior techs through the process, showing how to mount and access a broken motor from a Nissan Leaf.
LKQ Electriq supports EV owners as well as the UK garage network by providing targeted EV repairs direct to the trade. “We are a battery and component repair centre for electric vehicles,” said managing director Kevin Pearce.
As a result, the company saw the benefit of taking on the tool. “Independent garages need to be aware that there are solutions out there beyond just replacing components,” said Pearce, “whether they are batteries, motors or any other high voltage component on electric vehicles.”
Theory into action
Once he had explained the working of the tool and the process, Mason went on to put theory into action. While the tool was simple to use, the motor being worked on was challenging to access. “The more you do it, the faster you get,” he noted.
During the session, the team members from LKQ Electriq discovered new ways to work with the tool in a way that helped them get a result. “The person who figures out how it really works is often the end user,” said senior diagnostic technician Adam Cannell.
“This isn’t theory – this is real-world stuff,” Pearce said. “It’s better than just training.”
Once the team had established how the tool could be used, they were keen to get it into action. “We need to know the kinds of job we can do with it so we can advertise them,” said Cannell. “Having the capability from Schaeffler will mean we canget those jobs through the door.”
Cannell added: “The new tool will mean we can undertake even more repairs. The cost of new motors far exceeds what the repair costs, and this is bringing the repair culture back into the trade, which is a good thing.”
LKQ Electriq’s E-Axle Repair Tool is one of two currently in the market in the UK, with the other set up at Cleevely EV in Cheltenham. A possible third tool may be destined for a workshop somewhere in the north of England, providing a country-wide network of specialist repairers. Mason concluded: “Garages know they have a solution now.”
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