Hybrid repair safety at FVTC

APPLETON - Miles per gallon is the latest buzz phrase in the auto industry.

Those that want to maximize their fuel often turn to hybrid cars, which run on a combination of gas and electricity. When one gets smashed, it's not like a normal car for the person who repairs it.

"Hybrid safety is key,” said Mel Schampers, an instructor for the program at Fox Valley Technical College. “Because if you make a mistake, you're not going to walk away from it."

Fox Valley Tech is now one of only forty institutions across the country that are part of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium. The idea is to teach students, repair professionals, and rescue crews the ins and outs of a hybrid.

"The independent repairer who's looking at how can we repair that vehicle is going to have the information available to use now that they can sit in a class and learn how to repair what's going on with the system," said Schampers.

Hydrids have batteries, which is a very high voltage system, and must be carefully disarmed when repairing.

“If you dig into a high voltage system, it will kill you," said Schampers.

Repair shops that see hybrids know the importance of the knowledge.

“With more and more on the road, you're going to have to learn how to repair it sooner or later,” said Steve Roder of Kolosso Collision Repair. “They're out there everywhere now."

"When you go into shops, you have to know what you're talking about," said John Resco of Sentry Insurance.

In Schampers' case, he hopes to help more people know what they're talking about when it comes to hybrid safety.