Retailer Halfords is aiming to train an additional 1,500 technicians to work on electric vehicles and transportation, according to reports.
The company aims to expand its servicing group to either retrain existing employees or hire new staff to have 100 EV technicians next year – bringing the total to 470 – and an additional 1,400 e-bike and e-scooter technicians.
The move follows an acceleration of e-bikes and e-scooter sales in the previous six months as new modes of transport are being explored by commuters during the coronavirus pandemic. It also follows live trials by the Department for Transport in local areas to legalise e-scooters.
Speaking about the move, Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton said it was ‘looking at very significant growth’ in skills and capabilities to service electric transport. He said the entire industry would need to double the number of EV technicians that were being trained each year to meet the anticipated 11m EV and hybrid vehicles on the road by 2030.
Profits for Halfords have doubled during the pandemic as people have taken to bicycles and cars during lockdowns as public transport use has declined.
