Skills gap in technician workforce threatens UK logistics switch to electric vehicles

Business group Logistics UK has warned that a shortage of electric vehicle (EV)-qualified technicians could undermine the UK logistics sector’s transition to cleaner fleets, potentially slowing progress toward national decarbonisation targets.

image: Logistics UK

Logistics UK says data from the Institute of the Motor Industry shows that only around one in four UK vehicle technicians is currently qualified to work on electric vehicles, raising concerns that operators will lack confidence in servicing and maintaining EVs as they grow their fleets.

Arthur Gribbin, Engineering Policy Lead at Logistics UK, said that if vehicles are off the road due to a lack of qualified technicians, operators face both financial strain and operational uncertainty. “Every minute a vehicle is off the road costs operators money, and commercial viability is the overriding factor that influences an organisations’ decision to invest in electric vehicles,” he said. “Anything that introduces doubt that operational requirements and customers’ needs will not be met using an electric fleet means operators will take the only financially viable decision: wait until these doubts are removed.”

Gribbin also emphasised that government action is needed to support both infrastructure and skills development to help logistics operators make the switch. “If the government is serious about meeting its decarbonisation objectives, it needs to create an environment that makes switching to electric vehicles an easy win.”

This means, adds Gribbin, not only investing in charging infrastructure but also investing in the skills that allows operators to keep their vehicles on the road – the balance between technology adoption, charging infrastructure deployment and workforce development remains a central focus for policymakers and businesses alike.