EV technician shortage becoming a serious concern

Industry groups and training providers are warning about a growing shortage of qualified EV technicians in Ireland. As electric vehicle adoption increases, garages and aftermarket service centres are struggling to recruit staff trained in high-voltage systems and EV diagnostics.

The skills gap could become one of the biggest operational issues facing independent workshops over the next few years.

The electric vehicle market has made significant strides in recent years, but an impending skills shortage could hamper this continued growth with concerns around a lack of technicians qualified to work in the industry.

The latest figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) show that 7,319 electric vehicles were registered in January, surpassing the 7,245 petrol cars sold during the month.

If the latest trend continues, electric cars will likely outpace the combined sales of petrol and diesel cars this year.

The EV technician shortage in Ireland is becoming one of the biggest structural issues facing the motor trade — especially for independent garages and the aftermarket sector.

A few things are happening at the same time:

• EV adoption is accelerating
• Vehicle technology is getting far more software- and electronics-driven
• Traditional mechanics often lack high-voltage certification
• Many experienced technicians arenearing retirement
• Younger workers are not entering the trade fast enough

Ireland now has more than 212,000 EVs on the road, according to the Department of Transport’s draft charging strategy.