[Report] "Why is the hook here?"... A Look at How Electric Vehicle Maintenance Is Done

Autoplus Incheon Used Car Refurbishment Factory
World's First Institutional Certification for Electric Vehicle Maintenance and Refurbishment Process
Standardized Safety Work Manuals Including Insulation Equipment Installation
Meticulous Refurbishment Strengths Including Used Car Odor Care

On the 7th, at the Autoplus Incheon Used Car Refurbishment Factory located in the Cheongna district of Incheon, a vehicle lift was raising a red EV6 electric vehicle. Underneath the vehicle, a worker fully equipped with various protective gear checked whether electric current was flowing through the EV before starting the main work. For electric vehicle maintenance, work can only begin after confirming with specialized equipment that the current inside the vehicle is completely cut off. The worker wore insulated headgear, insulated gloves, and an apron, performing all tasks only on insulated pads. The electric vehicle maintenance area was surrounded by orange safety bars to prevent unauthorized access. This separation of the workspace is for safety purposes. Proper temperature control, ventilation, and specialized fire extinguishing equipment are also essential.

On one side of the workspace, there was an insulated hook about the height of a person. This is to enable pulling the worker away from the vehicle in case of an electric shock accident. Not only in the electric vehicle maintenance area but throughout the workspace, yellow insulated hooks and specialized fire extinguishing equipment were installed. Park Jong-ho, head of production at Autoplus, said, "If an electric shock accident occurs, trying to pull a colleague away with bare hands can cause additional accidents," adding, "The electric vehicle refurbishment process requires meticulous maintenance according to the manual."

On the 7th, an electric vehicle maintenance master is repairing a used electric vehicle at AutoPlus ATC located in Cheongna District, Incheon.
[Photo by AutoPlus]

The Autoplus Incheon Factory (ATC·Autoplus Trust Center) is the world's first to obtain electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid maintenance certification from the German certification body TUV SUV (T?V S?D). They created a manual for electric vehicle maintenance procedures and received official certification from a reputable European institution. This year, the certification was renewed after receiving high marks for improvements in fire safety facilities and worker training curricula. They passed all evaluations including electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid maintenance proficiency, facility infrastructure, maintenance parts and equipment, and electric vehicle maintenance accident safety prevention education.

In 2017, Autoplus established the ATC on a 26,446㎡ (8,000 pyeong) site, equivalent to three comprehensive sports stadiums. The goal is to maintain and restore 10,000 used cars annually to make them as close to new as possible. For electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, about 100 units can be refurbished annually.

On the 7th, a worker is performing used car body repair work at AutoPlus ATC located in Cheongna District, Incheon.
[Photo by AutoPlus]

Meticulous maintenance and restoration tailored to consumer expectations are Autoplus's strengths. On this day, the ATC paint mixing room was lined with paint cans of various colors. Professional colorists paint the faded colors of used cars, applying paint without removing the car doors. Since used cars often lose residual value significantly if bolt marks are found, which can raise suspicions of accident history, this method preserves value. Even the smell, which is crucial in used car purchases, is graded. Park said, "The smell in used cars is difficult to remove unless all interior parts are replaced," adding, "We do not sell used cars rated below grade 3 in our own classification."