Aftermarket must brace for EV surge

The coronavirus could supercharge the growth of electric vehicles. That was the message of the first online Industry Briefing Bitesize, delivered by the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF).

Steve Carter from Train4Auto Consultancy said that EV sales made up 35% of all UK car sales in March, but predicted the uptick to accelerate, driven by environmental reasons.

He pointed out that the effects of the pandemic has led to a dramatic improvement in air quality as a result of the significant reduction in NOx, and this coupled with government investments in clean energy across Europe would see more and more people switch to EVs.

However, he warned that just 10% of UK repairers are equipped to work on EVs.

Carter said: “As an industry, we need to take the rise of electric vehicle sales seriously and view it as an opportunity. Change is inevitable and it’s important that the supply chain plans accordingly sooner rather than later, as we’re beginning to see justifiable benefits as a result of the effect Covid-19 has had on the environment.

“Technology is constantly evolving, and the industry needs to keep up to speed, which is why new training will be available to ensure technicians can safely service electric vehicles, while developing their skillset.”

The next event will take place on 23 July with Quentin Le Hetet, general manager of GiPA UK.