11:02 am, December 16, 2025
As the industry heads into 2026, one theme dominates every forecast and dealer roundtable: Electric vehicles are no longer a future ambition – they’re the challenge of the present.
With EV adoption accelerating across new and used markets, dealers are managing ageing ICE stock, rising repair costs, and a growing EV parc that demands deeper technical understanding and smarter aftersales planning.
Among all these pressures, one question consistently stands out: how do we reassure EV buyers – and keep deals on track – when the real-world cost of EV maintenance and repairs is still misunderstood, and the technology itself is evolving quickly?
Increasingly, dealers are turning to warranty partners who not only understand this shift but have prepared for it.
Warranty Solutions Group (WSG) is one of the few providers who have spent years building purpose-designed EV cover, backed by real claims intelligence, dealer feedback and specialist engineering expertise.
The reality check: EV reliability and rising repair costs
The first meaningful wave of EVs is now entering the 5–7-year-old bracket – the point at which high-value repairs typically begin to appear. Live analysis of more than 20,000 recent WSG claims shows a clear pattern. EVs still generate fewer claims overall than older ICE vehicles, but when a failure does occur, the cost difference can be substantial.
These higher costs are driven not by batteries alone but by the systems surrounding them: thermal management modules, onboard power converters, charging units, battery management electronics and high-voltage cabling. These components sit within tightly integrated platforms, and repairs often require specialist labour, extended diagnostic time and increasingly expensive parts due to lack of alternative suppliers.
While headlines often focus on battery anxiety, the more common issues today relate to supporting systems. Yet because the public conversation hasn’t caught up with the data, consumer confidence remains fragile – and buyers need clear, credible reassurance at the point of sale.
Why dealers need a warranty built for EVs
As more older EVs enter the used market, many dealers are asking how to structure the right EV warranty offer.
Which components need protecting? How should risk on high-value systems be balanced? And how do sales teams explain EV cover without overwhelming customers or triggering unnecessary fear?
A simple re-badged ICE policy won’t work. EVs need warranty cover built from scratch – designed around real failure patterns, high-voltage systems, specialist labour requirements and the unique expectations of EV customers.
WSG is one of the few providers to have taken this ground-up approach.
What sets WSG’s EV warranty apart?
WSG’s EV warranty is recognised by many dealer groups as one of the most complete and future-proof offerings in the UK market.
1. Built from real claims data
WSG’s approach is driven by live, real-world EV claims rather than ICE assumptions. The result is component-level protection that includes high-voltage drive units, charging modules, thermal management systems, battery management electronics, power inverters and regenerative braking components – plus specialist labour and diagnostics.
This level of specificity gives EV buyers meaningful reassurance and gives dealers confidence that policies reflect real repair trends.
2. Clear, honest battery cover
Total battery failure remains rare, but ancillary components and sudden-failure events do occur.
WSG offers transparent cover for sudden battery failure – not normal degradation – and provides explanations in consumer-friendly language. This reduces disputes, builds trust and removes friction from the sales process.
3. Intelligent cost control
EV repairs are expensive partly because of longer labour times and limited repair routes.
WSG’s repair management service helps route vehicles to the right specialists, reducing delays and controlling costs – something more dealers now rely on as EV volumes increase.
4. Training and support for dealer teams
A significant challenge for dealers is the confidence gap within their own teams. EV buyers often have more technical questions, especially on older stock.
WSG works with dealer groups to train sales and aftersales teams on common EV failure modes, how EV warranties work and how to communicate cover clearly and reassuringly. This transforms warranty from a risk conversation into a sales tool.
Why reassurance matters so much in 2026
WSG’s claims data reinforces what dealers already feel on the forecourt: customers’ biggest barrier to buying an EV isn’t the driving experience – it’s fear of repair bills.
And with forecasts predicting a surge in used EV supply next year, driven by returning PCP stock and falling retail prices, the winners in 2026 will be the dealers who offer certainty.
If buyers feel protected, demand follows. If they don’t, EVs become harder to sell, margins shrink and stock days lengthen. Warranty is now central to the sales journey – a tool for handling objections, smoothing negotiations and building long-term loyalty.
Turning EV risk into EV opportunity
Dealers working with WSG report clear commercial benefits:
- Higher EV closing rates due to stronger reassurance at point of sale
- Fewer disputes thanks to transparent, component-led cover
- Higher satisfaction and retention, as buyers value ongoing protection
- More confident sales teams able to answer technical queries
- Improved margin protection as confidence stabilises demand
In a market where EV uncertainty still dominates headlines, WSG is helping dealers turn that uncertainty into a competitive advantage.
The market is moving fast – but WSG is already there
The transition from ICE to EV is reshaping the industry at pace. Questions around reliability, real-world costs and customer anxiety will define the next phase of dealer performance.
Dealers need a warranty partner who isn’t just responding to the EV shift – but who has anticipated it, engineered for it and built robust cover around real data.
WSG’s engineering-led approach, data-driven EV cover and dedicated dealer support make it one of the few providers genuinely ahead of the curve.
As the sector digests next year’s market forecasts, one message is clear: the dealers who win in 2026 will be the ones who offer clarity, confidence and protection. And WSG is giving them everything they need to do exactly that.
Warranty Solutions Group (WSG) is one of the UK’s fastest-growing warranty and aftersales specialists, providing bespoke warranty, insurance and data solutions for dealer groups, independent dealers and OEMs.
Through live claims intelligence, WSG helps the automotive sector protect profitability, manage risk and enhance customer experience, supplying warranty and protection products to hundreds of thousands of drivers every year.
For further information, please visit WSG’s website.
