Just one in four technicians were qualified to work on electric vehicles (EVs) at the end of the third quarter of 2025, painting a worrying picture of future servicing potential in the aftermarket.
The latest IMI Techsafe data on EV trained technicians and qualifications also shows the distribution of skills across the UK geographically uneven and concentrated in the franchise dealer market. Therefore, the growing population of EV drivers are likely to find it harder to get their vehicles serviced and repaired by qualified experts, especially in certain areas of the UK.
As the number of technicians gaining an EV qualification in Q3 2025 dropped nearly 13% compared to Q1, the IMI is concerned that the mixed messages on electric motoring from government as well as economic pressures have put the brakes on training.
EV market picture
In the last three months of 2025, registrations of electrified vehicles, including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and full hybrids, outpaced those of traditional petrol and diesel engines for the first time.
While it takes time for new vehicles to move into the aftermarket, the transition is continuing. In addition, the UK government is pushing forward with plans to ban sales of new petrol and diesel models from 2030, despite a relaxing of similar plans in the EU.
At the end of 2024, there were just over 3.5 million electrified vehicles on UK roads, according to the SMMT. Adding registrations of these vehicles in 2025 and the total reaches almost 4.5 million. This is still low compared to the roughly 33 million petrol and diesel vehicles, but it is still a significant amount.
In addition, despite the introduction of VED and the Expensive Car Supplement in 2025, EV numbers continued to grow. Carmakers are also backing the technology, releasing a swathe of new electrified models, many of which are proving popular.
Therefore, the EV market is not going away. As regulations push more drivers into the technology, figures will rise dramatically, and the aftermarket needs more EV trained technicians in order to be ready.
Misalignment in EV trained technicians
“The latest IMI TechSafe EV Technician forecast suggests that the pace of training is misaligned with current and future demand, and is likely to fall short of what is needed to support the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) targets,” commented Emma Carrigy, Head of Research, Policy and Inclusion at the IMI.
“With our analysis expecting even lower EV certifications for Q4, unless there is a significant acceleration in training, the gap between the number of EV-trained technicians and those required will widen dangerously in the next five to ten years. And with training levels varying significantly between employers and regions, with independent workshops often less able to invest ahead of demand, there is a strong risk of a postcode lottery as the second-hand EV market grows.
“It is vital that EV owners and those who aspire to become one, have confidence that their vehicle can be safely, affordably and conveniently serviced throughout their lifetime. A visible, qualified and geographically distributed service and repair workforce with EV trained technicians is therefore a critical enabler of sustained EV adoption. Employers need urgent support from government to ensure EV drivers don’t face a postcode lottery for servicing and repairs.”
A skills gap being created
The IMI TechSafe EV Technician Forecast shows that 2,613 technicians gained an EV qualification in Q3 2025. This was 12.8% lower than Q1 2025. This means that EV trained technicians make up 26% of the UK technician workforce, a total of 71,942 employes. Therefore, there are 63 electrified vehicles for every EV trained technicians qualified to work on them.
It is expected that there will be 2,580 new certifications expected for Q4 2024. However, projected demand could exceed supply by more than 44,000 technicians by 2035.
Based on current trends, IMI projections show the number of EV trained technicians rising over the next decade to reach around 137,000 by 2032 and 193,000 by 2035. However, demand is expected to grow faster than new certifications, with the gap between supply and demand currently set to widen sharply in the early 2030s. Shortfalls are due to emerge from 2033 onwards and increasing year-on-year, reaching more than 44,000 technicians by 2035.
“It is now too late for even sustained growth in certification to fully close the gap,” continued Emma Carrigy. “With the end of sales of new petrol and diesel cars fast approaching, employers need to act now to ensure they’re ready for the growing EV car parc. If drivers face delays for repairs to their EVs they will make their frustration heard and it will put off other would-be EV-switchers with the environmental benefits of zero-emissions mobility unnecessarily delayed.
“The most acute pressure on capacity for EV trained technicians falls in the years leading up to 2030, when the ZEV mandate needs a rapid increase in electric vehicle sales. This creates a narrow window for employers to scale training and bring more EV trained technicians into repair roles. Delays during this period will be difficult to recover later, as the skills gap compounds alongside rising vehicle volumes.”
A call to action
The IMI is repeating its call for government to address the skills needs. It believes, despite contributing significantly to employment, net zero ambitions and clean growth, the automotive aftermarket is being overlooked across several government policies.
The IMI is calling for further action to explicitly recognise automotive servicing and repair skills as part of the EV transition infrastructure. This includes embedding workforce capability into EV policy design, supporting large-scale upskilling of the existing workforce to build the number of EV trained technicians, and ensuring clear, recognised competence and safety standards for work on safety-critical, high-risk and security-sensitive vehicle systems across the sector.
