How Electric Vehicles are Changing the Car Repair Industry

Not too long ago, it was a rare sight to see an electric car on the roads. This is no longer the case as many motorists have made the switch in recent times and it is easy to see why. Electric cars allow motorists to make huge long-term savings, the cost of fuel is rising and there are now many types of electric cars available. It is also a great way for people to reduce their impact. Many have switched, but are mechanics and garages ready for such a big change?

A Changing Landscape

Studies show that 1 in 4 motorists plan on switching to an electric car in the next 5 years. There is also the 2030 ban on the sale of petrol and diesel, which means that these vehicles will soon be the ones that are rare to see on the road. For garages and mechanics, this is a big deal because electric cars are completely different machines from internal combustion vehicles.

Work Drying Up

Electric vehicles use an electric motor to power the car as opposed to an engine. This means that there are a lot fewer moving parts, which means that less can go wrong. Although this is good news for motorists, it means that garages could struggle with revenue. Professor Peter Wells, director of the Centre for Automotive Industry Research at Cardiff Business School commented:

“You’re doing away with the oil change, the filter change, exhaust changes, and you’re not worrying about emissions, so that takes away a big part of the problem. But it also takes away a big part of the revenue potential for the garages.”

Retraining Needed

There are still problems that can arise with the batteries, but mechanics will need to retrain to tackle these problems and make sure that they have the right motor trade insurance in place. Currently, just 5% of the UK’s mechanics are qualified to work on electric cars so it is clear that they need to get up to speed and fast. This can be daunting for mechanics and it is easy to see why, but the good news is that there is a skills gap to take advantage of so now is the perfect time for training. A few key skills that need to be developed include electric diagnostic, analytical and troubleshooting and data visualisation. Additionally, although there are new skills to learn you will benefit from your existing skill set.

It is an interesting time in the auto industry right now with so many people switching to electric cars. This is for good reason, but it does pose a problem for UK mechanics and garages that might find that the work on internal combustion vehicles starts to dry up. This is why it is so important for mechanics to start training now so that they can find continuous work in the years to come.