Four in five workshops now able to service EVs, SMMT finds

A survey conducted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has found that four in five workshops are now able to service electric vehicles (EVs).

It found that most workshops are expecting to spend more on upskilling and retooling in the next year, focusing on EVs and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which now feature in eight in ten new cars.

The SMMT said that more workshops are gaining EV capabilities, in preparation for EVs to account for 80% of all new car registrations by 2030.

In a statement, Mike Hawes, chief executive at the SMMT, said: “These developments reflect the aftermarket’s importance to the economy, contributing £17.1 billion to GDP, maintaining at least 339,000 jobs, and supporting the wider automotive ecosystem – keeping people and businesses moving with the latest, safest technology.

“Keeping up with rapid change on UK roads, however, requires huge investment in workshop equipment, skills and jobs, often by smaller and family-run businesses.”