More people are buying EVs, but there aren’t enough mechanics to fix them
This story was produced by our colleagues at the BBC.
By 2030 there are expected to be up to 11 million hybrid or electric vehicles in the United Kingdom, according to the Local Government Association. But there are currently only around 45,000 mechanics who are qualified to fix and service them.
The London Electric Centre and GoinGreen in West London is one of the few specialist EV service centers around the country. Gino Tulipano, one of the mechanics, is working on the two-tonne battery unit of a delivery van. He said on balance he prefers working on electric vehicles to internal combustion engines.
“You’re not getting covered in any oil or grease and no diesel engine and no fumes,” said Tulipano. “But on the other hand, it’s very heavy, the weight of these batteries, the high voltage dangers, there’s pros and cons to it. But I prefer it. It’s better to be dusty than oily.”
Alex Pierce, one of the directors of GoinGreen, said they take all brands of EVs. Pointing to the dozen or so cars on the shopfloor, he listed what they were working on.
“We’ve got a BMW we just changed the motor on, a Jaguar I-PACE we’ve just got to diagnose and repair. We’ve got a Kia Nero. We just fixed a Piaggio Tuk-Tuk Electric. We don’t really turn anything down.”
Pierce said the main difference you’d notice in this garage compared to a regular one is the presence of far more laptops and diagnostics equipment.
“There’s a lot of head work, a lot of diagnostics. It might take four hours to diagnose a fault, five minutes to fix it,” he said.
The combination of mechanical, software and electronics expertise required for EV servicing and repairs is making it hard for Alex to get new people in. It can take a lot of money and time to train someone up and fewer young people are attaining the necessary qualifications. Projections from the professional association the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), who certify EV-qualified technicians in the UK, show growth is slowing.
“We’re facing a slowdown in the uptake of EV qualifications, a 36% drop in the last year,” said Emma Carrigy, research and insight manager at the IMI. “We need 107,000 EV technicians by 2030 or we risk a 13,000 shortfall by 2032.”
That shortage is already contributing to higher repair costs and insurance premiums. According to price comparison site Confused.com, insurance premiums for EVs went up 72% in 2023, compared to just 29% for internal combustion engines. Louise Thomas from Confused.com said this could be a problem in the future.
“It’s the price of the car rather than insurance that is going to prevent most consumers from making the switch right now,” said Thomas. “But it certainly might tip them over the edge if they realize they have to pay thousands for their insurance.”
Unless more people sign up to be EV mechanics, drivers in the UK might find themselves with an electric vehicle they can’t get fixed or afford to insure.
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