What an IMI Level 4 EV technician means for your electric car

Stanways Autobodies team 14 June 2026 6 min read

Repairing an electric car safely takes more than the right tools. It takes someone qualified to work on systems carrying enough voltage to be lethal. We now have an IMI Level 4 qualified EV technician, the highest tier there is. Here's what that actually unlocks, and why it matters when your EV needs more than a new bumper.

The IMI EV ladder

The IMI runs the recognised qualifications for electric and hybrid vehicle work, in tiers. The lower levels cover awareness, and working routinely around a high-voltage system without disturbing it. The higher you go, the more a technician is qualified to do. Level 4 is the top of that ladder. It qualifies a technician to diagnose, test and repair high-voltage systems and components, including working on vehicles with damaged high-voltage batteries.

What it unlocks

With Level 4 on the team, we can safely isolate a car's high-voltage system, and remove and refit the traction battery, the heavy pack that powers the car. That matters because a lot of structural and panel repairs on an electric car simply can't be carried out with the battery in place. Many bodyshops have to send that work away, or turn it down altogether. We can keep it under one roof.

Why so many shops can't

The qualification is demanding, and the consequences of getting high-voltage work wrong are severe. Plenty of very good steel-and-paint shops simply aren't set up for it. "EV capable" on a website often just means they'll tackle the bodywork and leave anything near the battery well alone. There's nothing wrong with that, but you'll want to know which kind of shop you're dealing with before you hand over an electric car.

Safety first, every time

Every electric and hybrid vehicle that comes in follows manufacturer-specified isolation and safety procedures, carried out in our dedicated EV-safe area. High-voltage work is treated with exactly the respect it demands. That isn't negotiable, and it never will be.

What we can take on

Accident and structural repair on electric and hybrid vehicles where the high-voltage system needs isolating, or the battery needs removing to reach the damage. Plus the driver-assistance recalibration that almost every modern car, electric or not, needs after a front-end repair. If you're not sure whether we can handle your particular car, ask us, or ask Stan on our website.

Driving an electric or hybrid that's been in a knock? Call 01253 735544, or upload a few photos to Stan on our AI estimate page for an indicative figure.