The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) with support from OLEV and the Energy Saving Trust has launched a new Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme to certify retailers’ excellence in the electric vehicle sector.
EVA - which was launched at a Parliamentary reception attended by minister Jesse Norman, follows a successful pilot phase that ran from November 2018 to February 2019. The scheme includes a set of standards for electric vehicle retail and after-sales.
The goal of the scheme, which is open to all retailers, is to recognise expertise and promote industry standards to benefit the consumer and to help support the growth of the electric vehicle sector.
The accreditation is awarded to individual dealerships, independently audited by the Energy Saving Trust. The independence of this process will give consumers the certainty that a retailer with the EVA accreditation is a leader in the sector.
The EVA scheme aims to ensure that retailers are ready for the market shift towards alternatively powered vehicles for the benefit of UK motorists.
Matthew Eastwood, Head of Transport at Energy Saving Trust, said: “EVA accredited dealers possess the knowledge and expertise necessary to ensure their customers have a positive and well informed experience when buying new or used plug in vehicles. Giving consumers confidence and supporting the growing uptake of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles.
“With transport generating 26 per cent of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the sale of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles is critical in the efforts to reduce carbon emissions in line with government targets.”
Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), said, “EVA will certify the efforts franchised retailers are making in the EV sector to meet the fast-growing consumer demand and will enable them to clearly communicate to their customers their expertise in the sector”.
Following the pilot scheme, in which the electric vehicle skills of 12 dealerships were audited, it is already estimated there will be 130 Electric Vehicle Approved sites across the UK by the end of 2019.