Vehicle remarketing specialist Aston Barclay has achieved its Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation for its Donington Park centre, the first large UK auction centre to achieve the status.
The Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme has been developed by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) to recognise retailers’ excellence in the electric vehicle sector.
To achieve the accreditation, the Energy Saving Trust independently audits individual dealerships to verify that they meet a set of standards covering EV sales and aftersales. These include the customer qualification process, staff knowledge and training, EV demonstration and handover processes as well as the availability of EV service bays and charge points on site.
Aston Barclay's Midlands centre passed all elements needed to achieve the accreditation, as well as being scored as ‘best practice’ for its staff training and vehicle assessment and sales. The audit praised the Group for its ‘comprehensive set of marketing and training materials’ and its approach to the IMI Level 1 EV course, run by the AA, which over 160 colleagues across Aston Barclay have undertaken to date. The subsequent five sites will be looking to gain accreditation throughout 2024.
Albert Parnell, group EV lead at Aston Barclay said: “We are delighted to announce our Donington Park site has achieved the EVA accreditation, as this is a significant step forward in helping Aston Barclay become the number one EV remarketing partner for automotive businesses. The EVA Accreditation is not just a certificate; it's a recognition of the significant efforts and investments we have made in our infrastructure, operational processes and the education and upskilling of our colleagues and partners.