Hosted by Jeff Walter, Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning
In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter speaks with Corey Glassman about how ASE developed a national EV safety standard and why that development matters for technician performance, certification, and workforce readiness. The conversation centers on a significant milestone in the automotive industry. ASE did not merely discuss electric vehicle competency. It built a formal standard that now guides how technicians approach EV safety and service.
Electric vehicles have transformed the automotive landscape. High voltage battery systems, advanced electronics, regenerative braking, and integrated software platforms require a different level of technical understanding than traditional internal combustion vehicles. The skills required to work safely on EV systems are more specialized, more electrical, and more procedure driven.
The question facing the industry was straightforward. How do you define competence in this new environment?
ASE answered that question by developing the EV safety standard.
As EV adoption accelerated, service networks faced growing uncertainty. Training programs varied widely. Some technicians had extensive electrical backgrounds. Others were learning on the fly. Without a unified benchmark, safety practices could differ from shop to shop.
High voltage systems introduce real risk. Improper isolation procedures or incomplete understanding of battery management systems can result in injury, equipment damage, or costly repair errors. The absence of a defined national standard created inconsistency.
ASE developed the EV safety standard to establish a clear baseline. It defines what technicians must understand about high voltage systems, personal protective equipment, system isolation, diagnostic protocols, and safe handling procedures.
A standard does not eliminate complexity. It organizes it.
During the episode, Corey explains that the development of the EV safety standard was a structured, deliberate effort that required more than a year of focused work. It was not a casual initiative. It involved collaboration with industry experts and technical leaders to identify the competencies that truly matter in EV environments.
The outcome of that effort is the XEV safety standard. It exists today. It is active. It is integrated into ASE certification pathways.
That distinction is important. ASE has already developed the EV safety standard. It is not a proposal or pilot. It is a formalized framework shaping technician readiness.
Certification is only as strong as the standards behind it. By developing the EV safety standard, ASE strengthened the foundation of its certification programs.
For technicians, certification aligned with the EV safety standard communicates validated expertise in a high growth area of the industry. It demonstrates readiness to work on electric vehicles with defined safety competence.
For employers, the EV safety standard reduces hiring uncertainty. Service managers can rely on a nationally recognized benchmark rather than informal assurances of EV experience.
For customers, the presence of ASE certification tied to an EV safety standard reinforces trust. In an era where many consumers are new to electric vehicles, visible competence matters.
Certification becomes more than a credential. It becomes a signal of preparedness.
The automotive industry is navigating one of its most significant technological shifts. Electric vehicles are reshaping product lines, service models, and workforce requirements.
Transitions create instability. Standards create stability.
By developing the EV safety standard, ASE provided a stabilizing framework during a period of disruption. Shops do not have to invent their own EV safety guidelines. Educational programs do not have to guess at core competencies. Technicians do not have to navigate ambiguity about what safe EV service requires.
Clarity improves confidence. Confidence improves performance.
A recurring theme in the episode is professional identity. Automotive technicians are not simply adapting to change. They are mastering increasingly complex systems.
The EV safety standard reinforces that mastery. It defines electric vehicle service as a disciplined practice with measurable expectations. Technicians who achieve certification aligned with the EV safety standard demonstrate commitment to professional growth.
Recognition supports pride. Pride supports performance.
As technology becomes more advanced, professional identity becomes more important. Clear standards help elevate the role from informal trade to recognized profession.
In distributed service ecosystems, performance variability creates operational risk. Inconsistent EV safety practices can result in diagnostic errors, rework, or safety incidents.
The EV safety standard reduces that variability by defining baseline expectations. When technicians across different regions align with the same national standard, performance becomes more consistent.
Consistency benefits manufacturers, service networks, and customers. It also supports brand integrity in multi location environments.
Jeff connects this directly to the broader themes of the Training Impact Podcast. Standards that link to measurable competence strengthen training impact.
The development of the EV safety standard also addresses workforce challenges. The technician population is aging. At the same time, EV technology requires new skill sets.
Clear standards create structured pathways for upskilling. Experienced technicians can pursue certification aligned with the EV safety standard to expand their competence. New entrants into the field can see defined milestones.
Structured progression improves engagement and retention. When expectations are transparent, growth becomes attainable.
The EV safety standard therefore supports not only safety and quality, but also workforce sustainability.
Although ASE has developed the EV safety standard, the conversation makes clear that standards must evolve as technology evolves. Battery systems change. Diagnostic software updates. New EV architectures emerge.
The presence of a developed standard does not signal completion of progress. It establishes a foundation for ongoing refinement.
That dynamic approach ensures that certification remains relevant and credible in a rapidly changing industry.
The development of the EV safety standard demonstrates proactive leadership. ASE recognized that EV adoption required more than incremental updates. It required a formalized framework.
That framework now influences training programs, certification processes, and workforce expectations nationwide.
In many industries, technological disruption outpaces standardization. In this case, standardization moved forward deliberately to support safe and competent EV service.
That matters.
This episode of the Training Impact Podcast highlights how ASE developed a national EV safety standard that is now reshaping technician certification and workforce readiness. The standard defines safety protocols, clarifies competencies, and reduces variability across service environments.
By developing the EV safety standard, ASE strengthened its role as a benchmark for technician excellence. The framework provides clarity during industry transformation and supports safe, consistent EV service.
Standards build trust. Trust strengthens performance. And performance sustains the future of the automotive workforce.
To learn more about ASE certification and the EV safety standard, visit
https://www.ase.com
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