RWC – one of the industry’s most advanced training providers – is anticipating a momentous year; with 2020 dubbed the ‘Year of the Electric Car’, and ADAS uptake also expected to surge, it’s cutting edge services will be in greater demand than ever before.
RWC Managing Director, Rob Ward said: ‘EV and ADAS Technology has been building momentum in recent years, but 2020 could be the tipping point when both break through into the mainstream. Our facilities in Milton Keynes are equipped to deliver approved training courses in each, and we expect great demand for our training modules’.
EV Sales Rise
With good reason. While the market for petrol and diesel vehicles continues to slump, falling 2.4% in 2019 according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), EV sales rose a staggering 144%.
With a further 23 models due to be released this year, EV sales in the UK are projected to break the 100,000 barrier, and may even account for more than 5% of all new car sales.
That momentum is only set to continue, with the government bringing forward its ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2040 to 2035, while also announcing that hybrids will be outlawed at the same time.
However, the aftermarket is not prepared for this volume. Only 1% of technicians are EV-qualified, meaning IMI approved training providers such as RWC could well find themselves in-undated as the industry scrambles to catch up.
ADAS Market Maturing
ADAS poses similar problems to repairers. About 60 million systems will be sold this year as the market balloons from $30bn in 2019 to an anticipated $135bn in 2027. Today, well over 90% of new cars are fitted with some form of ADAS.
Rob said; ‘EV and ADAS uptake is growing exponentially now, and the industry must ensure it has the skills necessary to repair these vehicles safely. I think we’re behind the curve at the moment, so training needs to become a priority or we risk returning cars to customers in an unfit state – with potentially tragic consequences. That’s where RWC can help. We have invested heavily in our facilities to ensure we are future ready, and our courses are designed to leave technicians with the competence and confidence to handle all the latest models’.