Mar. 22, 2022—Seattle repair shop owner Carl Medlock has carved out a niche repairing electric vehicles.
Medlock, a former territory manager for Tesla, took his knowledge of EVs and opened a repair shop that has become one of the few places in the Pacific Northwest electric vehicle drivers can go for auto repair. He said that running an EV-focused shop requires different skills than it takes to run a shop that services only internal combustion engines.
“There are hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of tools you need for an ICE [internal combustion engine] repair shop you don’t need here,” Medlock told CNBC. “You do need an electrical engineering background or an understanding of diagnostics.”
As for finding parts in this supply shortened climate, Medlock sources supplies from other consumers, or when in a pinch, he makes the part himself.
“I contact people all over the world, I find out where the wrecked ones are,” he said. “I buy stuff every day from people who have bought these cars and have a little something on their shelf and I’ll buy those parts.”
His EV repair business has been booming, causing him to outgrow his current shop. Though he’s one of the first shops that service EVs, he has advice for others looking to tap into the market.
“Embrace these electric cars and start tooling up for it,” he said. “If you don’t, you’re going to be behind.”
