From Combustion to Electric: How Smart Shop Owners Are Future-Proofing Their Business

Every auto repair shop owner I’ve spoken with recently asks the same question: “Should I be worried about electric vehicles?”

The honest answer is yes—but not in the way you think. EVs don’t need oil changes, transmission work, or exhaust repairs. But they still need tire services, brake maintenance, alignment work, HVAC repairs, and collision work. The shops that will struggle aren’t those losing combustion work—they’re the ones who let customers believe they can’t service hybrid and electric vehicles at all.

By the end of this article, you’ll understand which EV service capabilities position your shop for growth and how to communicate these capabilities to the customers already searching for shops that can handle their electric and hybrid vehicles.

How Service-Specific Landing Pages Capture EV Customers

The first thing we suggest auto repair shop owners do is create service-specific landing pages for EV and hybrid capabilities, because it’s one of the services we offer our paying clients at Element DMA, and we see its impact firsthand on capturing this growing market segment.

Here’s the reality: thousands of hybrid and EV owners in your area are searching right now for shops that can service their vehicles. They’re typing “hybrid car repair near me” and “EV brake service” into Google. If your website doesn’t have dedicated pages explaining exactly which EV and hybrid services you offer, those customers find your competitors instead.

Service-specific landing pages work because they match exactly what customers are searching for. A general “services” page listing everything you do doesn’t rank for specific EV searches. But a dedicated page titled “Electric Vehicle Brake Service” that explains your high-voltage safety certifications, which EV models you service, and your experience with regenerative braking systems captures those targeted searches.

We combine these landing pages with Google Ads campaigns targeting EV owner searches and Google Business Profile optimization that lists your hybrid and electric vehicle services. This three-part approach ensures customers searching for EV-capable shops find you first.

The Hybrid Services That Pay Off Immediately

Beyond your marketing presence, the smartest move is targeting hybrid vehicle owners first, because hybrids still have traditional combustion engines plus electric components.

Hybrid owners need shops comfortable working around high-voltage systems for basic repairs. Battery cooling system maintenance, brake system service that accounts for regenerative braking, and suspension work on heavier vehicles all generate revenue. These services don’t require massive equipment investments—mostly they require training your technicians on high-voltage safety protocols.

The opportunity is significant because dealerships often charge premium rates for hybrid services, and many hybrid owners prefer independent shops for routine maintenance once their warranty expires. You’re competing against shops that turn these customers away because they fear the orange cables.

Four More Ways to Position Your Shop for EV Growth

Invest in Level 2 EV Training First: ADAS training and high-voltage safety certification prepare your team for the majority of electric vehicle work. Skip Level 3 training initially—it’s expensive and covers repairs most independent shops won’t perform.
Add One Diagnostic Tool at a Time: You don’t need every EV diagnostic scanner immediately. Start with software that covers the most common EV and hybrid models in your area. Check your customer database to see which vehicles you’re already servicing—those owners will eventually upgrade to electric or hybrid versions.
List EV Services in Google Business Profile: Add specific service categories like “Hybrid car repair” and “Electric vehicle service” to your profile. Customers filtering search results by service type need to see you appear for these searches.
Test Demand Before Major Investments: Use targeted advertising to gauge interest in specific EV services before buying expensive equipment. If you’re considering investing in battery diagnostic tools, run ads mentioning those services and track response rates.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Get your lead technicians certified in EV/hybrid safety protocols and high-voltage systems
• Create dedicated website pages explaining exactly which EV and hybrid services you offer
• List specific hybrid and electric vehicle services on your Google Business Profile
• Track which hybrid and EV models your existing customers drive to predict future service demand
• You can also contact our team at Element DMA to see how we can bring your shop 100+ qualified calls per month and help your shop rank in the top 3 local search results

To Summarize…

The best ways for your shop to future-proof against the EV transition is to get technician training on hybrid systems, create service-specific landing pages that capture EV customer searches, and optimize your Google Business Profile—including working with Element DMA to ensure your EV capabilities are visible to the thousands of hybrid and electric vehicle owners searching for service options.

All the auto repair shops that work with us at Element DMA have service-specific landing pages highlighting their EV and hybrid capabilities, Google Ads campaigns targeting electric vehicle owner searches, and optimized Google Business Profiles that clearly list these services. Once you implement these positioning strategies, you capture customers your competitors are accidentally turning away.