Bodyline Auto Recyclers in Hamilton, Ontario, has clear vision for the future—one that involves staying ahead of the curve, involved in the community and moving like a welloiled machine.

With nearly 10,000 battery-electric vehicles in the Hamilton, Ontario, area alone, plus thousands more in surrounding locales, Bodyline feels it’s important to keep a handle on electric vehicle updates and safety when it comes to working with their EV parts stock.

Eric McDonald recently worked with Mohawk College to create an EV safety course for automotive industry professionals.

“We’ve supplied Mohawk College with vehicles in the past,” explained Dave McDonald, owner of Bodyline Auto Recyclers. “They took a Tesla off of us [in 2024] and a Ford plug-in hybrid, as well.” “I helped Mohawk College acquire the information they needed to safely work on EVs and built the program out with them,” said Eric. “There’s a lack of knowledge on electric vehicles across the board and we want people to know how to deal with them and what to do in emergencies.” The team at Bodyline is well-versed in EV emergencies, having had a battery catch fire on their grounds in recent years.

“It took a couple of days for the fire to burn itself out,” said Dave. “Even the fire department told us all they could do was douse it with water, otherwise we’d risk a chemical reaction.”

The team took all the necessary precautions in the EV emergency.

“We housed it in an outdoor area near our loading docks, where no one goes,” explained Eric. “We advised staff to avoid the area, but someone always had eyes on the battery to keep handle of the situation.”

With eyes set on future trends and serving Bodyline customers, the McDonalds continue to have a steadfast goal.

“We’re going to sell more parts,” said Dave.