The Dublin-based importer has invested significantly in its training academy to meet rising demand from over 90 UK dealers, delivering structured programmes from system technician to master technician level with particular focus on electric vehicle safety and diagnostics.
Harris MAXUS UK, the Dublin-based UK and Ireland importer of the MAXUS range of Chinese-built commercial vehicles, has expanded its technician training capacity to keep pace with rising demand.
With shortages of skilled vehicle techs now causing operators as many problems as lack of drivers, Harris is stepping up to the mark with a significant investment in its Training Academy, part of the Harris Group’s vast 20-acre HQ in the industrial area of west Dublin.
The goal is simple yet ambitious: to deliver the highest standard of technical training for MAXUS dealers across the UK and Ireland. With over 90 dealers in the UK alone and at least five technicians per site, the demand for skilled workshop techs is growing.
Since the Academy opened in 2022, it has trained 440 technicians, 321 from the UK, and delivered a total of 2,189 training days.
MAXUS stole a march on rival OEMs with good availability of its battery electric eDeliver 3 and eDeliver 9 just as fleet operators started to ramp up deployment of BEVs. While the other manufacturers are now catching up, many operators are choosing to stick with MAXUS.
Tesco for example has recently ordered 750 4.25-tonne eDeliver 9 chassis cabs, the largest order for the model ever placed in the UK, which follows the delivery of 232 eDeliver 9s in 2025.
Harris has now launched the battery electric 7.5-tonne eDeliver 75 into the UK and Ireland, a vehicle it expects to sell in large volumes, and the Academy has already begun training techs on the new vehicle.
Harris Group aftersales manager Keith Mooney (pictured) explains: “Our unique approach to raining is to focus on the vehicles’ various systems to establish a deep understanding across the range of vehicles. This makes new model training much more efficient .”
.”A key element to the EV training is safety and how to power down an EV and isolate the batteries before starting work, as an 120kWh 600V battery cannot be treated lightly. The DC batteries charge with rectified AC voltage or full DC and the battery output is inverted back to AC to power the vehicle motor.
While the training does not cover chargers, with every MAXUS equipped with Geotab telematics it should be possible to determine why a vehicle has failed to recharge fully when connected to charge point.
The Academy offers a clear progression route:
• System Technician: A 13-day course covering core systems, including two modules dedicated to EV technology. It starts with basics—electrical circuits and sensor theory—before ramping up quickly to advanced diagnostics.
• Diagnostic Technician: A 16-day programme focused on complex fault-finding, supported by a two-day practical assessment.
• Master Technician: An eight-day advanced course designed to create workshop leaders capable of managing teams and troubleshooting the toughest issues.
In total, the pathway spans 37 days, supplemented by specialist modules such as gearbox repair. Every stage includes rigorous assessments, ensuring competence rather than mere attendance.
“We ask that every dealer will have at least one technician on the Master Tech path,” says Mooney. “The courses are very intensive so we recommend that each tech does no more than two modules – four days training – back to back.”
The dealers pay for their techs to attend the Academy but the cost is subsidised by Harris to encourage the network to upskill its workforce. Large fleet operators like Tesco and DPD that either want to do their own R&M or use another maintenance provider can also send their techs to the Academy.
The Academy is geared towards experienced mechanics wanting to learn new skills but Mooney is looking at starting a three-year apprenticeship scheme to train up new entrants to the CV industry. And while the Academy does not currently offer drivers training on EVs Harris has produced a two-page document on how to perform a daily walkaround check on the eDeliver 75.
Training at Harris MAXUS isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about instilling a structured, logical approach to diagnostics and repair, ensuring vehicles return to the road quickly and safely. In commercial transport, downtime isn’t just inconvenient—it impacts livelihoods. That’s why the Academy emphasises rapid, accurate fault-finding and repair, reducing guesswork and eliminating repeat failures.
“The key part of what we do is customer service,” says Mooney. “We mainly do commercial vehicles . Everybody on the team and every technician that comes to the training centre is acutely aware they’re working on a commercial vehicle. This is somebody’s livelihood so the aim has to be maximum uptime.”
Modern vehicles are packed with electronics—up to 46 ECUs in some models—making traditional mechanical skills insufficient. While diagnostic tools and guided fault-finding cover 80% of issues, the remaining 20% requires deep understanding. “Technicians often follow instructions without knowing why,” says Mooney. “We bring them back to fundamentals—understanding circuits, sensors, and systems—so they can think independently.”
This philosophy resonates strongly with technicians. Many enter the trade driven by curiosity and a love of problem-solving but can be tempted away from the profession by other job opportunities.
“One excellent outcome of this type of training is that it keeps the techs motivated,” says Mooney. “If a mechanic has been doing the job for a couple of years, we see him reignited with that love of learning again.
“All of a sudden they become ambassadors for the MAXUS brand. They want to stay on the training path, because they have this motivation, this passion again for being a technician with that interest in how does something work and how can I be the best at fixing it?”
One veteran technician with 17 years’ experience described the programme as “the best I’ve seen,” praising its relevance and depth.
“He was losing his passion, but now he’s back loving it again ,” says Mooney.
