DRIVERS of electric vehicles could be set for massive fees because only three per cent of mechanics can deal with basic repairs.
And of the three per cent of grease monkeys who are qualified to work on Electric Vehicles ( EVs), the majority are employed at manufacturer dealerships.
This reduces the options open to EV drivers - and could force them to pay thousands more to fix their issues.
The shock findings were revealed in a report by the UK’s Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).
There are similar issues on the other side of the Atlantic.
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Mechanic Craig Van Batenburg told the Chicago Tribune that there issues over the training needed to repair EVs.
He added that many mechanics had been put off the training courses due to fears of electrocution.
Mr Van Batenburg added: "Ninety percent of our industry has done nothing — absolutely nothing — to prepare.
"They just turn the hybrids and EVs away and say, ‘We don’t work on those cars, go back to Ford or Toyota.’ The fear factor is huge.”
The Chicago Tribune also reported how many EVs required a substantive maintenance schedule compared to their petrol and diesel counterparts.
The paper has the example of the popular all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, which required its owners to rotate their tires every 7,500 miles, replace the cabin air filter every 22,500 miles, and have the coolant flushed every 150,000.
Chevrolet recently announced that it was set to pull the Bolt from the market, despite its popularity.
One expert mechanic has revealed that EVs cost more, don't last as long and aren't actually better for the environment than internal combustion.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun Online, Scotty Kilmer savaged the case for transitioning to electric cars, saying they are 'worse' than traditional motors.
Scotty, who has over five decades of experience in the industry, claimed that the argument that EVs are more environmentally friendly is "BS", taking away one of the key arguments for owning one.
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