Urgent warning to EV drivers over major garage issue which could see them fork out £1,000s MORE on repairs

Electric car owners could end up spending thousands more on repair bills due to the lack of mechanics who know how to fix them.

Drivers may end up paying the price because of a lack of qualified electrical engineers and independent repair shops around the world.

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This means motorists may end up paying ridiculous fees when paying for both repairs and warranty coverage.

Currently, fewer than one in five mechanics are qualified to work on electric vehicles and many cannot afford retraining.

And a large majority of workshop owners are unwilling to spend money on training and equipment to repair high-voltage electric cars.

However, this is a necessity as these vehicles could electrocute within seconds, with voltages of up to 800 volts, killing untrained technicians.

The risk of fire from electric motors, which are notoriously difficult to extinguish, is also a major concern for mechanics.

Industry officials are calling for an increase in the number of independent repair shops specializing in electric vehicles, rather than forcing drivers to turn to expensive franchises.

But they’re already struggling with severe labor shortages, and the outlook for the next decade doesn’t look much better.

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) estimates there could be a deficit of a whopping 25,000 electric vehicle mechanics by 2032.

The company is currently rolling out electric vehicle courses across China and plans to roll them out in Europe and India as well.

However, many mechanics are still reluctant to expand their knowledge, including Roberto Petrilli, who owns an independent repair shop in Milan. Reuters reported.

The 60-year-old thinks it’s “not worth” spending €30,000 (£25,700) on electric vehicles as the engines aren’t as popular in Italy.

But for those traveling with an EV, that hesitancy could mean they face rising bills and longer repair times.

Warranty costs are also reportedly rising, with some electric vehicles costing more than three times the average compared to fuel-powered cars.

Warrantywise CEO Lawrence Whittaker said his company relies on expensive franchised dealerships to repair electric vehicles.

He says that’s because they usually have mechanics with the right skills, whereas they’re hard to find in independent garages.

But Whittaker warned that electric vehicles will continue to be a costly investment for Brits as warranties and insurance become more expensive.

“How are people going to afford the higher repair costs?” he said.

Mark Darvill, managing director of Hillclimb Garage in High Wycombe, says many mechanics are held back by “the fear of the unknown”.

His company plans to invest £25,000 in training and equipping EVs as he expects them to soon account for 35 per cent of repairs.

IMI estimates that only 20 per cent of UK car technicians have received EV training.

But just under one percent are qualified to perform more complex tasks outside of routine maintenance.

In the first half of this year, sales of electric vehicles increased by 33 percent.

But while there’s more on the roads, the number of EV courses attended by mechanics fell 10 percent in the first quarter.

We previously reported how UK mechanics have warned that EVs will put them out of business while automakers make money.

Mechanics have criticized the government’s plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, saying it will decimate the number of independent garages due to a lack of specialist equipment and training.