Early maintenance planning and strong local service partnerships are keys to ensuring fleet operations continue even when an EV manufacturer goes out of business

Electric vehicles typically require less maintenance than their gas-powered counterparts. But when significant service is needed, repairs can become more complicated because EV technology is still relatively new.

That challenge deepens when a manufacturer goes out of business, taking with it technical knowledge, parts-supply links and warranty support.

That’s exactly what happened earlier this year when one of Canada’s largest EV manufacturers, Lion Electric, ceased operations.

The company’s bankruptcy left many customers without warranty coverage for their electric school buses.

Following its acquisition by a group of Quebec investors, Lion announced it would continue to honour warranties only for buses sold in Quebec, but those sold outside the province lost their coverage.

Beyond OEM help

Even when an OEM goes out of business, it does not mean fleet operators do not have other reliable options for maintaining their fleets, says Darryl Croft, president of the Electric Vehicle Network, a Toronto-based car dealership and service provider in an interview with Electric Autonomy.

“In the vehicle repair business, you have dealers that are affiliated with OEMs, and then you have what’s called the aftermarket,” explains Croft. “The aftermarket works on a variety of makes and models, and over time, many models have been discontinued or dropped off. It’s always been the case, EV or not.”

The aftermarket can fill service gaps when a manufacturer disappears. Shops in this space specialize in tracking down scarce parts or technical data to keep vehicles running. “There is information, there are parts—it just takes some effort to find them,” Croft says.

The aftermarket also shares expertise and solutions across regions, creating a collective knowledge base few OEMs can match.

Still, not every repair centre is prepared to take on that extra legwork, Croft cautions. EV service  requires diagnostic data, specialized tools and familiarity with high-voltage systems, resources that many shops still lack.

“When you’re dealing with limited availability and new technology, some shops may not be willing to go down that path,” Croft adds. “If they can’t have a successful outcome of solving the problem, they may not even start.”

For fleet operators, that means finding a partner shop early— ideally before a problem arises. “It takes a bit more of a partnership with a shop that’s willing to look for information and parts,” Croft says. “Even if there’s nothing wrong with your vehicle today, start looking now at who’s around and may want to tackle it.”

Proactive maintenance planning

For fleet operators, building relationships with repair and service providers isn’t just important once vehicles are on the road; it should begin during the vehicle procurement stages, says Croft.

He says fleets have leverage at the point of purchase to negotiate with the vehicles manufacturer for access to software, diagnostic data and parts for their preferred service providers.

“You have power as a fleet early on when you’re buying the vehicle,” Croft explains. “If you have an alternative service provider outside the OEM, you can set up access for information and inventory with your preferred service supplier. Once you buy the vehicle, that negotiation is gone.”

That foresight can prevent serious maintenance headaches down the line. It can also help fleets navigate another common pitfall: assuming that when a manufacturer closes, parts become impossible to find.

In reality, many component suppliers continue to operate long after a manufacturer goes out of business. The challenge lies in navigating that fragmented supply chain without the right connections.

“Part of the maintenance plan should be an alternative service supplier—like a local EV-ready facility that will help you along,” says Croft. “That shop can often handle much of the regular maintenance the OEM may not be as good at.”

Establishing a “healthy financial relationship” and trust with a local shop also encourages them to go the extra mile tougher problems arise.

Forgotten step

The challenge with proactive maintenance, Croft says, is that it’s often overlooked — and rare.

Fleet operators often focus on financing and charging infrastructure, while underestimating the importance of day-to-day service support. Yet these relationships directly affect vehicle uptime and total cost of ownership.

“It’s really an obligation of a fleet manager to minimize downtime,” Croft says. “If you have that relationship with a supplier that carries some stock and has access to information, that vehicle will be fixed faster and back on the road sooner.”

The biggest advice Croft has for fleets is to develop a relationship with trusted local partner that can stock parts, access repair data and troubleshoot issues quickly, acting as what Croft calls “a nice insurance policy.”