EV repair “postcode lottery” leaves huge gaps across South West Wales – with some counties having no certified mechanics at all
A major analysis by Scrap Car Comparison has revealed that while EV ownership continues to surge, several Welsh counties — including Bridgend, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire — have almost no garages certified to safely repair electric vehicles.
Swansea leads locally — but still far behind the UK’s best
Swansea is the only area in the Swansea Bay City Region performing well, with 30% of repair businesses employing at least one IMI TechSafe‑qualified EV technician.
That puts Swansea second in Wales behind Flintshire — but still far behind the UK’s top hotspots, where more than three‑quarters of garages are EV‑safe.
Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire near the bottom
The picture worsens dramatically outside Swansea:
- Neath Port Talbot: just 3% of garages have a certified EV mechanic
- Carmarthenshire: only 1%
- Pembrokeshire: 0% — no certified EV mechanics at all
- Bridgend County Borough: also 0%
That means drivers in large parts of South West Wales may struggle to find a technician qualified to work on high‑voltage EV systems — something many manufacturers require to maintain warranties.
“A real risk for drivers” — warning from industry expert
Matt Clamp, Customer Service Manager at Scrap Car Comparison, said the findings show how uneven EV support has become across the UK.
He said many drivers assume any garage can safely repair an EV, but the reality is very different.
“Though most garages will likely repair EVs, the data shows that many may not have the appropriate certifications for handling vehicles with high‑voltage electrical systems.
“Some manufacturers require owners to use technicians with the right qualifications to maintain the vehicle warranty. There’s also a risk to business owners and technicians if they’re working on EVs without being properly educated on the risks.”
He urged EV owners to check a garage’s credentials before booking repairs or maintenance.
EV ownership rising — but support isn’t keeping up
Electric vehicles now make up nearly a fifth of new car registrations in the UK, and Wales has seen rapid growth in EV adoption. But the new data suggests the repair infrastructure in many Welsh counties is lagging far behind.
In Pembrokeshire, Bridgend and Carmarthenshire — all with large rural areas — the lack of certified mechanics could leave drivers travelling long distances for specialist repairs.
The Welsh EV repair rankings
RankLocal Authority% of car repair businesses with an EV-safe technician 1Flintshire60%2Swansea30%3Cardiff23%4Caerphilly County Borough20%5Denbighshire19%6Isle of Anglesey17%7Monmouthshire15%8Vale of Glamorgan13%9Conwy11%10Rhondda Cynon Taf7%11Merthyr Tydfil County Borough7%12Wrexham7%13Gwynedd4%14Neath Port Talbot3%15Blaenau Gwent2%16Powys2%17Carmarthenshire1%18Torfaen0%19Bridgend County Borough0%20Pembrokeshire0%21Ceredigion0%Scrap Car Comparison says more than 6,100 UK garages now have at least one EV‑qualified mechanic — but huge regional gaps remain.
Top 20 UK areas for EV-friendly car repair businesses
Rank Authority Area % of car repair businesses with an EV-safe technician 1 Newcastle upon Tyne 79% 2 Bath and North East Somerset 75% 3 Brighton and Hove 65% 4 Flintshire 60% 5 Torbay 47% 6 Derby 43% 7 Stirling 31% 8 Borough of Wokingham 31% 9 City of Peterborough 31% 10 Swansea 30% 11 Fife 26% 12 Dumfries and Galloway 26% 13 Renfrewshire 26% 14 Kingston upon Hull 25% 15 Aberdeen City 25% 16 York 24% 17 Cardiff 23% 18 Scottish Borders 23% 19 Edinburgh 23% 20 Warrington 22%Bottom 20 UK local authority areas for EV-friendly car repair businesses
Rank Authority Area % of car repair businesses with an EV-safe technician 1 Kirklees 0% 2 North Ayrshire 0% 3 Inverclyde 0% 4 East Renfrewshire 0% 5 North Somerset 0% 6 Torfaen 0% 7 Bridgend County Borough 0% 8 Pembrokeshire 0% 9 Ceredigion 0% 10 Bedford 0% 11 North Lincolnshire 0% 12 North East Lincolnshire 1% 13 Carmarthenshire 1% 14 North Northamptonshire 1% 15 Stockton-on-Tees 1% 16 Isle of Wight 1% 17 East Sussex 2% 18 City of Milton Keynes 2% 19 Leicestershire 2% 20 Hartlepool 2%Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Electric boost: EV chargepoints in Wales grow by 25.7% in a year
Wales’ charging network expanded significantly over the past year, with hundreds of new devices installed across the country.
Two new super-fast EV charging hubs open near Swansea and the M4
Drivers now have access to 16 new ultra-rapid charging points at two hubs in west Swansea and Hendy.
On-street electric vehicle charging to be trialled in Swansea
Swansea Council invites residents without driveways to take part in a new on-street charging trial.
More EV charging news from Swansea Bay News
All the latest electric vehicle charging stories from across the region.
