Nov. 5, 2013—The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) announced Wednesday a new certification category for those involved in servicing hybrid vehicles. The Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist (L3) is a new advanced level certification geared toward technicians who perform diagnosis and repairs on hybrid/electric vehicles. Technicians may register starting December 1, 2014. Testing begins in January.
“The new Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle certification was developed in response to industry requests for an ASE certification for those servicing hybrid vehicles,” Tim Zilke, ASE president & CEO, said in a release. “The L3 is the result of years of work by industry specialists from both OEM and Aftermarket segments who came together to develop a certification which encompasses a wide range of hybrid/electric vehicle technology.”
Unlike other ASE Advanced Level tests, the L3 does not have a Composite Vehicle. Instead, the L3 Certification Test Reference is included as an electronic pop-up during the test. This document identifies the concepts for the hybrid/electric vehicle technology included in the test, and outlines the three common types of hybrid/electric vehicle drive systems, with diagrams shown for each type. Questions in the test may refer to one of these three drive systems, and a glossary of terms is included. This ensures that technicians taking the L3 test will be able to clearly understand the questions, despite differences in how various hybrid/electric vehicle manufacturers may use these terms.
To register for the L3 test, technicians must have passed both Automobile Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) and Engine Performance (A8) tests. To become certified, technicians must pass the L3 test and provide evidence of three years of hands-on working experience.
Beginning in July 2015, the L3 test will contain 55 questions, technicians will have 2 hours to complete the test, and instant results will be available at the test center.
The Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist (L3) test information booklet is available at www.ase.com/l3info. It contains the task list, the L3 Certification Test Reference document, sample test questions, and training resources. For more information on the new L3 test, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit www.ase.com.
