Global electric vehicle technician skills gap

The global transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is creating significant technical skills gaps and operational challenges for the automotive service industry.

In the United Kingdom, Logistics UK warns that a shortage of qualified EV technicians could reach 43,000 by 2035. While 75,000 technicians currently hold EV qualifications, this represents only one-third of the total UK workforce. Similarly, in Australia, regional areas face long wait times and travel distances for repairs due to a lack of high-voltage mechanics, prompting government investment in training vehicles.

In Europe, the transition is placing a financial and regulatory burden on small workshops. In Denmark, where EV registrations have exceeded 676,000, independent shops must obtain SERMI certification to access essential manufacturer data. The cost of specialized safety equipment, such as insulated tools for managing voltages up to 800 volts, can range between 5,000 and 6,000 euros. In Spain, industry data shows that only 30 percent of workshops are prepared for basic EV tasks and only 22 percent have professional charging stations on-site.