upskilling their technicians as well as acquiring the necessary equipment and information access.” There are measures in place to help garages, as Hayley observed: “Through initiatives like Techsafe, the Government recognised professional register, we are addressing these needs, ensuring that technicians are not just legally enabled, but also practically equipped to work with modern vehicles in compliance with legislation such as the Electricity at Work Act. Hayley added: “This is a vital aspect of our commitment to keeping the automotive workforce skilled and industry standards high.” Robust According to IGA Head of Member Services Frank Harvey the new UKspecific regulation is creating a positive framework within which independent garages have the opportunity to thrive: “The MV-BEO is a more robust, UK-specific adaptation of the MV-BER that was historically the EU solution aimed at protecting consumer choice for vehicle service, maintenance, and repair, while preserving the vehicle warranty and providing independent operators with access to vehicle data. “Also, part of the MV-BEO is that as well as access to technical data and preserving a vehicle's warranty, it also makes it a requirement that vehicle manufacturers' training courses are made available to independent operators on the same terms as its franchised dealers.” As if often the case though, the situation on the ground is more complex, as Frank explained: “However, despite the above, independent operators still face challenges in operating on a level playing field with franchised dealers. High costs can be an obstacle, especially for specialist tools and software and the challenge in accessing security-related data, the latter being addressed under the looming SERMI scheme.” Pragmatic view The success levels for a garage looking to capitalise on the opportunity very much depend on the approach. Frank observed: “As the car parc transitions to alternative fuels, more predominately EV and in the short-term PHEV, many independent operators are taking a pragmatic view in terms of migrating their business model to these alternatively fuelled vehicles. “This is something of a chicken and egg situation, where currently, most independent operators are not seeing sufficient demand for EV services through their workshops and, subsequently, are hesitant to invest significant time and money into being EV-ready. That said, those independent garage businesses that have set their stalls out to cater for the EV owner are beginning to see the volumes grow, albeit steadily.” As Frank noted, the movement of more EVs into the used market could accelerate the process, to the benefit of independents: “As we are all aware, over the next twelve months, we will be seeing an abundance of ex-fleet, three and four-year-old EVs enter the second-owner marketplace place, and these second and subsequent owners are more likely to engage the services of an independent garage to obtain the best value services in order to maintain those vehicles at an affordable price.” This really throws the spotlight on the need for training, particularly with EVs and hybrids, where there is an ongoing lag: “Given the muchpublicised risk associated with the high voltage systems on EVs and PHEV’s, it is vital that technicians have undertaken training to the appropriate level, and for the type of EV work the business anticipates it will become involved in. This will range from straightforward maintenance and mechanical component replacement such as tyres, brakes and suspension to complex battery and drive train repairs.” The growth in the EV opportunity for garages does not come at the expense of the existing market for providing servicing and repairs on conventional drivetrain vehicles, as Frank noted: “It’s also worth pointing out that, in terms of an independent garage being EV-ready, it is not an either-or choice between catering for ICE or EV vehicles because many skills required are transferable between the two. There are also common misconceptions that being EV-ready means having workshop space dedicated to the cause, this is not the case. However, some of the more complex EV work, such as battery removal, can take up additional workspace, which is typically always at a premium in independent garages.” Solid base IAAF Chief Executive Mark Field observed: “The gains we have made in the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Order have further strengthened the independent automotive aftermarket’s right to offer competitive mobility choices to the motorist. This, along with the recent MOT news on maintaining the current test frequency, ensures garages – and the wider market, have legislative protection and therefore is a solid base for which to consider further business investment decisions.” According to Mark, some perspective is required on the level of investment being made by garages in the sector: “I personally have seen the market be overly critical of garages in the past 25 years, particularly when it comes to the need to invest in skills, recruitment, training and new technology. The same can be said for every business in every sector. Instead, I prefer to focus on the many positive things garages are doing.” Support The sector is changing, and Mark 10 AFTERMARKET MAY 2024 BIG ISSUE www.aftermarketonline.net It is imperative that independent garages invest in upskilling their technicians as well as acquiring the necessary equipment and information access ”
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