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Dec 2, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Craig Van Batenburg
Understanding the process of changing one form of energy to another is basic physics. In that conversion, there is always a loss of some energy, mainly as heat. That heat generation is usually unwanted and makes the process inefficient. When you put any vehicle into gear and start to drive it, you are building up kinetic energy. That is the energy stored in a moving object. The heavier the vehicle and the faster it is moving, the more kinetic energy you have.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
moderntiredealer.com | Craig Van Batenburg
A while back in MTD, l debunked my top 10 electric vehicle (EV) myths. Over the years, technicians, tire store owners, and others have given me some pushback during and after an Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) EV class. I expect that, so I work hard to separate fact from fiction. Here is my latest installment. Keep an open mind to see if you have been subjected to myths, falsehoods, and pure fabrications.
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Oct 25, 2024 | 
moderntiredealer.com | Craig Van Batenburg
I started my career after high school as a dealership and independent mechanic — later known as a technician. I loved to learn about cars, trucks and motorcycles. I worked on all three. Big technological changes started right after I started full-time. That was in 1969. It was a time, like now, when safety and environmental legislation created major upheaval.
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Oct 1, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Craig Van Batenburg
A rare 2000 Toyota RAV4 EV sold from 1998 to 2003, mostly in California. Engineers have been improving automotive and truck systems for a very long time. My grandfather, Ed Finacom, used a team of horses to haul back electric cars when the batteries went dead over 120 years ago. My father, Raymond Van Batenburg, modified a 1950s Ford to look cool and go faster when I was a kid in Utah.
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Sep 24, 2024 | 
moderntiredealer.com | Craig Van Batenburg
When will the switch from gasoline and diesel happen? It is happening now. Do most technicians under 30 want to work on electric vehicles? One way to find out is to ask them — not during a group discussion in a meeting setting, but much better on a road test. For over a century, the automobile cabin has been a private place to have a confidential chat. It still works. On a road test, you can ask about the vehicle you just repaired and ask your tech how he or she is doing.
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Aug 9, 2024 | 
moderntiredealer.com | Craig Van Batenburg
Electric vehicle (EV) sales are still growing. The power grid keeps getting greener all the time. Tire manufacturers are working on new compounds to help make EV tires last longer. The materials used to build these tires are being looked at with an ecological eye. Overall, the downside of electric vehicles is less now than it was five years ago. I visited a tire and full-service shop on Cape Cod in Massachusetts last week.
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Aug 1, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Craig Van Batenburg
HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) has been used to describe what happens in the cabin to keep people comfortable while driving. We need to stop using that term and rename it “thermal management”, but that sounds too much like engineering. The truth is you are an engineer, albeit without a degree. On my business card it says “Craig Van Batenburg, DMM”. That is not a reference to a Digital Multi Meter.
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Jul 1, 2024 | 
moderntiredealer.com | Craig Van Batenburg
Electric vehicles (EVs) have come a long way from the 2011 Nissan Leaf. In this article, I will discuss — and in some cases, debunk — 10 common myths about EVs, using what I’ve learned over the last 24 years of owning, driving, fixing, teaching and writing about them. You can use these as talking points when customers express their concerns about EVs. Myths are listed in descending order:Myth 10. You will lose 50% of your range in cold weatherThis is slightly true.
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Jun 4, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Craig Van Batenburg
If you have worked on transmissions for combustion engine vehicles, many transmissions on HEV and PHEV will be familiar. Some need more explaining. Most techs know about the Toyota power split device or eCVT, but did you know that Ford uses the same principle? What about the Chevy Volt? Let us take a closer look. Those transmissions require more study so we will do what we can in this article. Other makes, like Honda, have more unique designs.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
moderntiredealer.com | Craig Van Batenburg
Do you own a tire dealership that also repairs drivelines? Do you work in a state that wants to ban internal combustion engines? If not, are your future plans for your business considering that possibility? If the government takes away fossil fuel-powered vehicles, would it make sense for elected officials to offer you job retraining? What about tax credits for retooling? Let me suggest a future that you can plan for now.
