The slowing pace of technician training has seen skills spread unevenly across the UK, according to the latest IMI TechSafe electric vehicle (EV) data.
The data on EV qualifications presents a “worrying picture of slowing investment in training for zero emissions”, it said, with just one in four technicians qualified to work on EVs at the end of the third quarter of 2025.
With the distribution of skills across the UK geographically uneven and concentrated in the franchise dealer market, 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, it added.
As the number of technicians gaining an EV qualification in the third quarter dropped nearly 13% compared to the beginning of 2025. The IMI said it was “concerned that the mixed messages on electric motoring from government as well as economic pressures have put the brakes on training”.
Based on current trends, IMI projections show the number of EV-qualified technicians rising over the next decade to reach around 137,000 by 2032 and 193,000 by 2035. But 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. The IMI is calling for further action to explicitly recognise automotive servicing and repair skills as part of the EV transition infrastructure.
Emma Carrigy, Head of Research, Policy and Inclusion at the IMI, said:
“The latest IMI TechSafe EV 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. 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 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.
“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 technician capacity 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 technicians into EV repair roles. Delays during this period will be difficult to recover later, as the skills gap compounds alongside rising vehicle volumes.”
