Paul Group starts online training for electric trucks

With its largest commercial vehicle service center in the Passau region and as a specialist in commercial vehicle conversions, the Vilshofen-based Paul Group is widely known. In the special vehicle construction sector, the company positions itself as the European market leader with its internationally over 1,000 conversions per year, according to its own information. The expertise also includes the most modern commercial vehicle drives such as battery-electric or hydrogen systems: About a year ago, the company presented its first own hydrogen fuel cell truck "PH2P".

As a result of the development of new drive technologies, the Paul Group, as one of the pioneers in this field, has decided that the best way to impart the expertise necessary for the safe handling of high-tech vehicles is through its own courses. Thus, the Paul Academy was created as a training center for battery-electric high-voltage (HV) and hydrogen (H2) gas drives. Some basic modules of these trainings, which are normally provided by Paul Group experts at the Albersdorf location near Vilshofen, are now also available as online courses, as the company currently reports.

“Alternative drives require special knowledge and expertise in workshops,”

says the Paul Group. To provide workshop professionals with a sound and practical understanding of how to handle high-voltage and H2 technology safely, the company from Lower Bavaria offers an extensive training and certification program through its Paul Academy. The program covers topics that go beyond the basics provided by professional associations and offers deeper insights into the modern world of propulsion. The offerings are aimed at developers, technicians, mechatronics engineers, and mechanics in companies that utilize high-voltage and H2 gas technology for battery-electric BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) and hydrogen vehicles.

“In addition to the generally accepted scientific knowledge, associated regulations, and literature, our training is based on a high level of practical experience,”

says the family-owned company, highlighting the advantages of its training center. The knowledge base is always “up to date” thanks to additional experience in special vehicle construction.

Making Workshops Future-Proof

The program now also includes pure online training in its basic versions. They offer a convenient introduction to the maintenance and repair of vehicles with alternative drives, thus providing “an important foundation for future-proof workshops.” In this training format, the Level 1E/1S courses for high-voltage or H2 gas systems are offered. The basic courses, which typically last around two hours, can be easily and quickly booked for individuals or even workshop teams and completed conveniently from an online workplace or home office.

Online Basic Course: H2 Gas Technology

The 1S/1E course for H2 gas technology (“Gases and Hydrogen”), for example, uses video support to convey, among other things, the basic functions of gas system components, safety measures when working near gas-carrying parts, the dangers posed by flammable and pressurized gases, hazard recognition, and actions in case of danger. This level does not include work on the gas system. Conclusion: Qualification for working on vehicles with gas propulsion (excluding the gas system) according to DGUV-FBHM-099.

The cost is around 150 euros net per person. Entry-level courses for high-voltage technology are similarly structured:

Online Basic Course: HV Technology

In the area of battery-electric drives, Level 1S/1E covers general work on vehicles with HV systems, including wheel changes or oil changes. The content includes information on electrical hazards and safety measures, operation of the vehicles and related equipment such as test benches. It also covers the location and labeling of HV components and lines in and on the vehicle. General tasks that “do not require HV system de-energization” and situation-specific safety measures are discussed. Conclusion: Qualified person under instruction (FuP) according to DGUV Information 209-093 for working with HV systems and their components.

Optimal: On-Site Training with Specialists

In addition to online training, which can only convey basic knowledge, a larger program of advanced on-site courses is also offered at the training center near Vilshofen. The specialist in commercial vehicles and conversions also provides advice on workshop equipment and other investments in this context. Upon request, the Academy's professionals will come directly to the company for training or consultation.

However, the best-equipped facility in Vilshofen is particularly suitable for on-site training, where seminar rooms are located directly next to the respective HV or H2 training workstations. There, participants can experience firsthand on the PH2P truck how the system is measured and tested. The report states: “Previous graduates repeatedly report how instructive it is to train on a real object.”

Advanced Courses

Building on the basic courses, the next levels at Paul Academy, for example, address the qualification to become a skilled person (FHV) for working on HV systems in a de-energized state (HV 2E/2S). An advanced course on working on HV components under voltage is certified with HV 3E/3S. Accordingly, courses for working on and installing or modifying gas systems extend to Level 3E/3S. These advanced courses must each be completed in on-site practical training sessions.

“Participants are comprehensively qualified and certified in theory and practice. A wide range of training sessions and training combinations cover all necessary content,”

says the provider, defining the content. According to the information provided, the requirements for separate H2 room equipment with safety and testing technology are also addressed. Other training sessions cover HV/H2 combination training and safety organization consulting, as well as product training such as the in-house PH2P truck.

Building Confidence

The training facility is also specifically aimed at breaking down possible prejudices among workshop professionals in direct contact with the machines to help the technology break through, as Robert Kiessling, product trainer at Paul Group, indicates:

“In our work, it’s crucially important to us to break down prejudices against H2 and high-voltage technology by conveying a sound understanding of how to work with them safely. Because only when there is trust in new drive technologies will they be adopted.”

Kiessling and his team also provide comprehensive advice on the handling and technical requirements for modern vehicles upon request. For example, individual circumstances are analyzed, and corresponding plans are developed to adapt workstations, necessary equipment such as clothing and tools, and securing and labeling vehicles. It is essential to know, for example, to what extent work on the gas system is allowed indoors and when certain measures must be carried out outdoors.

The courses can be booked through the Paul Academy website.