Life in an EV Garage with Matt Cleevely, owner of Cleevely EV, a family-run workshop at the forefront of electric vehicle service and repair.
There’s a growing problem in the automotive aftermarket that’s being ignored and it’s going to bite hard if we don’t get ahead of it: EV battery repairs.
While EV battery packs are incredibly reliable overall, when things do go wrong, the issue is usually at a modular level. It is of course possible to replace individual cells or modules, but only if you can get hold of them.
Right now, there’s virtually no structured supply of used, tested battery modules available to independent workshops.
What we need is a specialist aftermarket operation that breaks down EV battery packs, accurately tests and labels modules by state of health, and makes them available for resale to the trade. Not only would this help keep vehicles on the road, but it would also support a more circular, sustainable supply chain.
Without this, we’re all going to struggle. You can’t just swap a brand-new module into a highmileage pack. Charge and discharge rates won’t match, and you risk further damage. What we need is access to compatible, aged components and we need them reliably, at scale.
I’ve always said independent garages have a genuine chance to get ahead of main dealers on EVs. Dealers are still figuring out how to work on these cars properly. Many lack the skills, equipment, or mindset.
That’s a huge opportunity for independents ready to step up, and I know many have. But here’s the catch: without a reliable supply of tested battery modules, that opportunity will slip through our fingers.
At Cleevely Motors, we’ve had to build our own stock and break packs ourselves to keep up. But that’s not realistic for all garages.
The bottom line? If we don’t solve this battery supply issue, some independents will miss out on one of the biggest growth areas in automotive repair.
So, who’s going to step up?
