Why We’re Losing Confidence in Main Dealer Support for EVs

At anycolourcar.com, we’ve proudly supported the shift to electric vehicles. As a forward-thinking independent dealership serving Barnsley and South Yorkshire, we’ve invested in EV training, EV sales, and EV servicing – all with the belief that electric is the future.

But that future is now being undermined by a very real problem: the shocking lack of support from main dealers when something goes wrong.

Over the past year, we’ve experienced four separate electric vehicle warranty cases that have left both us and our customers frustrated, out of pocket, and losing confidence in the process.

The Reality of EV Warranty Repairs

These weren’t minor issues. Each case involved manufacturer-backed warranty claims, meaning we couldn’t step in ourselves without voiding that cover. And each one turned into a nightmare:

One car waited two months just to get a diagnosis appointment.
Another sat for two months before a repair was even started.
A third is still unresolved to this day – no communication, no clarity.
And in the worst case, a Volkswagen dealer kept the vehicle for over six months – only to return it damaged.

These delays haven’t just caused inconvenience. As a business, we’ve incurred over £8,000 in direct costs – lost time, lost revenue, courtesy vehicles, and the cost of managing upset customers.

But perhaps worse still is the damage done to the customer experience. Our customers – who trusted us and spent their hard-earned money – have faced weeks and months of inconvenience, uncertainty, and unnecessary expense.

A Serious Lack of Readiness in the Dealer Network

In our view, the issue boils down to two critical failings:

A widespread shortage of EV-trained technicians within franchised dealers
A lack of urgency and ownership from manufacturers when warranty repairs stall

Despite the rapid rollout of electric models, many main dealers remain underprepared. Some sites can only book in EVs once every few months. Others simply don’t have the trained staff to diagnose issues confidently.

By contrast, 100% of our workshop team at anycolourcar.com are trained to NVQ Level 3 in electric and hybrid vehicle maintenance. We’ve made the investment because it’s the right thing to do – and because we believe it’s essential to properly support EV customers.

But when we’re forced to step back and hand a vehicle over to a franchised dealer, only for it to sit there for months, or be returned in worse condition, it’s incredibly frustrating – for us and for our customers.

A Broken System – While Some Brands Get It Right

One of the most frustrating parts of this situation is that better is clearly possible.

Take Skywell, for example – a new manufacturer with a single model and modest UK sales projections this year. Yet despite their small footprint, our dealer agreement with Skywell requires us to have at least two EV-trained technicians.

That’s proactive. That’s responsible. That’s a brand taking aftersales seriously from day one.

So why are major, established manufacturers – with huge budgets and infrastructure – failing to meet even this basic standard?

If a newcomer like Skywell can do it, then so can the automotive giants. The fact they’re not tells us the issue isn’t cost or complexity. It’s complacency.

Is It Still Worth Selling EVs Under Warranty?

This is a question we never expected to ask – but after four damaging experiences, it’s now on the table.

How can we confidently sell EVs under manufacturer warranty when we know that, should a problem arise, the support structure may actively work against the customer’s best interests?

As a trusted independent dealership, our name is on every car we sell. We take that seriously. But these warranty failures are making us, and many other independent dealers, seriously question how sustainable it is to continue retailing EVs in good faith under the current conditions.

A Call for Urgent Change

We urgently call on manufacturers to step up:

Mandate EV training standards across all franchised dealer sites
Audit and improve capacity for EV diagnostics and repair
Implement faster escalation routes for unresolved warranty claims
Treat dealer partners and customers with transparency and respect

Newer brands like Skywell have already shown it’s possible. There’s no excuse for the established names not to follow suit.

At anycolourcar.com, we remain proud to lead on electric vehicle sales and service in Barnsley and South Yorkshire. We’ve made the investment in people, tools, and training. Now we need the rest of the industry – especially the manufacturers – to do the same.