Dearborn, Michigan — Ford Motorcraft market representation manager Chad Steed has confirmed that an in-house specialist or dealership specialist would be necessary for a body shop to remove a high-voltage battery.
“Ford Motor Company position for HVB battery removal does require a specialty-trained technician,” Steed wrote in an email to . “If the collision repair shop does not have a trained technician they will need to work with a Ford or Lincoln electric certified dealer. We define this requirement through our Ford Collision Certified Network Requirements as well as our workshop manual procedures and service labour times.”
Ford announced in May that its hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric batteries may need to be removed from the vehicle prior to being subjected to high heat like that of a bodyshop paint booth. This announcement brought with it the question of whether or not a body shop could actually conduct these battery removals in-house, or if an outside specialist would be necessary.
If a shop needs to and has a technician qualified to remove a hybrid battery, the list of requirements is long.
Ford says they need a battery lift table with 22 centimetres (9 inches) of ground clearance, the ability to lift 3,000 pounds and a minimum of 152 cm by 76 cm (60 in. by 30 in.) worth of table surface.
They’ll also need an engine crane able to lift a minimum of one ton but with legs no higher than 22 centimetres (nine inches). The OEM says a high-voltage battery lifting kit would be used in conjunction with the crane.
The shop must have installed a two-post lift (either above-ground or in-ground) which can handle between 7,000 and 12,000 pounds. Hoist adapter pads are also required to lift battery-electric Fords.
Shops that do not have the required tools and equipment that Ford requires must work with a Ford or Lincoln Electric Vehicle Certified Dealer in order to remove a high voltage battery.
