march2023 - S17

" The lift market is expanding to meet
unique EV needs, " says Brian Spikes, vice
president and general manager at Challenger
Lifts. " OEs have made lifting points
more specific to accommodate delicate
wiring and EV battery locations. "
It's important the lift can hit those
specific points, otherwise the equipment
could cause interference with the
vehicle's battery, notes Jason Matthews,
product manager, automotive lifts for
Rotary Lift. This interference could lead
to vehicle damage or an inability to do the
required repairs.
Lift manufacturers trying to stay
ahead of the curve are working on
modifying their lifts and lift accessories
to cater to the electric vehicle market.
Here are four EV lift manufacturers
creating products to help shops prepare
for the future of the industry.
BENDPAK
Announced at the 2023 NADA Expo,
the BendPak Mobi-EVS EV battery and
powertrain lifting system family includes
the upgraded EV2400SL and the new
EV4000SL.
" Mobi-EVS lift tables can handle
high-voltage battery packs from a Tesla
Model 3 to a Ford F-150 Lighting all
the way up to a GMC Hummer EV1, "
says Jeff Kritzer, president and CEO of
BendPak. " They protect technicians by
eliminating manual lifting, lowering, and
positioning of heavy battery packs and
making it easy to ergonomically move
them around the shop. "
Both models feature full-length utility
trays on both sides for keeping tools
within reach, a stowable steering handle,
zero-throw tri-casters, and an integrated
slip-plate deck that enables side-toside
shifting up to 1.5 " along both axis
for adjustability. The EV2400SL has a
2,400-lb capacity, while the EV4000SL
has a 4,000-lb capacity and the capability
to elevate to more than 6' in less than
20 seconds.
BendPak Upgraded
EV2400SL EV Battery
Pack and Powertrain
Lifting System
that previously if a shop had an inground
lift, the way they were constructed
typically would have interfered with the
electric battery.
To complement the Wide Smartlift,
CHALLENGER LIFTS
Recently introduced at SEMA 2022,
Spikes says, Challenger Lift's medium
duty 5K Mobile Columns " will allow
shops with limited space to have the flexibility
of a mobile column system in a more
compact form and at lower price point. "
As a set of four, the wireless mobile
columns are able to lift 20,000 lbs and
can lift vehicles from the wheels. This
gives technicians total undercarriage
access on both electric and larger vehicles.
Challenger also offers two EV lift
tables-the BT3000 and the BT3300.
Though both lift tables can be used to
install and remove EV batteries, battery
packs, transmissions, etc., the BT3000
offers a higher maximum height at 79.5 "
and has a rechargeable battery. On the
other hand, the BT3300 can be easily
maneuvered with its pallet-jack-style
handle and extending, adjusting, and
tilting top plate.
ROTARY LIFT
One of Rotary Lift's newer lifts, the Wide
Smartlift, allows better accessibility to
EV batteries. Though Matthews notes
that their lifts have always had clearance,
he says " the difference between
that and our standard Smartlift is that the
plungers are farther away from each
other. And that provides
the clearance
needed to be
able to remove
electric batteries. "
He explains
Rotary Lift Wide
Smartlift
Rotary Lift has the LT33A Air-Hydraulic
Lift Table. The table can shift in sections
with the lift platform extending an additional
8 " , which eliminates the need to
move the entire table when multi-positioning
larger loads. Additionally, the
tabletop can shift side-to-side by an inch
and can tilt up to 1 degree. The variety of
adjustments helps technicians easily line
up vehicle components during installations.
Rotary's lift table also features foot
pedal controls.
STERTIL-KONI
With EVs becoming more and more prevalent
in the market, many lift manufacturers,
such as Stertil-Koni, are looking
at the equipment they currently offer and
trying to find ways to adapt it, so it not
only works with electric vehicles but also
the legacy vehicles on the road and the
vehicles being transitioned from internal
combustion to electric.
Just as important as the EV lift itself
are the EV lift tables used for lowering
the battery from the vehicle. Getting the
vehicle off the ground is just step one -
shops need additional EV lift accessories
to finish the job, such as Stertil-Koni's
SKTJ Hydraulic Transmission Jack.
" What we have right now is actually
a transmission jack that's on swivels,
and it has its own hydraulic piston that
would come up to meet the batteries, and
then lower [them] down safely, " says Tim
Kerr, engineering sales support manager
for Stertil-Koni. " So that's currently what
we're trying to work on and expand the
capabilities [of]. "
Kerr notes that they are looking to
potentially add a large battery table to the
jack, and with the equipment's 3,500-lb
capacity, it would be able to handle lifting
and lowering any EV battery.
March 2023 I Vehicle Lift Guide I 17
march2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2023
