√California to introduce servicing diagnostic standard for electric cars – report
From 2026, independent workshops servicing electric cars will have access to a standardised diagnostics system to help identify faults in electric motors, batteries and charging plugs without specialist tools.
California will require all electric cars to conform to a standard diagnostic system by 2026 designed to help independent workshops to repair battery-powered vehicles without needing multiple specialist tools.
As reported by industry publication Automotive News, new regulations in California will see electric cars adopt a standardised system for diagnosing electric motor and battery faults.
Since Model Year 1996, all cars sold in California have been required to be fitted with an OBD2 (short for ‘onboard diagnostic system II’) port for identifying faults in the vehicle.
However, although OBD2 can diagnose almost any fault in a car which can be traced back to an electrical connector, it is limited in diagnosing electric-vehicle specific faults – such as a faulty battery back or electric motor failures.
OBD2 ports became the standard across the US and then in Europe from 2001 – before becoming mandatory in Australia and New Zealand from 2006.
Though there are tools which can do so, there is currently no standardised diagnostic program or connector that is compatible with all electric cars, forcing independent workshops to buy multiple pieces of hardware and software.
According to Automotive News, the new diagnostic standard will cover all parts of an electric car’s drive system – from its battery pack and charging components, to electric motors and thermal management systems.
The new regulations will also require car-makers to display an electric vehicle’s battery health data on a menu in either the infotainment system or instrument display, rather than forcing owners to have their vehicles scanned for the information.
At least two US electric-car start-ups – Rivian and Lucid – told Automotive News they have “some of the 2026 electric vehicle diagnostic system technology in place”, while other brands such as General Motors and Stellantis are working on complying with the regulations.
The publication also reports 17 other US states have signed an agreement to adopt California’s new regulations – known as Advanced Clean Cars II – which are expected to also benefit plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
It is not yet clear when or if the standardised electric-car diagnostics regulations will be adopted in Australia, though it is likely local laws will eventually follow adoption of the technology overseas.
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