Research by The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has revealed significant gaps in qualified technicians able to work on electric vehicles. The report titled ‘Electric Evolution: Examining the Triumphs, Trials and Roadblocks of the UK’s Electric Vehicle Aftermarket’ shows that, despite an increase in EV training in the last year, qualified technician availability is still inconsistent across the UK, presenting an underlying risk to the government’s decarbonisation plans.
The analysis looked at the proportion of EV-qualified technicians compared to the total technician workforce in each UK local authority. Only seven local authorities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have 10% or more technicians qualified to work on electric vehicles. Worryingly, more than 150 local authorities have less than 2% of technicians with the necessary qualifications.
With electric vehicles predicted to make up a quarter of the total UK car parc by 2030, the number of technicians trained to the right level is set to fall short of what is required. The report calls for significant investment to be made in training. The IMI is currently predicting that 77,000 IMI TechSafe qualified technicians will be required by 2030, increasing to 89,000 by 2032.
Download the report from the IMI website.
The skills shortage is one of the topics that will be discussed at the BVRLA’s June Vehicle and Fleet Management (VFM) Forum, taking place this Thursday in Warwick. Hosted by fleet management company Rivus, the agenda will also cover the ongoing parts shortage, supply chain management and vehicle rejections.
Subscribers to the Forum (previously Technical and Operational Management) can send up to two colleagues to attend; if you haven’t done so already, confirm their names via email to [email protected] as soon as possible.
The third and final VFM forum of 2023 will be on Thursday 2 November at Autoglass in Egham.
