INSIDESTORY Tackling the motoring issues that matter
Pete Gibson
Richard Ingram
Richard_Ingram@autovia.co.uk @rsp_ingram
RANGE anxiety and charging may be a big concern for electric car drivers, but as today’s new models begin to appear on used-car forecourts, for many motorists the focus will shift to how to keep ageing EVs on the road. As it stands, few mechanics or workshops are qualified to work on electric vehicles, such is the complexity of the battery and motors, and the added risk that comes with maintaining this kind of high-voltage componentry. Even some franchised dealers don’t have the necessary kit or training to safely carry out otherwise basic tasks. It’s because of this that Matt Cleevely, managing director of Cleevely Motors, decided to diversify his business. The family-run garage was opened by his grandfather in 1962, and Matt has been part of the furniture for the best part of three decades, servicing and repairing all types of car from the company’s base in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. In 2017, Matt and his wife Claire bought a second-hand Nissan Leaf. “We had a horrendous buying experience,” he tells us. “We went to two dealers, neither of them knew anything about the cars; they kept pointing me towards their petrol and diesel models. I went out and bought a car from another dealer 30 miles away.” At the time, electric vehicles accounted for around one per cent of the market (today it’s more like 14 per cent) and yet Matt – a man with a passion for technology and the way things work – saw an opportunity to develop Cleevely’s offering, and redefine its future in the industry. He found himself asking how he could keep Cleevely going for the next generation. “EV was just up and coming,” he recalled. “I thought ‘that’s an interesting technology’, and it falls in with my own beliefs about renewable energy.” And so his electric-car business was born. While Cleevely continues to welcome petrol and diesel drivers to its shop, EV bookings have rocketed from one or two a week when they started five years ago, to 30-40 per cent of its workload. Matt describes Cleevely’s primary function as a “hand hold” for people as they transition from petrol to electric vehicles. “We’ve had to change our strategy and adapt what we do as a garage,” Matt tells us. “We had to treat early [electric-car] customers very differently to the ones that we are probably going to get from now on. The adoption curve is a steep one, and there’s a lot to learn.” As well as offering servicing, MoTs and repairs, there is a range of used EVs for sale. You can even rent a Tesla to try before you buy. “What gets people into EVs is bums on seats,” Matt tells us, as director and head of sales David
“His team would rather figure out a way to repair a customer’s car than write it off and sell them a new one” 20 13 July 2022
DREAM TEAM Matt (far right) runs a tight ship with wife Claire and director David Smith. All three drive EVs; Smith takes care of Cleevely’s used-car sales
Smith shows a couple around a red Tesla that Cleevely currently has in stock. “We rent [the Model S] out to people so they can have the experience without the expense,” Matt says. “They can make their own decision from there.” But Matt’s message is one of sustainability, too. His team would rather figure out a way to repair a customer’s car than write it off and sell them a new (or used) one. A good chunk of Cleevely’s early business was in removing and replacing faulty cells on Mk1 Nissan Leafs, extending the life of vehicles that would otherwise be deemed scrap. To help facilitate many of these repairs, Cleevely is a member of the Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Repair Alliance (HEVRA), meaning it’s regularly checked to ensure it has the right qualifications, tools and equipment to service and repair electric and hybrid vehicles. But the partnership works both ways: while HEVRA supports Cleevely with any questions or queries it might have, Matt and his team offer feedback on any new and important findings they come across when working on customers’ cars. One such example came about recently when Cleevely was asked to take a look at a salvaged Volkswagen ID.3. The car had been involved in a minor accident in which the airbags had gone off, causing the pyrotechnic fuse to
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