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In 2016, when EVs on UK roads were mostly Priuses and a handful of Teslas, Halfords started training technicians to work on them. It couldn’t possibly pay back at the time. Today, it’s a big reason why the UK’s biggest independent garage chain is ready for what’s coming.
In this episode of FutureProof, Steve Nash sits down with his good friend Andy Turberfield, Head of Quality at Halfords Auto Centres, to talk about what it takes to future-proof a business with nearly 500 garages, a mobile fleet, a tyre operation and a commercial arm.
In this episode:
- Why Halfords invested in EV training years before the market caught up, and whether it was too early
- The scale of Halfords Group: nearly 500 auto centres, mobile servicing, 450-odd stores and commercial fleet tyres
- Why DIY is dying and “do it for me” is taking over, as cars become more complex
- ADAS calibration: why sensor alignment matters, why public awareness is so low, and why it needs regulating now
- The fork in the road for independent garages: diversify or wind down
- The regulatory picture: ZEV targets, US CAFE rollbacks, EU shifts and why manufacturers need consistency
- How Chinese manufacturers’ tech-company DNA is changing the competitive landscape
- How to attract new talent, including more women, young people and those who’d never consider automotive
- First Step Trust: how a charity is helping people with neurodiversity and other barriers into skilled careers, and what the industry has learned from them
Whatever changes come, big businesses like Halfords aren’t going anywhere. Here’s how they plan to stay ahead.
🎙️ FutureProof: exploring the unprecedented changes reshaping the motor industry
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