Canada's collision repair industry took another step toward EV preparedness this week as I-CAR Canada and CWB Group welcomed industry stakeholders to the newly renovated CWB Centre of Innovation in Milton, Ont., home of I-CAR Canada's new electric vehicle hands-on skills development course.
The open house brought together collision repairers, educators, OEM representatives and industry partners for an introduction to the facility and a discussion about the growing need for standardized, hands-on EV training across Canada.
While attendees had the opportunity to tour the facility and learn more about the program, the focus of the afternoon quickly shifted to a larger conversation: how the collision repair industry prepares technicians to safely work on increasingly complex high-voltage vehicles.
"Great to see so many industry partners come together today around one shared priority: EV repair readiness," said Scott Sinclair, business development manager for I-CAR Canada. "EV repair readiness is no longer optional. It is becoming a safety, quality and confidence standard for our entire industry."
The new training centre will serve as the Canadian home of I-CAR Canada's five-day EV Hands-On Skills Development course, a program designed to provide technicians with practical experience working around high-voltage systems in a controlled environment. The curriculum focuses on vehicle shutdown procedures, diagnostics, electrical systems and safe work practices for collision repair facilities.
According to I-CAR Canada, the program was developed in response to growing demand from OEM certification programs and collision repair businesses seeking consistent training standards for electric vehicles. Several vehicle manufacturers are already requiring high-voltage training as part of their collision certification programs, a trend expected to accelerate as EV volumes continue to grow.
Stu Klein, AIA vice president of collision programs
The facility itself reflects the industry's growing focus on practical learning. Technicians participating in the program begin by learning electrical fundamentals and working with EV-specific tools before progressing to simulator systems and real vehicles, allowing them to develop confidence before encountering high-voltage repairs in production environments.
That emphasis on hands-on learning resonated with attendees, many of whom acknowledged that EV repair is no longer a future consideration but a present-day requirement.
For collision repair facilities, the challenge extends beyond simply understanding vehicle technology. Shops must also develop procedures for receiving damaged EVs, assessing battery safety concerns and ensuring technicians have the knowledge required to work safely around energized systems.
The partnership between I-CAR Canada and CWB Group reflects a broader effort to establish consistent national standards as vehicle technology continues to evolve. The two organizations have already collaborated on welding training and certification initiatives designed to support safe, OEM-compliant repairs across Canada.
As more electric vehicles enter Canadian repair facilities, industry leaders at the event agreed that technician development will be one of the most important factors determining whether shops can safely and profitably participate in the growing EV repair market.
"EV repair readiness is becoming a baseline expectation," Sinclair said. "This facility gives technicians an opportunity to build those skills in a practical environment before they encounter those challenges in the shop."
