Magazine for the professional tire industry
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News/views Ever greener Hybrids promise profts for Curry's Auto Service Matt Curry is convinced the trend toward environmental friendliness will translate into as much as 85% gross proft for tire dealerships that service all-electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The prediction of the CEO and president of Curry's Auto Service Inc. is based on personal experience. In December 2012, Curry began offering high-voltage battery pack charging and conditioning for all-electric and hybrid vehicles at his 10 locations serving the northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland areas. "Our introductory pricing is $1,299, we pay the technician six hours labor to remove the battery, run diagnostic tests, charge the battery, and reinstall when done. So we are making over $1,000 proft per charge. If there are any other issues with the vehicle, we are able to diagnose them and charge for that work, too," he says. Safe to service? But is it safe to service a hybrid? "There's less danger working on a hybrid than working on a highpressure ABS brake system," says Curry. Redundant safety systems keep technicians safe, according to Mark Quarto, Ph.D. Quarto, who is chief technology offcer of Automotive Research and Design LLC (AR&D;), trained Curry's technicians. Quarto says servicing a hybrid is safer than installing an electrical outlet or light switch in a home. "You have to defeat the safety systems on the vehicle to get in the realm of possibility of being electrocuted." Quarto worked for General Motors Corp. for 28 years developing diagnostic systems and service solutions for hybrid and alternative energy projects before starting AR&D; in 1987. The company designed and manufactured hybrid electric prototype vehicles up to 1993, then began to offer education and training in the technology. To perform certain procedures, technicians wear the same protective gloves worn by electricians, says Quarto. "Once the battery is disassembled, you do not need the gloves. When the battery is assembled for charging, the gloves go back on," he says. Charging the battery is part of the conditioning process. "We take the battery pack out of the vehicle, discharge it to zero percent state of charge, charge it up to approximately 100%, then discharge it back to zero. That is one cycle. Cycling the pack conditions the modules. Conditioning increases the capacity of 8 Technicians Mike Zentmayer (left) and Matt Zekan prepare to recondition a 2008 Toyota Prius battery. The reconditioning process takes about 11 hours. the battery pack and the power the battery modules can deliver," Quarto says. Almost any hybrid over four years old will need its battery conditioned, says Curry. A new hybrid gets around 50 miles per gallon. Without service that fgure drops to about 45 mpg in the second year, and falls 10 more mpg by year three. Curry says a car dealership replaces the entire battery, which range in cost from $3,000 to $6,000, while he offers a less expensive and greener option that restores the vehicle's fuel effciency and power to like-new performance. Franchise opportunity When hybrids need service, owners discover that few facilities have the proper equipment and expertise. Filling that void in aftermarket offerings is an opportunity with a low barrier to entry for dealers already offering auto repair services, says Curry. He invested about $25,000 in equipment and another $25,000 in fve days of training for 20 technicians. Curry plans to partner with dealers to bring the service to more markets. He has secured exclusive rights to franchise AR&D; technology and will take the training nationwide through www.thehybridshop.com, a website set to go live at the end of March 2013. Dealers also can contact Curry at (703) 909-1819. "We are franchising to dealers throughout North America who are interested in bringing a complementary business to their existing business. They get one conditioning machine, a fve-day training course, and marketing support. I see it as a business within a business. I will repair the cars I always worked on, and I will also be a leading expert on hybrid repair and technology. Experts expect more than a hundred hybrid models to be available on the market by 2015, so this is a growing feld."— Ann Neal MTD March 2013