Why electricians should know about growing demand for electric car charger installation

Now is a great time to get qualified in this high growth industry. You can benefit by becoming a specialist in electric car charger installation. And you can also win more work as a certified EV Charging Point Installer.

In a bid to tackle air pollution the government has announced plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by 2035 (updated 2023). The UK government also announced in February 2024 that in order to help increase the number of electric vehicle charging points, there would be new grants available.

Fossil fuel motors will eventually become a thing of the past. As a result, more and and more electric vehicles are introduced all the time. It is fair to say that meter installations will need to increase dramatically to meet their expectations.

That is why being able to offer electric car charger installation as a service is key for electricians and other tradespeople.

Why electric car charger installation is a great revenue stream

Trade work for electric vehicles (EVs) is an exciting new sector from which existing electricians can diversify into.

We believe that EV installers will continue to be in high demand. Having these skills in your toolbox, ready for the boom, will be a great career investment. For example, in 2024, Checkatrade saw over 77,000 searches for electric vehicle charger installation.*

According to industry experts ZapMap, at the start of 2024, there were around 1 million fully electric cars in the UK and a further 600,000 plug-in hybrids.**

Therefore, the increase in charge points will only grow, which is great news for anyone looking to add EV car charging point installation as an additional skill to boost their revenue stream.

What training is available for electricians wanting to upskill?

If you are interested in finding out more about EV courses available, have a look around.

There are a number of options, but these are some of the key ones for electric car charger installation:

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Point Installation Course – A comprehensive course covering the installation of EV charging equipment in domestic, commercial and industrial locations
• Battery Storage Course – Level 3 RQF electrical energy battery storage training – This course shows electricians how to install storage systems relating to home generated power
• EV Charger Course – Provided by NAPIT and covering Domestic, Commercial and Industrial installation techniques

There currently aren’t enough installers to keep up with the demand from consumers. So upskilling and earning an EV Charging Point Award will put you ahead of the competition. It is sure to prove lucrative as the industry continues to grow.

What are the skills to learn as an electrician?

As a CSCS card carrier you’ll already have most of the skills you’ll need to carry out electric car charger installation. Particularly if you have a Gold CSCS card.

By and large, the training courses to upskill in this area will cover these topics:

• Key requirements, advantages & disadvantages of electric vehicle charging arrangements and equipment
• Design and install methods of electric vehicle charging equipment systems
• Differences between domestic, commercial and industrial locations
• Doing the inspection, testing, commissioning and handover of electric vehicle charging equipment
• System testing and fault finding

When you do a car charger installation course with an approved training supplier, you learn the skills needed for electric car charger installation. But you’ll also meet the requirements to be an OZEV approved installer.

How can Checkatrade help you?

In 2024, our website had over 77,000 searches from homeowners looking for electric vehicle charger installation, up from the year before.* That shows growing interest.

So if you’re looking to get more leads coming your way, what’s stopping you getting trained and offering a new skill?

If you aren’t yet a Checkatrade member, it’s worth considering joining today. At Checkatrade, we can help grow your business with our membership support and special deals.

Some of the benefits of a membership include:

• More job opportunities
• Dedicated quoting/invoicing tool
• Wide variety of offers and discounts – including tools, vehicles and workwear
• Savings of up to 20% off public liability insurance
• SEO supported Checkatrade profile
• Support from our membership advice team

The question is: as an electrician, what are you waiting for? Start the signup process today!

Content disclaimer: This content has been created for general information purposes and should not be taken as formal advice. Read our full disclaimer here.

* Internal search data from users of the Checkatrade.com website in calendar year 2024
** From the ZapMap report “EV Market Stats 2024” , tracking the growth of the UK EV market