Uncharted Territory: Meineke’s First Electric Vehicle Service Center
For many in the quick lube industry, electric vehicles may be something they assume is inherently excluded from their business. But with an overwhelming push for more drivers to go electric–and many doing so–some service providers are wanting to get ahead of the curve.
Mike Baden is the owner of the first ever Meineke store to expand its services to EVs and hybrids. After branding the store as Meineke EV, Baden has helped launch a project that several other franchisees are eager to get in on.
While some still doubt whether there may be a space for EVs in quick auto maintenance, Baden’s journey shows that the time is coming for more service providers to assert room for themselves within the EV space.
An Industry Game Changer
Baden was an early adopter of EVs. His interest began while working as a tech at a Ferrari dealership, around the time the Tesla Roadster was released.
“It just happened to be one day that one of the Tesla Roadsters came through. It was in transit, and we got to see it,” tells Baden. “It was like, ‘Wow, if this guy ever figures this really out, this is going to be a game changer.’”
The guy Baden refers to is Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and as the automaker unveiled plans for affordable EVs, Baden saw something that he thought would change the landscape of the auto industry.
Before long, Baden became a Tesla owner himself. Being a technician, his first instinct was none other than to take it apart and back together again, looking at the car through an aftermarket lens. He found that it shared several components with gas-powered cars that would require the same maintenance it ever has, such as wiper blades, tires, air conditioning, and brakes.
He went beyond examining his own car and enrolled in an EV program at Weber State University of Ogden, Utah. While Baden was familiar with how EVs operate, the program offered him a look into a wide span of makes, models, and even hybrid vehicles. He describes it as the best education he’s received in the automotive industry.
Baden completed the course and began to toy with the idea of owning his own shop. He learned that one of his neighbors worked for Meineke corporate, and over dinner discussed more details about the company, leading to him purchasing his current franchise 11 years ago.
Making a Vision a Reality
Baden’s affinity for electric vehicles did not dim upon becoming a shop owner, but rather only grew. Though others haven’t shared his same feelings, he sees EVs as an opportunity for growth.
“I can honestly say I was the guy that was wearing the Tesla and SpaceX T-shirts to all of our conventions and meetings, and everybody was kind of laughing at me, thinking that I was a huge advocate for electric vehicles when our business is based off internal combustion engines,” recalls Baden. “And I just said, ‘It's here, guys. It's fine if nobody else wants to do it, but I'm going to do it.’”
The move just made sense for Baden. With Indian Land being only around 30 minutes out from Charlotte, North Carolina, the area is relatively affluent. It felt as if every fifth car Baden saw was an EV or hybrid, leading him to the desire to expand his services.
Until this year, EV and hybrid service has been uncharted waters for Meineke. They needed someone like Baden–a passionate EV owner himself, with training specifically in servicing them–to help lead the way. When Baden first presented the idea for EV service to Meineke, they saw he was the right fit to launch such an endeavor.
Since then, Indian Land has set a standard of success for the newly launched brand, and as of now, there are already 10 more franchise locations looking to join and expand their services as well.
Though the bulk of Baden’s techs didn’t have much interest in getting trained in EV work, one young, eager-to-learn tech was all in for the ride. Austin Johnson is a 20-year-old who’s been with the Indian Land Meineke for three years now, and since day one, Baden’s passion for EVs has rubbed off on him. When Johnson wasn’t researching EVs online, he was asking Baden every question he had about them. It became clear to Baden that the young man would be his designated EV technician.
“I took him out for a ride in my Tesla, and I let him drive it,” remembers Baden. “After he went on a 30-minute test drive, when he came back, that was it for him. He was hooked.”
Baden had Johnson receive the same training he did from Weber State University, making him a certified EV technician. With the launch of Meineke EV, Johnson has been Baden’s right-hand man as they see more EVs and hybrids rolling through the shop–sometimes up to seven or 10 each week.
Besides Baden, Johnson, and another tech who helps with tire rotations and wiper blade replacements, it’s just the three of them who perform work on EVs and hybrids at the shop. Most of the older techs haven’t been interested in working with EVs, but since Meineke EV was launched, that’s begun to change. Techs that were initially dismissive of the change have now started to ask their own questions as they see more gas-powered cars convert to hybrid and electric.
Adapting to Change
Baden’s older techs are far from the only ones who share skepticism about EVs. Despite more automakers focusing on EVs in the face of tightening emissions standards, it’s not a conversation Baden sees many in the automotive service industry having, even though he sees adapting to EVs as essential for survival.
For quick maintenance shops, there are many opportunities to retain business, regardless of a gas or electric-powered customer base, as Baden has proven. One example of EV quick maintenance he provides are battery swap stations: a concept that has recently gained traction in China that simply swaps out EV batteries in a matter of minutes, eliminating the need to stop at a charging station.
Though EVs may not be coming in as frequently for service appointments, the average repair orders a shop sees will increase due to the complexity of working with EVs. Additionally, Baden is in a particularly advantageous position, having preemptively asserted himself as the non-dealership option for EV owners in the area. Some of his EV clientele come from over an hour away just to have their vehicles serviced in his shop.
Many still doubt whether it’s worthwhile to expand their services to include EVs and hybrids. Factors may play a role in that decision, but Baden cautions shop owners to not turn a blind eye to what he considers an inevitable change on the horizon.
