Almost 15,000 technicians undertook the necessary training and qualifications required to work on electric vehicles in 2022, according to the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
But the organisation said an acceleration of training was needed to avoid the potential shortfall of 16,000 qualified technicians currently predicted by 2032.
More than 14,800 dedicated technicians obtained the IMI TechSafe professional recognition in 2022, boosting the total number of technicians qualified to safely work on electric vehicles in the UK to 39,000 by the end of last year.
The Institute has highlighted that previous market expectations of electric vehicles requiring less time for servicing may be misplaced, increasing pressure on a workforce already dealing with an ageing UK car parc.
Tyre wear on electric vehicles is reported to be heavier than on ICE models. According to Garage Industry Trends analysis of 2021 MOT test data, EVs had a failure rate of 11.43 per cent for 2018 registered vehicles compared to 10.45 per cent for petrol vehicles. The weak point was identified as tyres.
Technicians who have met the IMI TechSafe standards – endorsed by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) – can showcase their credentials by joining the IMI’s industry-wide Professional Register, which lists individual members and their place of work.
