NSW must rethink EV repair proposal: AAAA

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) has called for NSW Fair Trading to rethink a proposal that would prohibit trained and qualified light vehicle technicians from servicing or repairing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) unless they complete an additional mandatory course.

Outlined in a draft Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS), sweeping restrictions on the automotive repair industry seem to have been proposed without economic assessment, data on how many BEVs are on NSW roads, analysis of the real-world impacts on workshops or consumers and no workable transition plan.

The RIS also fails to outline how many technicians currently hold the proposal’s required AURSS00064 Battery Electric Vehicle Inspection and Servicing Skill Set.

It is estimated that fewer than technicians across NSW have this qualification despite there being more than 80,000 BEVs already in operation.

AAAA chief executive Stuart Charity raised serious concerns about the process and policy behind this proposal.

“The RIS does not estimate how many vehicles may be left without service providers, does not assess the cost of upskilling, and does not confirm how many training organisations are equipped to deliver the training”, he said.

“There is no system for recognising prior learning, no support to upskill existing qualified technicians, and no phase-in period. This is regulation without a plan.

“We agree that technicians working on high-voltage vehicles must be trained and competent – and that’s already happening. But this proposal creates a legislative barrier that will drastically reduce the number of qualified service providers overnight. It will drive up costs for consumers and cause serious delays in repair and servicing.”

Without the required transition plan, the AAAA warns that the supply of qualified technicians will collapse from 2 September 2025, along with the ability of thousands of NSW motorists to access timely and affordable BEV servicing.

“The RIS claims universal stakeholder support for the proposal – but the AAAA did not support the proposed changes and is surprised to see them framed as broadly endorsed,” said Mr Charity.

“If a technician can safely service a Toyota hybrid, why are they banned from touching a BEV? The logic simply doesn’t hold. Hybrid vehicles include high voltage components but are exempt under this proposal – yet BEVs are not,” he pointed out.

“The only explanation is that the department didn’t consider the real-world impact. It is ironic that a department tasked with ‘Better Regulation’ is rushing through changes that are so poorly thought out.”

A five-year transition period has been requested by the AAAA, to prevent service disruption and protect consumers from unintended costs and delays.

The AAAA says this would give government and industry time to work together on flexible upskilling options, establish a proper recognition-of-prior-learning system, and ensure the training infrastructure is ready to meet demand.

“This is not just a workforce issue – it’s a consumer issue,” Mr Charity added.

“This rushed approach will reduce access to essential repair services and increase costs for NSW motorists.”

Public consultation ended on May 30.