March 9, 2022—Independent auto shops are having a hard time finding replacement parts for vehicles, and EVs specifically, because of supply issues due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to a story by WTKR in Virginia, Total Car Care owner Robert Hopson says both countries involved in the conflict produce much of the raw materials needed for batteries and other important parts for electric vehicles.
"It affects the bottom line of the automotive industry and it also affects the customer who wants to buy that electric car," Hopson says. "Consumers can see a 25-35 percent increase in repairs."
According to Ram Gansehan, business professor at William and Mary, Ukraine and Russia both produce commodities like aluminum. They also produce raw materials like nickel and lithium.
"Very quickly they have to face the reality that these widening harnesses have to be made somewhere else and not Ukraine," Gansehan says in the story.
