Overview
For Halfords, Electrification means leading the way as the UK shifts towards electric modes of transport and supporting our customers as they make the switch. Halfords is uniquely positioned in the UK to offer electric services and solutions for both 2- and 4-wheeled modes of transport and we are proud to support our customers with everything they need as the UK transitions towards electric mobility.
Our ambition is to be the leading name in electric services, giving everybody the confidence to switch and continue to enjoy the benefits of electric mobility. We are in a privileged position to champion the needs of consumers and we intend to use our voice to develop the UK's electric mobility industry.
Progress in FY21
Knowledge is a key barrier for customers in their journey to electric and recognising that most customer journeys begin online, we launched an 'Electric Hub' on our website that provides advice and support on the benefits of electric vehicles, electric bikes and electric scooters. In addition, consumers can utilise our bespoke calculator to understand the costs of switching to electric and the impact it will have on the planet. We are incredibly proud of our role in helping customers make the switch to electric and we will continue to support them through this transition.
In FY21, customer demand for electric products and services continued to grow strongly and we sold a record number of E-bikes, E-scooters and electric service plans this year. To ensure that electric mobility remains widely accessible, we continued to expand our range of electric solutions, such as E-scooter care plans and electric bikes and scooters at a broader range of prices, including our first own-brand Carrera E-scooter. In addition, through our Cycle2Work proposition and the recent Government changes to increase the maximum purchase price on the scheme, we are making electric mobility more accessible to our customers than ever before.
We are the aftermarket leaders in electric and hybrid vehicle servicing and have the most colleagues trained nationally to service Electric Vehicles ("EVs"). Colleague training remains a top priority and we are investing heavily in electric services training to support customers who have made the switch. We ended the year with 359 colleagues trained to service EVs in our garages, with 317 colleagues accredited to IMI Hybrid Electric Vehicle Level 2 and 42 colleagues accredited to Level 3. In addition, we finished the year with 383 technicians in Retail stores capable of servicing E-bikes and E-scooters, up 10% on the year before. COVID-19 meant training plans were scaled back in FY21, but we plan to significantly increase the number of E-trained colleagues in FY22.
E-scooter legislation
We continue to lobby the Government to legalise the use of E-scooters on public roads, engaging with the Department for Transport through their consultation process, and in the last year we have held E-scooter events to raise awareness of the benefits of E-scooters. We believe strongly that E-scooters should play an important role in the future of sustainable urban transport and as a leading electric retailer and services provider we will lend our voice to this campaign.
This year, we launched a brand new Electric Hub on our website designed by in-house experts to educate customers and provide support and advice for those looking to make the switch to electric.
Covering EVs, E-bikes and E-scooters, consumers can navigate around the site educating themselves on topics such as the advantages of electric mobility, maintenance tips, and the environmental benefits, as well as getting answers to common misconceptions about electric mobility such as charging or reliability.
We have also created bespoke calculators to show customers the associated costs of switching to electric; for instance, comparing the cost of an electric vehicle vs. a traditional combustion engine, over the life of the car, dispelling the myth that electric is always more expensive. We also provide customers with advice and help on purchasing electric bikes and scooters, such as through our Cycle2Work scheme or with finance options to spread the cost of their purchase.
We are uniquely positioned in the UK to help support customers on their electric journey and we are continually investing in our colleagues and capabilities to drive awareness of the benefits of electric mobility and to make electric travel accessible to everyone.