EV discount scheme - the starting gun on the future of automotive servicing has been fired

COMMENT from Andrew Bates, MD of Straightset & Supertracker

The recent UK Government announcement offering support in the form of a discount on new Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales will certainly boost demand for the duration of the incentive and beyond. This will put EV ownership into the hands of many new users and is likely to tip the preference balance towards EV over other fuels for many drivers.

“However, this good news has a hidden barb,” says Andrew Bates, MD of Straightset, a leading garage equipment specialist based in Worksop, Midlands. “The question is whether there will be sufficient service workshops capable of servicing EVs to cope with the inevitable aftermarket bubble to follow.”

Much of the automotive aftermarket industry has been sitting on the fence, waiting for government intervention before committing to any investment to EV servicing.

Most businesses have not begun to consider the training required, or the equipment needed to prepare themselves for anything other than the most basic level of service functions.

“With this new incentive, the starting gun on the future of automotive servicing has been well and truly fired. It is time to get off the fence and gear-up or risk being left behind with an ever-dwindling customer-base,” adds Andrew.

Early adopters of EV servicing, as a part of their service offering, are set reap the rewards as the long-anticipated EV aftermarket bubble is finally beginning to burst.