‘Encouraging’ growth in number of EV technicians but skills gap remains
Almost one in four technicians are now qualified to work on electric vehicles but the UK still faces a postcode lottery for EV skills.
The IMI is currently predicting a shortfall of 3,000 technicians by 2031
Latest EV TechSafe certification data from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) shows that 58,800 technicians are now qualified to work on electric vehicles, representing 24% of the UK automotive workforce.
Based on the forecast increase in EVs on UK roads, the IMI is currently predicting a shortfall of 3,000 technicians by 2031. The gap is expected to reach 16,000 by 2035.
It’s a big fall from the IMI’s previous prediction of a shortfall of 35,700 technicians by 2030, but still presents major challenges for fleets and private EV drivers ahead of the expected return to a 2030 ICE phase-out.
The new IMI data also illustrates the current postcode lottery for EV skills. While London and the South East have the higher proportion of EVs, according to data, the regions do not boast the larger proportion of EV-certified technicians. Just 6.1% and 6.4% of technicians in London and the South East respectively are EV-trained.
The East of England has the highest rate of EV qualifications (9.5%), while Northern Ireland has the lowest rate (3.7%).
There has been encouraging growth in the number of technicians gaining EV certification so far in 2024
Kevin Finn, executive chair at the IMI, said: “There has been encouraging growth in the number of technicians gaining EV certification so far in 2024. However, with the expected reinstatement of the 2030 ICE ban deadline by the new government, the skills gap remains. Automotive businesses urgently need to prioritise training more technicians so that the expected rising number of EV owners can find a local technician qualified to work safely on their vehicle.”
The IMI is running its There’s More to Motor campaign to change perceptions of the opportunities in automotive, and encourage more people to consider a career in the sector.
The full IMI EV TechSafe report for July 2024 is here.
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day. Natalie edits all the Fleet World websites and newsletters, and loves to hear about any latest industry news - or gossip.
