26/05/2026
The UK EV Mandate requires manufacturers to sell a rising share of zero-emission new cars every year. 33% in 2026, up from 28% in 2025, and 80% by 2030. Manufacturers below target pay £15,000 per car and £18,000 per van.
The result is hard discounting and aggressive supply, which pushes EVs into the parc faster than the natural replacement cycle. Those cars come straight into independent workshops and MOT bays.
Two things change for any workshop. The vehicles are heavier. A mid-size EV weighs 300 to 500kg more than its petrol equivalent because of the battery pack. Lifts, jacks and beam lifts specced to the old petrol norm sit closer to their safe working limit on every job.
And the equipment standard is moving with it. DVSA Special Notice 04-25 raised minimum jacking specs for class 4 MOT bays in April 2026. It is the first formal update of many.
If you run an MOT bay, the test itself changed in January 2026. High-voltage cables, charging ports and traction battery mountings are now standard checks on every EV test.
And the volume is here now. 2023 was the breakthrough year for UK EV registrations, with 314,000 new EVs, more than 2020 and 2021 combined. That cohort hits its first MOT this year.
Liftmaster specifies lifts, jacks and bay layouts for the current DVSA regime and the EV weight reality. Reviewing your bay now is cheaper than reviewing it after a near-miss.
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