- Government will continue to fund audits for small franchised and independent dealers
- Ministers have agreed to extend the Repair and Aftersales pilot scheme for a further six months
Today, 14 April 2022, the Government announced its continued support for NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme until the end of the financial year in April 2023.
The EVA accreditation scheme was developed in 2019 by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) to encourage retailers to enhance their expertise in the electric vehicle sector and support consumer confidence as the market moves towards EVs. The EVA scheme is endorsed and subsidised by the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and is independently audited by Energy Saving Trust.
EVA certifies the efforts and investments that retailers are making to meet the ever-growing consumer demand for EVs. It is the only scheme that provides an EV specific accreditation to retailers who meet a set of standards.
Ministers are said to have been impressed with NFDA and Energy Saving Trust’s efforts to approve a significant amount of EV providing dealers, recently achieving the milestone of 300 EVA accredited sites in February, with many more retailers in the pipeline.
For the year ending April 2023, Government will continue to fund the scheme, only for small franchised and independent dealers. Further to this, Ministers have agreed to extend the Repair and Aftersales centre pilot scheme for six months, closing at the end of September.
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: "As we drive towards our net zero ambitions, it's vital dealerships have the right level of skills and expertise to advise drivers on the important benefits of switching to electric vehicles.
"That's why this Government has supported the brilliant EVA scheme to build buyers' confidence when thinking of buying an electric vehicle and encourage more motorists to go-electric.”
Tim Anderson, Group Head of Transport at Energy Saving Trust, said: “The Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme has been instrumental in empowering retailers to enhance their expertise and supporting consumer confidence when purchasing electric vehicles. We welcome the Government’s decision to focus the scheme on smaller dealerships, to ensure that funding for the necessary audits reaches the businesses that need it most.
“We look forward to continuing our support of the scheme and working closely with the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) in the transition to net zero.”
Sue Robinson, NFDA Chief Executive added: “NFDA welcomes the Government’s decision to extend funding for the Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme. The continued support from Governing bodies is testament to the key role that retailers play towards electrification and the transition to a zero-emission market.
We look forward to extending our collaboration with the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Energy Saving Trust for another year.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Gabriele Severini, NFDA Communications Manager
Tel: 0207 307 3423
Mob: 07880 039 897
Email: gabriele.severini@rmif.co.uk
Adam Weeks, NFDA Communications Assistant
Direct: 020 7307 3413
Mobile: 07384 514 978
Email: adam.weeks@rmif.co.uk
Web: www.nfda-uk.co.uk
For more information about EVA, please visit www.evapproved.co.uk or email eva@rmif.co.uk.
National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA)
The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) is the trade association representing franchised car and commercial vehicle dealers in the UK. The automotive retail sector is one of the pillars of the UK economy, it has a turnover of around £220 billion and employs 540,000 people. There are about 4,500 automotive franchised retailer outlets in the UK. NFDA is the voice of automotive retailers.
Energy Saving Trust
Energy Saving Trust is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, low carbon transport and sustainable energy use. We aim to address the climate emergency and deliver the wider benefits of clean energy as the UK transitions to net zero.
We empower householders to make better choices, deliver transformative programmes for governments and support businesses with strategy, research and assurance – enabling everyone to play their part in building a sustainable future. energysavingtrust.org.uk
