China's rapidly growing new energy vehicle (NEV) fleet is propelling the automotive aftermarket into a phase of accelerated expansion. With new regulations, evolving consumer demands, and shifts in the talent pool, the NEV maintenance and repair industry is transitioning from a rough development model to a standardized and compliant stage. A recent CCTV news report, combined with the rollout of multiple new policies, has clearly outlined the transformation trends and pain points in the current automotive aftermarket.
Where to start
The industry's shift toward standardization is reaching a pivotal policy inflection point. On August 1, the national standard "Safety Requirements for New Energy Vehicle Maintenance Operations" officially took effect, setting hard industry baselines across three dimensions: personnel qualifications, operational procedures, and site equipment. It mandates that technicians working with electrical systems must be certified, high-voltage repairs require a two-person team, and power battery repairs must be conducted in designated workstations with explosion-proof facilities. Prior to this, nine government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, had issued measures to stimulate consumption potential in the automotive aftermarket and open up development space for the NEV after-sales sector. Under this policy push, industry observers widely believe that the barriers to entry for auto repair businesses have significantly increased, putting pressure on small and medium-sized repair shops that lack compliance capabilities.
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The market demand explosion and the acute shortage of skilled professionals have been corroborated by a CCTV field report. On July 31, a reporter from CCTV's "Chao Wen Tian Xia" program visited a TUHU-W (09690) workshop in Beijing's Daxing District, conducting on-site interviews on auto detailing and NEV repair services. The report found that demand for personalized detailing and light modifications among NEV owners is rising steadily, with related orders at this shop increasing by 25% year-on-year. NEV models have become the main driver of market growth, and the shortage of frontline technicians is becoming more pronounced. Industry data shows that job demand for NEV-related positions surged nearly 50% year-on-year in 2024, with significant gaps in skilled professionals for battery repair, charging station operation and maintenance, and battery assessment. The continued expansion of maintenance services into county-level markets has further exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance for talent, with a shortage of skilled workers becoming a core bottleneck hindering industry development.
Benefits of the plan
Against this backdrop of industry transformation, the compliance frameworks and talent reserves of leading chain platforms are becoming increasingly advantageous. Platforms like TUHU-W had already established their NEV after-sales service systems before the new regulations took effect. The company has reportedly formed partnerships with over a dozen major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and power battery companies, completing nearly 100,000 power battery repair operations. It has built a comprehensive three-electric (battery, motor, and electronic control) repair service system capable of handling a wide range of NEV maintenance tasks. To address the industry-wide talent shortage, leading platforms are also actively filling the gap. Through its specialized training programs, TUHU-W has trained over 4,000 technicians in NEV-specific repairs, with more than 1,200 obtaining low-voltage electrical certifications, fully meeting the new national standards for practitioner qualifications. Additionally, the company is actively involved in setting national standards for the NEV repair sector, providing practical references for the industry's standardization and compliance efforts.
Potential risks to consider
Industry analysts point out that the NEV aftermarket has entered a new phase where inventory competition and regulatory development coexist. With policies continuously shaping the industry ecosystem and market demand steadily expanding, compliant platforms with established systems, technical expertise, and professional talent reserves are expected to maintain a dominant market position, driving the NEV after-sales industry toward high-quality, standardized development.