You might’ve had cause to be a skeptic at the beginning of 2017, but no longer. 2017 is the year Volkswagen committed to building an electric option in all 300 of their worldwide models by 2030. Volvo says every new model launched from 2019 onward will have an electric motor in some capacity. The Chevrolet Bolt is the 2017 North American Car of the Year, and the Tesla Model 3 finally (and slowly) began production.

Electric car technology is here to stay, and it’s going to change the way dealerships do business. That incudes the service department from tip to tail.

How Your Service Department Needs to Handle EVs

On average, your electric car customers will be much the same clientele; perhaps a little more environmentally conscious. How your staff relate to EV customers should remain constant with your other patrons. But how you deal with their vehicles will affect your service department structure.

You need a charging platform.

What you need will depend on the products your store sells, as well as the volume of EV sales. Have a minimum of one fast charging station outside your dealership to add a quick charge to depleted customer cars and inventory. Inside your store, have one Level 2 charging system per 4 to 6 service bays.

If this sounds like more of an investment than you’re ready to make, think about the repercussions. If a gas-powered car runs out of fuel in the shop, it only takes a moment to put gas in from a jerry can. If an electric car depletes its charge, how do you plan to ‘jump start’ it to move it? Besides, with electric car model releases ramping up, it’s better to be prepared ahead of time.

You’ll need EV techs.

The immense amount of electrical discharge from an EV can kill someone. It’s fundamental that the people working on electric cars know how to do so safely. All of your staff – from lot attendants and detailers to master technicians – should know how to be safe around an electric car.

Technicians, though, will need more thorough training. Begin the process of certifying your techs to work on not just your brand’s EVs but others that come through for service or used car reconditioning. Have at least two certified in short order; then add other techs consistently as time allows.

You’ll need dealer certification.

Get ahead of the dealers around you. Be the first to get EV certified in your area. Manufacturers will only sell their EV products through their certified dealers – the Chevrolet Bolt is one example and the Ford Focus Electric is another.

There may be geographical restrictions they impose as well, like just one EV dealer within 100 miles. If you aren’t the first, you may be waiting years before you can get your foot in the door. You need to find out your manufacturer’s requirements and implement them as soon as you physically can.

These three things should be at the top of your 2018 checklist. 2018 promises to be another big year for mainstream electric cars with the Honda Clarity Electric coming out, the new Nissan LEAF recently released, and other models kicking up production. Be prepared for the wave of EVs you’ll soon see on the streets.