Independent used car dealers are being offered free lessons in electric motoring, with a new online course designed to help them answer buyers’ questions about charging, running costs and living with an EV. The aim is to give sales teams more confidence as growing numbers of electric cars reach the second-hand market.
Called EV Retail Ready, the programme comes from vehicle rental and leasing trade body BVRLA, independent dealer organisation IMDA and EVA England. It targets businesses that may not have access to the support car manufacturers provide to their franchised dealers.
There’s an increasing supply of electric cars for those retailers to get to grips with. According to registration figures, battery electric vehicles accounted for 16.6 per cent of the new car market in 2022 and 23.4 per cent in 2025. Their share reached 25.6 per cent in the first eight months of 2026.
Leasing companies and company car drivers dominate demand for new electric cars, but more of those vehicles are now moving on from their first users and entering the used market, where demand is also increasing. The organisations behind the training say dealers and customers need support to keep pace with that growing supply.
Toby Poston, chief executive of BVRLA, said, “Independent dealers are a fundamental part of the transition to electric vehicles. More EVs are entering the used market every month, and we need to make sure businesses across the sector have the confidence and knowledge to sell them successfully. EV Retail Ready offers independent dealers free access to practical support. The industry has come together because a healthy used EV market benefits everyone; fleets, dealers and, ultimately, motorists looking for an affordable route into electric driving.”
Getting up to speed via the training is expected to take up to two hours per person. Four online modules cover the business case for selling EVs, energy and charging, ownership costs and the customer’s buying journey. Staff can work through the content and assessments whenever it suits them, at their own pace. Individuals who complete the programme will receive recognition, while dealerships can receive wider accreditation once all customer-facing staff have finished it. The scheme has been developed with support from Lex Autolease, Mfldirect – the remarketing arm of the UK’s largest fleet of cars, Motability Operations – Octopus Electric Vehicles and Zenith.
Alongside the course, participants can access Clearwatt’s EV Explorer, which provides vehicle-specific information about batteries, charging and everyday range. The aim is to help sales teams look beyond a car’s maximum claimed range, giving them a consistent source of information about everyday performance when answering questions from potential customers.
Patrick Cresswell, co-founder and managing director of Clearwatt, said, “Electric vehicles introduce a new set of questions for retailers and customers. Official range figures are useful for comparing vehicles on a consistent basis, but they were never designed to tell somebody exactly what they should expect in everyday driving.
“Real-world performance can vary with factors such as temperature, driving conditions and vehicle specification, and for used EVs it can also evolve over time.”
The intention is to help dealers put those differences into context when discussing a particular car with a prospective buyer.
Drivegreen is a used car dealership that specialises in electric cars, with founder and managing director Richard Norris, saying, “The dealer needs to really know their product. More than that, the dealer really needs to know and understand what it is like to live with an electric car to be able to understand the concerns and challenges perceived by consumers, and then how to address them.
“EVs are different to petrol or diesel, they require understanding as well as adapting to a new set of needs from customers, which cannot be achieved without effort and a longer-term plan. The best dealers are those investing the time and energy to become good at selling EVs. Staff need to be trained, new products need to be understood, and customer needs in terms of EV products and new information need to be provided. Those aspects are all covered by the EV Retail Ready programme so customers should look for accredited dealers.”
Independent dealers can register through the IMDA’s website and complete the programme online, free of charge. For customers, the intended benefit is a sales team better equipped to explain both the car on the forecourt and what owning it will involve.
Read MoreEverything to know about Bentley Torcal, as full details are revealed
Jaecoo 8 review – ‘biggest’ and ‘most luxurious’ EV it has made
Electric cars beat petrol models as the miles pile up, MOT study finds
Skoda Peaq review: my verdict on the £52k seven-seat EV that feels like a Range Rover
Used electric cars selling fast, as demand ‘jumps 150 per cent’
Bentley Torcal: everything you need to know, from the man who made it
Everything to know about Bentley Torcal, as full details are revealed
