What the EV Mandate Rollback Means for Auto Repair

June 12, 2025

Craig Van Batenburg has been in the hybrid and EV world for decades, and he spends his days training technicians how to safely work with high-voltage systems. Craig says tire dealers need to take the politics out of the EV conversation and focus on what really matters — caring for customers and their vehicles.

Joy Kopcha

MTD Columnist Craig Van Batenburg says tire dealers need to operate and offer repair services to customers in all sectors of the vehicle world, and that includes EVs. The rollback of California’s EV mandate doesn’t change that there are EVs on the road and Van Batenburg says once customers invest in an EV “90% stay that way.”

The U.S. Senate has rolled back California’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate — so what does that mean for tire dealers amping up their EV service business? Craig Van Batenburg has been in the hybrid and EV world for decades, and he spends his days training technicians how to safely work with high-voltage systems. Craig says tire dealers need to take the politics out of the EV conversation and focus on what really matters — caring for customers and their vehicles.