Uscale survey: Workshops more heavily utilized with e-mobility

German auto repair shops are not running out of work with electric vehicles either. This is the central message of the EV After-Sales Study, which the Stuttgart market research company Uscale conducted for the industry for the third time in December 2023. The downside for electric car drivers: Technical defects, recall actions, and software problems are significantly higher for electric cars than for combustion engines. For the results, the analysts surveyed 2,154 electric car drivers and compared them with 404 drivers of combustion engine vehicles. The average age of all vehicles in the study was three years.

"Many workshops are worried that they will run out of work with electromobility. This concern seems to be unfounded for now. However, it is expected that the quality level of electric cars will continue to rise in the long term, and workshop visits will decrease again," explains Axel Sprenger, founder and managing director of Uscale.

Skoda, Audi, and Opel are more commonly in the workshop

The evaluations show that electric cars are significantly less likely to need roadside assistance than the comparison group of combustion engine vehicles. At the same time, the number of technical problems and recalls is higher. The differences between the brands are considerable: Skoda, Audi, and Opel need to go to the workshop significantly more often, while Mercedes, BMW, and Nissan go significantly less often. Repairs of electric cars are often more difficult than planned. One in five users waits longer than expected. At the same time, workshops are improving their performance, and the frequency of workshop visits is decreasing significantly.

Costs for Software and Digitalization Rise Sharply

As expected, the expenses for workshops in the area of software and digitalization have risen significantly. This is especially true for software updates, which in 63% of cases take place in workshops rather than "over the air." This annoys customers who are used to a different experience with their smartphones and additionally lose valuable time in workshops. Compared to gasoline and diesel vehicle drivers, e-mobility users, however, have a lower need for inspections and maintenance of their cars, and seasonal checks are also requested much less frequently. Similarly, as anticipated, the demand for wear and tear repairs is clearly declining.

Personal Contact is More Important to Combustion-Engine Vehicle Drivers

Not only for electric cars are digital services increasing, and the vehicle app becoming more important; electric car drivers are also digital enthusiasts and increasingly desire digital contact channels with workshops. Compared to combustion-engine vehicle drivers, EV users generally see significant added value in software updates, are open to new digital offerings, desire additional services, and use the brand hotline more frequently. Personal contact remains a preference of combustion-engine vehicle drivers.