Watt is it about car electrification and how do we recruit for the job in hand?

In last month’s blog we discussed who will be the next generation of classic car mechanics and the importance of apprenticeships in this specialist field. Something else we touched upon is how the popularity of electrification across the motor industry is impacting classic car restoration, with more classic car owners getting their vehicles electrified.

One such company providing this service is Lunaz Design. Its approach is a combination of sustainability, reliability, luxury and usability. As the world turns to greener transport solutions, Lunaz is taking beloved classic cars and upcycling them to give them a new lease of life, through ground-up restoration and re-engineering. All classic car owners have the desire to drive their vehicles daily and with Lunaz, they can do just that. Just some of the classics they have electrified include a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom. Customers are also able to choose from a range of classic models built by Lunaz, including the Jaguar XK120, XK140 and a Classic Range Rover in different configurations.

For an industry that is already struggling to find the next generation of skilled mechanics in classic car restoration, it is an even harder task finding those with the knowledge of electrifying classic vehicles. It is still a relatively new skill in an emerging market, but the demand is ever growing with requests for conversions coming in thick and fast for the likes of Electrogenic, an Oxfordshire-based classic car electrification company, who is in the middle of a conversion of a beautiful 1951 Hudson Commodore. London Electric Cars, based in… you’ve guessed it… London, who has just finished a 1993 Rover Mini conversion with a Nissan Leaf motor and batteries, is also turning its hand at other marques and models.

Electric conversions have not only delighted classic car owners who are now able to drive their vehicles daily, they have also brought in a new group, mainly the classic car enthusiast who didn’t have the mechanical knowledge to maintain and restore certain models themselves. Now they can enable a specialist team to do that for them, keeping their beloved classic cars on the road for longer, whilst reducing their carbon footprint.

Unlike with general automotive mechanics, classic and electric conversion specialists will struggle to ascertain where the supply and demand of their skills will be in the coming five, ten and even 15 years’ time. In an ever-changing industry that has already seen so many ups and downs over the last decade, how will specialists be able to plan ahead when hiring their workforce in the future?

As we mentioned previously in last month’s blog, apprenticeships in the motoring sector are a tried and tested way of pumping new blood into the industry, and not just for general automotive mechanics, but for specialists as well. Many of those who undertake specialist apprenticeships are highly sought after and are often recruited before they’ve even left the workshop. Now that electrification is on the rise, more specifically electric conversions of classic cars, will this now be a new specialist skill that will be taught independently, or will it become part of the syllabus for classic car restoration apprenticeships?

I guess only time will tell, but at Marc Brunel Recruitment we will be ready for any developments that the automotive industry throws, through working with specialist companies and acquiring specialist skilled individuals so that your team can evolve with the times.

– Akash Cheeda