The number of EV-ready technicians has risen 4.5% year-on-year but is still not enough to bridge the skills gap before the 2030 ICE phase-out.

Only 11% of the automotive sector is currently EV-ready, according to IMI data

New analysis by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) reveals that only 11% of technicians in the UK were qualified to work safely on plug-in cars as of December 2021, equating to a total of 24,500 technicians.

While this figure is up from the 6.5% reported in June 2021, it’s still not line with current EV take-up.

Latest registration data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows 16.2% of all new cars registered last month were plug-in. And the industry body has predicted that one in four new cars (25.2%) will come with a plug by the end of 2022.

While such soaring EV sales provide a clear indication that consumers are embracing the idea of electric motoring, the IMI fears a ticking time bomb of consumer confidence, as motorists struggle to find appropriately qualified technicians.  And the organisation is renewing its call for greater fiscal support.

“Of course, it is welcome news that the number of EV-qualified technicians is growing, yet it is clear that the skilled EV workforce is not keeping up with sales of BEV and PHEV vehicles,” said Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry.

“Despite the Government’s positive commitments on charging infrastructure in last month’s EV strategic review, if the workforce is not quickly and efficiently up-skilled, we face the very real problem of lack of technicians available to keep EVs on the road and able to use this enhanced network.”

According to the IMI, by 2030’s ICE phase-out date, there could be a shortfall of 25,100 qualified technicians.

And its current forecasts predict that this shortage could materialise as soon as 2027, as sales of EVs accelerate.

To ensure that motorists’ electric vehicles can be serviced, maintained and repaired by a garage with the right skills – including independents – the IMI is calling again for a £15m boost to help get 75,000 more technicians EV-ready.

“If the Government wants to meet its own decarbonisation targets it must be willing to bolster funding,” added Nash. “No matter how impressive an EV infrastructure the UK might boast, the Government must stop its ostrich-like behaviour regarding the widening skills gap, pull its head firmly out of the sand and invest in a skilled workforce, or risk failing to meet its 2030 ambitions.:

He also highlighted the wider benefits to the job sector and wider economy.

“The automotive industry is a tremendously exciting tech-led sector to work in. Fiscal support would not only help re-skill existing technicians, but also help attract school leavers and career changers into a sector which has an increasingly diverse attitude to recruitment.”