IMI urges EV repair regulations

The government and House of Lords have been presented with research underlining the urgent need to regulate the repair of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) met Lords and the Department for Transport to discuss the dangers of unqualified technicians repairing electric and hybrid vehicles without appropriate training.

It argued that this is a growing concern, considering the 400% growth in electric and hybrid technology in the past five years.

Steve Nash, chief executive at the IMI, said, ‘The need for regulation for any vehicle technician working with electric and hybrid vehicles is becoming increasingly more evident with the demand for these vehicles proliferating beyond anyone’s expectation. The meetings we’ve had with key parliamentary figures have been reassuring, providing us with an opportunity to share our research in order to demonstrate the lack of health and safety regulation around this technology.

‘The IMI’s campaign has gained backing from each area of the automotive sector, ranging from small independent workshops to the vehicle manufacturers. All understand the importance of putting in a place a criteria for anyone maintaining and repairing ultra-low emission vehicles.’

The IMI proposed a ready-made framework in the form of existing voluntary accreditation standards and the IMI Professional Register.