The NFDA has secured funding for its Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme until the end of the financial year.
Government will continue to fund the scheme 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.
The EVA accreditation scheme was developed in 2019 by the NFDA to encourage retailers to enhance their expertise in the electric vehicle sector and support consumer confidence as the market moves towards EVs.
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.
It’s endorsed and subsidised by the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and is independently audited by Energy Saving Trust.
Sue Robinson, NFDA chief executive, said: “NFDA welcomes the Government’s decision to extend funding for the Electric Vehicle Approved 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 and Energy Saving Trust for another year.”
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.
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison added: "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.”
