Establishment of the National Centre for E-Vehicle and Sustainable Technology (EVST)

Abstract

The UK government has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, with a focus on the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Alongside, the government has announced plans to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and to invest in infrastructure such as EV charging stations to support this transition. Additionally, financial incentives, such as grants and tax breaks, are being offered to encourage individuals and businesses to switch to EVs. The adoption of EVs is seen as a key step in achieving the UK's goal of becoming a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. A recent major initiative of the University of Bolton is the establishment of the National Centre for e-Vehicle and Sustainable Technology (EVST). This Centre – established in 2022 – is a collaborative venture between the university group and key partners from industry. Its principal purpose is to provide education and training at a range of levels to support the electric, hybrid and hydrogen cell powered vehicles (both lightweight and heavy) maintenance sector. Whilst all vehicle manufacturers have developed and launched various electric and sustainable models to market, there is a well-recognised skills shortage in the maintenance of these vehicles. A market research exercise was carried out to establish the existing provision of education and training in the UK higher and further education sectors to inform the work in developing the Centre. This exercise provided valuable insight into where the opportunities and gaps existed in this important aspect of enabling widespread adoption of electric and sustainable vehicles to happen in the UK. This paper sets out how EVST will provide the educational base and industry-focussed training for a range of technician and engineer roles to address this skills shortage, initially in the North-West of England and growing to cover the rest of Great Britain.