This issue we have our first ever feature on servicing EVs, but why would you bother?

The growth of the EV carpark (and we are including here all vehicles with some electric propulsion – BEV, PHEV and hybrid) has been on an exponential rise and now exceeds 250,000 vehicles as at February 2023 (up from 150,000 at the end of 2022 and around 75,000 at the end of 2019). Whilst this is still a minority of the roughly 4,750,000 vehicles on the road it is already around 5 percent and will grow considerably over the next few years.

A lot of the additional numbers are in the new vehicle sector which will have three to five year warranties, so won’t reach non-franchise repairers for a while, but there is a growing pool of used EVs.

Getting in now will let you learn as you go and become an ‘expert’ to be well placed as EVs gradually become more mainstream.

It will involve some investment in training and equipment, but the skills are easily learnt by experienced technicians.

A lot of families and businesses will have a mix of EV and ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, if you can not meet all their needs, you may lose the work on their ICE vehicles if they want to only deal with one repairer.

Whilst EVs have lower service needs, no oil changes for BEVs (although PHEVs and hybrids still need these) reduced brake wear, etc., having them in your shop regularly allows you to sell other parts and products such as tyres and windscreen repairs which are areas franchise dealers are looking to diversify into to compensate for the reduced hours and parts involved in an EV service.

Now may well be the time to invest in gearing up for EV servicing.