Car dealerships should do more to help new EV drivers learn to operate their vehicles, according to a Dundee-based charging boss.
Stephen is SWARCO’s head of contract operations at the firm’s Dundee base. SWARCO runs ChargePlace Scotland – the publicly-owned EV charging network.
I interviewed him to mark one year at the helm of the network this week. This is the second part of our interview.
He says better training for new drivers would cut the number of issues dealt with at the network’s call centre in Dundee’s Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc.
“Our guys will help anybody out on the road. But a lot of the calls and communication they are dealing with comes from new drivers.
“They’ve bought their EV and picked it up. But they’ve not been given very much in terms of an education. What an EV is, what it does, how to charge it, what can affect it.
“We are very much looking to reach out and engage with any dealerships who want to work with us and help provide some educational material.”
Car dealerships still ‘unprepared’ for EV revolution
ChargePlace Scotland dealt with a huge spike in driver complaints last year when SWARCO took control.
The Dundee team have stabilised the situation and are keen to drive call volumes down further, Stephen said.
ChargePlace Scotland is interested in looking at a “pre sign-up agreement” so network membership is already organised when a new EV driver receives their vehicle.
Currently, drivers have to sign up separately before they can use the network to charge their new vehicle.
“We want to close that new driver gap [the knowledge needed to effectively operate their vehicles] and give them confidence as well.”
Symon Cook is the head of operations at the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA).
He said the industry was aware of the problem.
“Unfortunately it is the current situation that the motor industry finds itself in.
“A large majority of retail dealers are unprepared and inexperienced around EV knowledge.”
He said there are currently not enough qualified individuals on showroom floors.
He said the NFDA had worked with partners to create an EV approved scheme to improve the situation.
“This gives retailers the opportunity to gain an accreditation of EV competence in all aspects of their business, be it workshop or sales.
“It is a simple process of training and self-audit.”
‘People’s brains are still wired for petrol’: Dundee boss on driving Scotland’s EV revolution
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