The Chief Executive and the President of the IMI have written an open letter to government departments urging them to invest more in skills and training for technicians to be able to safely work on electric vehicles.
[caption id="attachment_26014" align="alignright" width="300"] Jim Saker[/caption]
The letter, which you can read here, has been signed by Steve Nash and Jim Saker respectively. It describes the comparative lack of techs trained on EV systems as 'one of the biggest challenges in the transition to EV that no-one is talking about'.
READ: IMI RESPONDS TO UNION ELECTRIC VEHICLE CRITICISMS
Apart from the obvious safety issues, the letter emphasises that consumer choice is being compromised. 'Anyone who wants to make a green choice, whether it’s full EV or hybrid, needs to know that they can access technicians able to work safely on these vehicles' it said. 'Right now, though, the chances of finding qualified technicians are reducing. Today five percent of the UK automotive workforce – between 13,000 and 20,000 technicians – are working on around 380,000 plug-in cars and vans. Ramp-up the numbers based on the government’s Green Plan and the capacity is simply not there to support the transition the government wants'.
The UK government plans to cease issuing new registrations for conventional petrol and diesel powered vehicles by 2030.
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