After spending 20 years in the tourism business, Jeff Farwell was looking for a new challenge. He wanted to be a part of the ‘next big thing’. Pictured above (left to right): Jérémie Bernardin, Jeff Farwell, CEO of All EV Canada, David Giles, Vice President of Innovation.
With all sorts of advancements in the electric vehicle (EV) market, Farwell and some fellow investors saw a unique opportunity for Atlantic Canada.
Like any new venture, there are always challenges. One of the challenges Farwell noticed was the cost of EVs themselves. Many people are interested but often can’t afford the sometimes six-digit price tag.
“What can we do to help that?”, Farwell wondered. “We thought we would buy vehicles in light accidents and fix them up.”
Hands-on training with electric vehicles still lacking for technicians and first responders
There is not an abundance of training for technicians when it comes to electric vehicles. Oftentimes, rather than spend the time and money to fix it, the EVs that end up in light accidents are not valued properly – it’s easier for insurance companies to simply write them off.
What makes All EV Canada unique is they pick those vehicles up from auction houses and insurance companies and fix them up. This then gives them room for some revenue all while keeping the price low for customers who would like an EV but are dealing with the initial cost barrier.
The vehicles go through a full checklist including checking for structural damage through a state of the art alignment machine, and the vehicles must be able to pass a Motor Vehicle Inspection.
To ensure the second side of that coin is considered, All EV Canada also provides training aids developed by their mechanical engineers that can be sold throughout North America to teach technicians about all the different components of EVs, including how to safely fix them.
All EV Canada is working with students of universities and community colleges to provide real world hands-on experience for students who may not otherwise have had access to an EV on which to learn.
“We like to think of ourselves as fully using the cars that we do buy,” Farwell explains. “So, if we have an electric vehicle that is fully damaged and we’re never going to put it back on the road, we use the good parts for parts and we can also use them for first responder training”.
They call that course ‘Train The Trainer’. It’s a two-day course where firefighters come in and learn the theory and practical aspects behind EVs. It allows them to learn the different cut points on the vehicle and safety areas. This empowers them with the knowledge they need to keep everyone safe if they ever get called to an accident involving an EV.
The ‘Train the Trainer’ program is the first in Canada that allows first responders to physically work with EV’s hands-on.
On top of that, All EV Canada is the first facility in Atlantic Canada, aside from the manufacturer, that can fully service any electric vehicle.
For Farwell, the education and training is a crucial part of his business plan, not only for technicians and first responders, but for the general public, too.
Most people still do not know much about electric vehicles. People are usually unwilling to make a big purchase on something they don’t understand, after all.
All EV Canada is willing to take on much of that side of the coin.
“We’re innovative. We’re exciting. We still have our core, which is (selling) our cars, but we’re looking at the education part because there’s still a global reach there,” Farwell says.
Click to find out more about All EV Canada.
One Response
These guys run a great shop, and they are very well positioned to be the leader in the soon-to-explode industry of EV maintenance.