The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has called on the UK government to commit more funding to support more training for workers dealing with electric vehicles (EVs).

It is hoping that this year’s British Motor Show, which highlights the latest innovations in the automotive industry, will draw attention to the need for a skilled workforce.

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“Working on any form of electrified vehicle requires a completely different set of skills to those needed to work on a petrol or diesel vehicle,” said Steve Nash, chief executive of the IMI. “Without those skills, serious injury or death is a very real prospect. And we’ve got just over 8 years to have a sector that is EV-ready.”

Recent IMI figures show that as of December 2020, only 6.5%  (approximately 15,000 technicians) of workers in the UK automotive industry are qualified to work on electric vehicles. Recent estimates suggest that the number of EVs in the UK could reach as high as 12 million in the next decade.

To service this many vehicles, the number of qualified technicians would need to be closer to 75,000.

In light of these figures, the IMI is repeating its plea for the government to commit funding to support EV skills training. It is suggesting a £15m boost would play a critical role, contributing towards training for up to 75,000 technicians .

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“The government has committed £1.9bn to tackling consumer uptake and charging issues. We are asking that £15m is set aside for employers to access to support their own investment in skills training to get their workforce EV-ready. This will be particularly important for the independent sector,” continued Nash.

“The government wants the adoption of EV to continue at a pace – the investment in EV charging needs to be matched by an investment in EV skills training to help employers ensure the workforce is EV-ready and electrified motoring doesn’t come at a premium.”