Mechanic ‘skills gap’ threatens UK’s electric car ambitions

The head of Halfords has urged Boris Johnson to deal with a scarcity of specialist mechanics ready to cope with the Government’s ambitions to quickly improve the quantity of electric powered cars and trucks on Britain’s roadways.

Graham Stapleton, chief executive of the retailer and motoring products and services company, said he is “very concerned” that sufficient ways are not currently being taken to deal with the “skills gap”.

The Govt said before this calendar year that it will ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars and trucks and vans by 2030. It said there are about 500,000 zero and very low-emission cars and trucks on United kingdom roadways, but this is projected to increase to up to 11m by 2030.

Mr Stapleton said there is anticipated to be a shortfall of about 35,000 professionals throughout the United kingdom ready to offer with these autos, and called for state support to quickly improve this workforce.

He said: “There are merely not enough and we will have to preserve coaching countless numbers just about every calendar year if we want to be everywhere in the vicinity of the ranges essential.

“I’ve been speaking to the Govt because I am extremely involved that we will need to be coaching a lot more people, or at the very least environment out how this system will choose place.

“The programs they have laid out to improve the electric powered car area is obviously definitely fascinating, but there demands to be skills in that area to cope with this.”

It comes amid widespread labour shortages throughout United kingdom market, with competent sectors these types of as engineering witnessing climbing emptiness charges.

Halfords said it has accelerated its choosing above the past calendar year and grown its quantity of apprenticeships focusing on the electric powered car or truck industry.

The retailer said it will also choose on hundreds of more staff members after agreeing a £62m offer to obtain Axle Group, proprietor of the Nationwide tyre servicing model.

The offer will enable Halfords develop its functions to 1,four hundred places.

Mr Stapleton said the company has been happy with endeavours to improve consumer recognition of motor products and services operation.