“High Voltage,” meet the auto industry

As you can see by the danger sign in the picture, high voltage is new to the automotive industry.

And here at Moraine Park Technical College, with advances in automotive technology and hybrid vehicles aging, we are exposing our students to hybrid and electric vehicle technology. 

Hybrid and electric vehicles have two batteries in them – the traditional 12 volt battery that all cars have had for years, and the high voltage battery that helps to power the vehicle down the road. Just like the traditional 12 volt battery goes bad or wears out after about 5 to 7 years, the high voltage battery can degrade with time, too. But, the high voltage battery is not the same as the 12 volt battery and can very often be reconditioned to bring back some of the energy that may have been lost over time.

We show our students the high voltage batteries and the testing and reconditioning process that can be done, and our students learn and gain the ability to recondition hybrid batteries and test hybrid/electric vehicle components alongside many other traditional skills.

To learn more about our automotive program, or any of our career options here at Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu/programs.

jimmy-doing-hybrid-battery

Written by Timothy Moy
I have been an automotive instructor at Moraine Park since 2001. Prior to coming to Moraine Park I was an automotive technician for 20 years, mostly at GM dealerships.