Taking charge of the future

29 May 2026  

In our June issue’s Garage Focus, Chris Callander spoke with Matt Eeles of Essex-based Saffron Autos about the business’s journey into becoming a respected EV repair specialist.

For many independent garages, electric vehicles still feel like tomorrow’s problem. At Saffron Autos, Matt Eeles decided some time ago that tomorrow was already on the ramp.

The family-run business, based in Saffron Walden, has been trading for 38 years. Matt joined at 16 and, now 45, has spent nearly three decades watching vehicle technology change around him. And over the years, the business has invested to stay ahead of the curve.

So, for Matt, the move into EVs was not really a dramatic leap. It was the next step.

Taking the first step

Matt began his journey into EV repairs with the Institute of the Motor Industry’s training, and he reached Level 4. Like many busy garage owners, he admits he started Level 4 once before but did not finish it, partly because the format at the time required a lengthy dissertation-style element. When he later found a course that wrapped the assessment into four intensive days, he signed up and completed it.

That training, he said, is essential, but it is only the starting point. One of the early challenges was that after initial training on hybrid and EV systems, work did not immediately arrive in large numbers.

“You do the training, then you might not see anything for over a year,” Matt said. “Then something comes in, and you think, ‘I can’t remember.’”

Thankfully, that is now changing. Saffron Autos is seeing more EV and hybrid work, particularly diagnostic jobs. And as well as direct customers, the garage also receives referrals from other workshops that simply do not want to touch hybrid or electric vehicles.

Training, tools and backup

Matt is clear that garages should not jump in without the right preparation. Training comes first. Then comes the basic safety equipment, insulated tools, signage, barriers and personal protective equipment. However, he is keen to stress that this does not all need to happen in one painful hit.

“You build up your toolbox while you’re building up your knowledge,” he said. “There are kits out there, and if you buy them all in one lump, it can look expensive. We’ve built it up over time.”

The other key part of the puzzle for Saffron Autos has been technical backup. Matt is a member of HEVRA (the Hybrid and Electrical Vehicle Repair Alliance), which he describes as a must-have for garages getting into hybrid and EV work. Through the network, garages can submit vehicle details, fault codes, symptoms, and live data, and then receive support, test plans, and guidance.

That support has helped Matt take on jobs with more confidence, including work that has already been through the dealer network. One example was a Porsche that had been to a main dealer, had a component replaced, but was still not fixed. Saffron Autos traced the fault to a mo

tor on the gearbox, removed the gearbox, fitted the replacement unit and got the vehicle running again.

Confidence is the real barrier

There is no pretending the work is identical to what most garages are used to. High-voltage systems require a different mindset, stricter safety discipline and a clear process. And Matt said the fear is understandable: “You know you’ve made it safe, but in the back of your mind you’re still touching these wires and thinking about the voltage”.

For him, though, the confidence comes from procedure. The vehicle is made safe, the team is aware of what is happening, the area is controlled, and the correct tools are used.

He is currently the only member of the team fully trained to that level, but the next step is to train other technicians so the capability does not rest solely with him. That is an important point for any garage considering the move. EV work does not have to become the whole business overnight. Saffron Autos has grown into it gradually.

One of the big opportunities, Matt believes, is that EV customers are starting to look beyond the dealer. As vehicles get older and faults become more common outside the warranty period, owners are searching for independent specialists who can diagnose properly, rather than simply replace expensive assemblies.

He gave the example of a Tesla Model S with a blown fuse caused by a faulty positive-temperature-coefficient heater. Tesla’s approach to this issue is to drop the battery to replace the fuse, which is a big job. Matt was able to work in a very tight area through the bulkhead area to access the fuse, test it and then replace it.

That, really, is where the independent sector has always been strong: taking the time to diagnose, repair where possible and give customers confidence. The technology may have changed, but the principle has not.

Advice for other garages

Matt’s advice to other independent garages is simple: do not ignore it, but do not rush in blindly either.

Find a training provider that suits the way you learn. Do the training properly. Keep revisiting the material afterwards. When a hybrid or EV comes in for ordinary service work, plug in, look at data, learn the control units and get familiar with what normal looks like before you are faced with a fault.

He also pushes back against the idea that there is no money in EV work.

“People will say there’s no money in it,” Matt said. “There is money in it. There’s a lot to learn, but there’s a lot of satisfaction too. You’re doing things other garages can’t do or won’t take on.”

In fact, Saffron Autos is now busy enough that Matt is considering whether a separate unit focused on hybrid and EV work could be the next move.

A technician’s mindset

That desire to keep learning also links back to another part of Matt’s story. In 2016, he won a Top Technician award.

He admits he probably could have done more to promote the win at the time, but it still brought benefits. It gave customers confidence, helped reinforce his standing within the workshop, and showed the rest of the team that they were learning from someone who had been properly tested.

For Matt, that is the wider value of competitions such as Top Technician. Even if you do not win, you learn where you stand and what you need to improve.

That same mindset runs through Saffron Autos’ EV journey. The garage did not wait until every hybrid and electric vehicle in the area had nowhere else to go. It trained early, invested steadily, found the right support and built confidence job by job.

For any independent still wondering whether EVs are worth the effort, Matt’s message is refreshingly straightforward: the work is coming, the opportunity is real, and with the right training and support, it is far less daunting than it looks.

Does your garage have a story to tell? Click here to get in touch, and you could feature in a future Garage Focus