Automotive technicians in Suffolk, New York, now have the opportunity to become trained in working with electric vehicles, reports CBS News.
Suffolk Community College has partnered with energy company PSEG Long Island to launch a two-day intro course in EV and PHEV maintenance and safety–and it’s attracted PSEG Long Island’s own auto technicians to enroll.
It’s not surprising, seeing as PSEG Long Island’s 500 light-duty fleet is set to transition to electric within the next five years.
“The regular ICE vehicles–internal combustion engine vehicles–we're all familiar with, we've been working on for almost 100 years now,” said PSEG Long Island fleet manager Thomas Stagnitta. “This is a complete change. It's already happening, so we have to get ahead of the curve.”
Besides PSEG Long Island techs, other students have come from school districts, municipalities, and dealerships to participate in Suffolk Community College’s EV course.
According to Paul DiBenedetto of the PSEG Long Island EV program, all new vehicle sales in the state will be electric by 2035. By 2045, that number will include medium heavy-duty vehicles.
EV course instructor Michael Scamardella believes that more training with electric vehicles is sorely needed before a full transition can be made to them from ICE vehicles.
“Frankly, the marketplace is not ready for it from a technical perspective,” Scamardella stated. “A lot of technicians out there that need some training to know how to handle these vehicles for maintenance, for repair, diagnostic work.”
