Car mechanics can prepare for the move to EVs with a new course at the Southern Institute of Technology.

The vocational tertiary education college is offering a short two-day course at its Invercargill campus in the field of electric vehicles, with battery power set to slowly replace petrol motors over the coming decades.

Head of the Trades of Technology faculty Doug Rodgers, says the course is advanced training for qualified automotive tradespeople, with a focus on the de-commissioning of electric

engines for safe operation, repair and diagnostics.

"It will become part of the suite of advanced automotive training being offered at SIT... the move into the field of EVs is really based on need. This SIT-developed initiative has come out of seeing an increase in electric vehicles on the roads.

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"We ran a pilot at our Christchurch campus to meet some demand and it has been very successful; demand there has increased, so we've expanded training there and also into Invercargill."

Currently there are nearly 30,000 EVs nationwide but the Government wants that to reach 64,000 by the end of this year, and it will then introduce its controversial extra levy on petrol vehicles, with discounts for EVs.

Service station owner Terry Walsh recently completed the EV 2-day programme at the Christchurch.

A qualified mechanic with more than 30 years' experience, Walsh owns Mobil stations at Omarama and Twizel, and says he took part in the course because of the need to keep up to date with technological advancements in the automotive industry.

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"It's upskilling with new technology. It's only going to keep evolving, and if we don't upskill, we'll get left behind.

"I'm also an Automotive Electrical apprentice and have done the (EV) theory in my apprenticeship – this course was very hands-on, it was brilliant, absolutely fantastic."

The programme also helped demystify some things for him.

"I tested things I had never tested before... I'll be making sure all my staff do the course."

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With the new paper development well underway, those interested will be able to enrol for the NZ Certificate in Electric Vehicle Automotive Engineering (Level 5) for the start of 2022.

Rodgers expects the faculty will also add to the material and release more papers, progressively over time.

"We hope to grow it over the next few years, particularly in Invercargill and as EV numbers continue to increase."