JCT600’s Volkswagen Sheffield car dealership has become the 24th UK franchised site to gain accreditation from the NFDA’s Government-backed Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme.

The retail site, which will soon welcome the ID 3 hatchback – the first in a new line of VW EVs – to its showroom, was given the seal of approval from the National Franchised Dealership Association (NFDA) following an audit by the Energy Savings Trust (EST).

Chris Moriarty, head of business at JCT600 Volkswagen Sheffield, on the Bochum Parkway, said: “It’s a massive point of pride for Volkswagen Sheffield to be part of the first wave of accreditations, and it’s a credit to the expertise and knowledge of the team here at Sheffield.

“We’re constantly trying to be the best in our sector, and being recognised as an EVA-approved dealership is a crucial step in the journey to being the best EV retailer we can be.”

The NFDA scheme is also backed by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

The launch of the scheme proper followed the success of a pilot phase, and is intended to provide a set of standards for EV retail and aftersales to ensure there is uniformity across the automotive industry.

The Sheffield dealership is also one of just 15 EV battery repair centres in the country, thanks to a trio of Volkswagen-trained ‘High Voltage’ expert technicians.

According to a statement issued by JCT600 this week, the site’s market share for pure electric and the brand’s GTE plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) has grown significantly in recent months.

As that share continues to grow, it’s vital that consumers are given confidence when looking at purchasing or servicing an EV or hybrid, JCT600 said.

Group chief executive, John Tordoff, said: “We’re striving to lead the way when it comes to knowledge and training in the emerging EV industry, and to have a dealership within the group that is clearly leading the way is something I’m really proud of.”

Earlier this month the NFDA said that its EVA scheme had identified a "huge appetite" for additional training on EVs among franchised car retailers.

Sue Robinson, director of the NFDA, said: “EVA will certify the efforts franchised retailers are making in the EV sector to meet the fast-growing consumer demand, and will enable them to clearly communicate to their customers their expertise in the sector.”