The UK is spiralling towards an electric vehicle "critical bottleneck" as mechanics are forced to turn away work due to a lack of training. While the Government continues to push towards a net zero future with Ed Miliband at the helm, experts have warned of an EV technician shortage that could pose a serious threat to this dream. Just this week, the Department for Transport announced a £650 million grant to slash EV prices, saving UK households up to £3,750 when they upgrade or switch to electric.
This raised concerns that it could exacerbate the existing skills gap by increasing demand with apparently little consideration for the knock-on effects. Andrew Jervis, CEO and co-founder of ClickMechanic, said the move "risks fuelling a surge in EVs without addressing a critical bottleneck". "There simply aren't enough mechanics trained to keep them on the road", he told the Express.
As of 2024, approximately 58,800 technicians in the UK were qualified to work on electric vehicles, representing 24% of the total workforce, according to the Institute of The Motor Industry (IMI).
With less than a quarter of UK mechanics currently qualified to work on EVs, the country is on course for a shortfall of 3,000 trained technicians by 2031, rising to 16,000 by 2035, the IMI cautioned.
Mechanics have also revealed that people are already waiting months just for "simple repairs" as they cannot find anyone qualified to work on their EVs.
Kyriacos Procopiou, owner of M PRO DIAGNOSTICS, said he's been forced to turn down jobs because he does not have the correct training, leaving EVs collecting dust on driveways.
He told the Express: "I’ve had to turn away more EV jobs over the past year because I’m not currently trained to work on them.
"It’s frustrating - there’s clear demand already, but without the right qualifications, independent mechanics like me just can’t take that work on.
"I’ve even heard of EV owners waiting weeks or months for simple repairs because there aren’t enough trained technicians to go around."
Kyriacos called for urgent action to address the skills gap, which he warned "is only going to get wider" if mechanics are not trained up to meet the impending demand increase.
He said: "Now that the Government’s offering up to £3,750 off new EVs, even more people will be making the switch, which means this skills gap is only going to get wider unless we act fast."
Labour's newly-announced grant has also drawn the criticism of the Opposition, who argue that the energy and net zero secretary will "bankrupt the country" with his eco-friendly schemes.
Claire Coutinho, shadow energy and net zero secretary, accused Mr Miliband of wanting to increase taxes and bills to realise his next zero dream.
She told the Express: "Ed Miliband never gets tired of spending other people's money. His entire approach is to hike up taxes and increase people's bills in the name of net zero.
"That's why Kemi and I have been honest that net zero by 2050 is impossible without bankrupting the country. The cost of living has to come first."
