American Honda, which includes Honda and Acura brands, is rolling out their certified collision program for electric vehicles (EV). 

John Peixoto, Wholesale Marketing assistant manager of American Honda, says the EV certification will be an enhancement to the existing certified collision program. 

Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX will both be supported by the EV certification, Peixoto said.

“The EV certification will continue to evolve over time to support current and future EV models,” Peixoto said. 

This will include the future Honda 0 Series platform. Honda’s website says it plans to have production models for two Honda 0 series vehicles in 2026.  

Honda and Acura certification will be needed as a prerequisite before shops can enter the EV program, Peixoto said. He said all all training and tooling required for the Honda and Acura certification program is needed as a baseline for the EV certification.

Repair shops will need some additional tooling for the EV certification, Peixoto said. For example, vehicle lift, and frame bench weight capacities have been increased to meet the weight requirements for EVs, he said. The required EV Tooling & Equipment List will maintain a spec-based approach mirroring the existing Honda & Acura Certified Collision Tooling & Equipment List.

Other examples include a pneumatic or electric riveting system for installing structural rivets and specific tools for servicing EV cooling systems, Peixoto said. 

“For EVs overall, the procedures for servicing the cooling system are different than for an ICE vehicle due to the cooling system running through HV components such as the HV battery pack, drive motor and onboard charger,” Peixoto said. 

Personal protection equipment needed for the program includes class zero gloves, an electrical safety hook, and high voltage safety identifiers that includes a lockout/tagout kit. 

“The method to develop the tooling requirements was done by first understanding the required tools to repair the EVs per the Honda and Acura service procedures and understanding what’s current in the marketplace for EV collision repair,” Peixoto said. 

A full list of tools needed for the program will be availabe on the Honda & Acura Certified Collision Site upon the launch of the program. 

The EV program will recommend that shops send vehicles to Honda and Acura dealerships for any high-voltage removal and installation, Peixoto said. He said shops do have the option of doing it in-house, for which American Honda provides a tool list. 

The replacement of a high-voltage system such as the HV battery pack, drive unit, or charger will be required to be completed at an authorized EV certified Honda or Acura EV dealer, he said. 

Training for the EV certification will include 10 hours of online courses specific to Honda offered by I-CAR, he said. Additionally, shops will be required to complete a five-day hands-on skills development course through I-CAR at the Chicago Technical Center. 

“We wanted to implement the hands-on training requirement because there is so much importance on safety when dealing with high-voltage systems,” Peixoto said. 

The technician completing the EV certification, will be required to have already completed the Honda and Acura Certified Collision Program required Training courses, Peixoto said.

Peixoto said American Honda has spent more than a year developing the program, which involved reviewing all applicable available service and collision repair procedures and documentation while also building knowledge of the collision and mechanical experience on the shop floor. 

Any shop wanting more information on EV certification can reach out to their local American Honda wholesale marketeting supervisor or email HondaandAcuraCollision@ahm.honda.com. 

Honda also recently sent an email to Honda and Acura Certified Shops reminding them about paint booth conditions when repairing a Honda or Acura EV product. 

Paint booth conditions must: 

• • Not use the paint booth heating system for curing applied structural adhesives. Use only infrared heaters. 
  • Not exceed baking temperature of 140 degrees and 30 minutes of bake time. 
  • Keep high-voltage battery temperature below 105 degrees Fahrenheit 

“Failure to follow these specifications could result in accidental damage to the HV battery or cause a thermal runaway event,” the email says. “Please always make sure to refer to the Honda Service Information site (SIS) to review the necessary safety information when repairing EV products.” 

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Photo courtesy of Honda