LOCALS of a small village say posh EVs are killing off their local garages as mechanics don’t have the fancy tech needed to deal with them.
Residents of Bream, Gloucestershire, have seen the shop that serviced their community go under amid a “skills gap”.
GettyResidents of a small Gloucestershire village say their local garages are being killed off by EVs[/caption]
The Cross Keys Garage has now been earmarked for housing after the business collapsed.
Local council clerk Kim Carpenter told Punchline: “There is a concern that small, independent garages are disappearing in rural areas like ours and that, with the move towards electric cars, there is a skills gap.
“As we are moving towards electrification, here in our High Street we still have no car charging points for the public to use.
“And people who go over to EVs will find that they have to go some distance for servicing at major car dealers, which is not good for local business and competition.”
This was backed up by motors experts at Vehicle Service Pros who said that a shortage of mechanics with the right training and kit was key to the issue.
They said: “A primary challenge for repair shop owners in the midst of this transition is the general lack of knowledge and training around EV technology… our technicians will require specialized training and equipment to service them effectively.
“Many repair shop owners who have spent years specializing in traditional vehicles may not have the necessary financial resources, knowledge or equipment to repair EVs, which can be a significant barrier to entry into the emerging EV repair market.”
The cost of parts and the complexity of EVs can make it difficult for mechanics to crack into the industry, especially if all their experience is with internal combustion.
And things are only set to become more urgent as the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars hurtles closer, with the potential to eventually make traditional garages obsolete.
Thousands of drivers have backed The Sun’s Give Us A Brake campaign to delay that ban until it can be implemented affordably.
Likewise, a dip in the supply of trained repair workers could see prices spike as existing workshops are overwhelmed by customers with little regional competition.
It comes after one reviewer found major problems with an EV that “everyone loves” during a test ride.
Meanwhile, people living in Willerby, East Yorkshire, are up in arms as the council made an “eyesore” mess of their street and left them nowhere to park.