When Tesla came out with the Model S, it was a game-changer. Its revolutionary technology has paved the way for more efficient electric vehicles that are more accessible than ever before.
As its popularity grew, so did the need for certified technicians to repair these vehicles, especially when it came to body repair and PDR.
Door dings happen, and when you have a car as nice as a Tesla, it’s not something you want to keep around. It’s imperative that when you address these mishaps you take them to a certified body repair shop that specializes in PDR with EVs.
But why?
While PDR, or Paintless Dent Repair, is a fairly straightforward process on most vehicles, they are different on Teslas. You have two factors that make them much more difficult on them: they’re aluminum and they’re all-electric.
Aluminum PDR
What makes PDR work is metal memory. Metal, as long as it hasn’t passed this particular threshold, will want to return to its original shape.
Most metal body panels can be repaired with PDR, but aluminum requires a different approach. The primary reason aluminum is different to work with goes back to that concept of metal memory. Steel is extremely easy to coax back into its original shape, on the other hand, aluminum requires more convincing because it’s so pliable and easily deformable unlike other metal alloys like steel.
Aluminum also requires the use of heat, unlike steel. This part also provides a challenge to PDR technicians. Too much heat can permanently soften the aluminum, which will leave it particularly prone to damage again.
Not only is heat required, but a completely different set of skills and tools is as well. Traditional PDR tools can cause more damage to the area, so care must be taken that the correct tools are used for the job.
All Electric Repairs
The thing about EVs is that they have a battery core in addition to power cables that run throughout the vehicle.
It’s extremely important to understand where these cables are located and where they connect. During the PDR process, a variety of sharp metal tools are used to repair dents from the underside of your vehicle’s body panels, and failure to possess the knowledge of where these cables are located can result in the injury (or an untimely death) of the technician working on your Tesla, as well as damage to your vehicle. If a careless, non-certified technician were to puncture one of these cables, they run the risk of frying themselves and that, my friends, is not good. This is why It’s important that the PDR technician working on your EV has a Power Down certification
What’s the takeaway?
Always take your Tesla to a certified PDR technician that has experience in aluminum repairs and has their Power Down Certification. This will ascertain the integrity of the repairs and the proper function of your vehicle!
Our goal at Dent Detail Paintless Dent Removal is to fix your car smoothly, efficiently, and with grace for you. We want to answer any questions, and if this did not, please give us a ring. We want you to understand the process, pricing, and value we are bringing to your repair. We are conveniently located at Unit 46, Centurion Industrial Estate, Centurion Way, Leyland, PR25 4GU, United Kingdom. We would love to serve you. Please give us a call if you have any questions we haven’t answered here.
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