By: Sébastien Tardif 

Let’s be honest: the automotive industry is suffering from a chronic problem—and it’s not a labour shortage, it’s a skills shortage. In far too many shops, diagnosis has turned into an expensive guessing game. A scan tool pulls a code? Replace the part. The code comes back? Replace another one. This “trial-and-error” approach, acceptable twenty years ago, is now considered professional negligence. 

Hitting the Wall of Electrical Reality 

The uncomfortable truth is that most technicians are overwhelmed by the electrical reality of modern vehicles. We claim to repair complex systems without even mastering Ohm’s Law. How can anyone pretend to diagnose a multiplexed network or a faulty sensor if they can’t properly interpret a voltage drop or use an oscilloscope? It’s like a surgeon operating without knowing anatomy. 

Electrification: When Mistakes Become Dangerous 

With the rapid electrification of the vehicle fleet, this lack of skill becomes critical. On an electric vehicle, amateurism is unforgiving. A lack of discipline in verification procedures or poor understanding of high-voltage circuits doesn’t just risk damaging a $5,000 component—it puts lives in danger. 

Field Observations: Skills Declining as Technology Explodes 

As a trainer, I see it every day: skill levels are declining while technology is exploding. It’s high time to stop hiding behind traditional mechanical experience. “I’ve always done it this way” may be the most dangerous phrase in our trade. If you don’t have a thorough understanding of advanced electrical systems and logical diagnostics, you are no longer a technician—you are a spectator in your own profession. It’s time to wake up. 

Picture and text credit : Sébastien Tardif 
Master Trainer in Electric Vehicles 
Owner, S. Tardif Mechanical Expertise