The auto industry has been suffering from a lack of qualified technicians to fix and maintain the new wave of electric vehicles. The Vancouver Community College (VCC) Automotive Service Technician program aims to fix this shortage, training students to fix EVs, ICE autos, and now has expanded to include fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which run on Hydrogen fuel cells. To this end, VCC has partnered with Toyota Canada and has acquired one of the first commercially available FCEVs in Canada, the Toyota Mirai, for students to work on.
“We commend Vancouver Community College for having the foresight to provide B.C.’s future automotive service technicians with the training required to service the province’s growing fleet of hydrogen-powered FCEVs,” said Stephen Beatty, Vice President, Corporate, Toyota Canada. “As forward-thinking companies in BC continue to choose to decarbonize their high-use vehicle fleets with FCEVs like the Toyota Mirai, it’s vital that our dealerships have access to future technicians with the knowledge and experience required to service them.”
Toyota is a pioneer of FCEVs, its research into hydrogen technology began in the 1990s. According to the VCC press release, “FCEVs are powered by mixing hydrogen with oxygen in the air which creates the electricity that powers the vehicle. The only by-product emitted by its tailpipe is water, making it a zero-emission alternative to vehicles powered by fossil fuels.”
VCC’s Automotive Service Technician program oversees one of the largest working garages in the province and more than 600 students have graduated in the last two years alone. In the program, students learn how to diagnose, test, and repair vehicles using the latest technology.
“Hydrogen is a key fuel to help B.C.’s transition to cleaner energy solutions, as we work toward meeting our legislated 2030-2050 greenhouse gas reduction targets,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Vancouver Community College is training students to service and repair fuel cell electric vehicles, preparing students for good jobs of the future, and taking significant steps to fight climate change.”
