IMI welcomes £1 billion EV funding boost for vans and trucks

But calls for a stronger focus on investment in skills and training to match the pace of EV uptake

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has welcomed the Government’s £1 billion investment to accelerate the rollout of electric vans, trucks and charging infrastructure, but warns that the UK’s critical EV skills gap risks slowing progress.

The latest IMI TechSafe data reveals that only one in four UK technicians are currently qualified to work on electric vehicles, raising concerns about the sector’s readiness to support growing EV adoption.

Nick Connor, CEO of the IMI, said:

“This investment is a very positive step and will help remove some of the financial barriers for businesses looking to electrify their fleets. However, funding vehicles and infrastructure is only part of the solution. Without the skilled workforce to maintain, repair and safely handle these vehicles, particularly high-voltage systems and batteries, the transition risks being constrained.

“We cannot afford a mismatch between the number of electric vehicles on the road and the number of qualified technicians able to support them. Targeted government support for training and upskilling is essential to ensure the UK has the capability, confidence and safety standards needed to deliver net zero.

“The IMI continues to work with industry and training providers to expand EV qualifications and support technicians in gaining the skills required for the transition. Together, with the right investment in people as well as technology, the UK can lead the way, but skills must be treated as a core part of the infrastructure.”

February’s IMI TechSafe report also revealed that the distribution of skills across the UK is geographically uneven and concentrated in the franchise dealer market, which means that 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 Quarter 3 dropped nearly 13% compared to Quarter 1, the IMI is 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. 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.

As the voice of the automotive workforce, 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, and ensuring clear, recognised competence and safety standards for work on safety-critical, high-risk and security-sensitive vehicle systems across the sector.