On the last day open to public feedback, the lead automotive aftermarket body has continued to stress the delays and increased cost will ensure from proposed EV training laws in NSW.
The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association has run a campaign against the plan stressing that the mandatory inclusion of the AURSS00064 Skill Set in order to be able to work on an EV will mean the number of qualified EV repairers will plummet overnight with the impact to be felt be EV owners.
The AAAA has formally lodged its submission in strong opposition to the NSW Government’s proposed changes to the Motor Dealers and Repairers Regulation 2025 and suggested a five year transition and self-regulation as more sensible approaches.
‘Deeply flawed’
AAAA CEO Stuart Charity says the poorly researched plan adds no safety benefits and takes no account of existing qualifications, experience, or existing high-voltage safety credentials such as AURETH101 or OEM-accredited training.
“This proposal is deeply flawed, poorly planned and fundamentally disconnected from how modern workshops operate,” Charity says
“It would immediately disqualify more than 95 per cent of licensed technicians from working on EVs—even those who have been servicing these vehicles safely and competently for over a decade.”
Consumer deterrents for new energy
“We are now facing a scenario where an EV owner in NSW could wait months for scheduled servicing—and even longer for collision repairs,” Charity says.
“In regional areas, where access to dealer networks is already limited, some EVs could be left stranded without a viable repair option.”
“These delays will hit hardest in the very communities that the EV transition is meant to support—families, regional drivers, fleet owners, and everyday motorists who need safe, affordable, and timely access to vehicle servicing.
“The regulation duplicates existing workplace safety laws, offers no implementation support, and delivers no meaningful safety benefit.
“It is a textbook case of over-regulation that punishes capable workshops and leaves the public worse off.”
Smarter Alternatives
The AAAA wants the NSW government to instead implement a Business Accountability Model, where workshops remain responsible for ensuring technicians are competent, through nationally accredited training, OEM programs, RPL, or documented experience.
It also wants a five-year transition period before the skills set is mandated with fee-free training for small/regional businesses, and a dedicated Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) mechanism.
Time to prepare
The MTA NSW has been measured in its response and argues the industry is ready for the change but it does also advocate for a three year transition and more training support from the government.
MTA NSW CEO Stavros Yallouridis says technicians holding low-scope certificates who choose to work on electric or hybrid vehicles will be required to complete a one-day safety training course as a condition.
He says the timing of the regulatory reform is appropriate given the small size of the EV fleet but the need for due diligence and preparation as it grows.
The AAAA says the plan could impact more than 8,000 independent workshops and 49,000 licensed technicians across NSW who service more than 50,000 EVs
“This is not a sector that resists change—this is a sector that drives it,” Charity says. “But reform must be grounded in operational reality, not bureaucracy. Otherwise, we risk leaving consumers with higher bills, longer delays, and nowhere to turn.”
Submissions close today Friday, 30 May 2025 and the AAAA is urging technicians and workshops to register their concerns | Have Your Say Here
Read the full AAAA submission HERE.