Blog / EV & Hybrid
Repairing electric and hybrid cars: what's actually different
Electric vehicles aren't just petrol cars with batteries. Repairing them safely needs different equipment, different training, and a workshop set up to handle high-voltage systems that can deliver a fatal shock if you get it wrong. Here's what to look for, in plain English.
The voltage problem
The headline difference between an EV and an internal combustion car is what's running through it. A petrol car runs a 12-volt system that's harmless to touch. A modern EV runs a high-voltage system, typically 400 volts and rising — the IONIQ 5, the Porsche Taycan and the new generation of premium EVs run 800-volt architectures.
800 volts at high current is enough to kill you instantly if you mishandle it. That's the central reality of EV repair.
For most bodywork — a kerb scuff on a wing, a paint chip on a door — none of that matters. The HV system stays isolated and the work is no different from any other car. But the moment a repair gets close to the battery pack, the inverter, or any of the orange high-voltage cables that run through the car, the workshop has to be capable of dealing with it safely.
What an EV-capable bodyshop actually needs
Three things, really:
1. Trained technicians
The relevant qualification in the UK is the IMI TechSafe scheme. It comes in levels — Level 2 for technicians working alongside HV systems, Level 3 for those isolating and working on them, Level 4 for those diagnosing battery faults. A proper EV bodyshop needs at least one Level 3 technician on-site at all times when EV work is in progress, and the rest of the team should hold Level 2.
Our technicians hold IMI TechSafe qualifications and are on the IMI professional register.
2. The right equipment
Insulated tools. Class 0 rubber gloves rated to 1000 volts. HV-isolation procedures. Personal Protective Equipment specific to electrical work. Multimeters that read HV. Dedicated EV bays away from welding work. A properly designated battery storage area for damaged cells, ideally outside the main building footprint.
3. The right process
Before any work starts on an EV that's been in a collision, the high-voltage system has to be isolated and verified de-energised. Typically that's a documented procedure: switch off the contactors, wait the manufacturer-specified rest time, then verify with a multimeter that the system is truly dead before any tools come out. It's procedural, it's slow, and it's non-negotiable.
What about hybrids?
The same rules apply. Plug-in hybrids and full hybrids both run high-voltage systems. The voltage may be lower than a full EV, but it's still well into kill-you-instantly territory if mishandled.
This is where some workshops cut corners — they treat hybrids as "basically a petrol car" and don't take the HV system seriously. That's how technicians get hurt and how repairs go wrong. A hybrid HV battery sitting at 200 volts will hurt you just as effectively as an EV battery at 400.
If you've got a Toyota Yaris hybrid, a Honda CR-V hybrid, a Range Rover PHEV or any other plug-in or self-charging hybrid, the workshop you choose should treat it with the same caution as a full EV.
Battery damage: when it gets really tricky
The hardest cases are EVs with battery damage. A battery pack that's been hit, crushed, punctured or water-damaged is potentially dangerous. Lithium-ion cells can enter "thermal runaway" — uncontrolled chemical reaction that causes a fire impossible to extinguish with normal methods.
If a workshop suspects battery damage, it has to:
- Quarantine the vehicle immediately
- Park it well clear of buildings and other vehicles
- Notify the manufacturer or breakdown recovery
- Not attempt to repair the battery itself unless they have manufacturer-approval and the right facilities
For most EV battery work, the right answer is a manufacturer-approved EV repair specialist or the manufacturer's own dealer network. For accident damage that doesn't involve the battery — which is the vast majority — a properly qualified independent shop is fine.
What to ask before you commit
Three questions will tell you a lot:
- "Do your technicians hold IMI TechSafe qualifications?" If yes, what level? If they don't know what TechSafe is, that's your answer.
- "Do you have a dedicated EV bay?" Sharing a bay with active welding work is a fire hazard for an EV. Proper shops separate the two.
- "What's your isolation procedure for an EV that's come in for accident damage?" They should be able to explain it without hesitation.
Why we invested in EV capability
EV uptake on the Fylde Coast is rising fast. We're seeing more IONIQ 5s, more Tesla Model Ys, more KONA Electrics in for repair every month. Our purpose-built 2024 facility was designed with EV-safe procedures from day one — dedicated bay, isolated battery storage area, ventilation rated for HV work.
Combined with our December 2025 Hyundai approval (which covers their full electric range), we're set up to handle the next decade of EVs as the technology continues to evolve.
Got an EV or hybrid that needs work? Call 01253 735544, WhatsApp 07822 012901, or email info@stanwaysautobodies.com. Free estimate, no obligation, and we'll be honest if there's anything we'd refer to a manufacturer specialist instead.