The wheels are in motion for an electric vehicle (EV) to arrive at Brecon Beacons College.

The college (part of NPTC Group of Colleges) has recently purchased a new Peugeot e208 to use for upcoming trainings in Electric Vehicle Repair.

With plans to start training in their Autumn 2022 term, the college’s Engineering and Automotive School is expanding its provision of the Level 1 – 3 Awards in Electric Vehicle Repair, currently taught in Newtown College. By opening up the courses to the garages and students in Brecon and the surrounding areas, it is hoped environmentally sustainable solutions can benefit the community and modernise the Motor Vehicle courses the college is well-known for.

Due to arrive on the Brecon campus over the summer months, the 22-plate e208 was purchased from Aberystwyth-based Antony Motors.

Automotive Engineering tutor, Daniel Pritchard, who made the journey to purchase the car, said: “It’s a great feeling to now have an Electric Vehicle for use in our courses in Brecon. We’ll be setting this up along with an Electric Vehicle rig in Brecon Beacons College over the coming months.

“I’d like to give a big credit to my colleague, William Davies, who will be teaching with these in Brecon shortly, and to Sales Manager Kevin Payne at Antony Motors, who was paramount in ordering our Peugeot e208s in Brecon and Newtown over the past year.”

The Electric Vehicle Repair courses each take less than a week to complete, and are run through the college’s Business Development Unit (BDU). The Unit provides trainings for businesses, as well as individuals looking to upskill, and the course can be fully funded for you through the Welsh Government’s Personal Learning Accounts scheme if you are 19 or over, living in Wales, and earning under £30,000 in work.

Maya John, Business Engagement Advisor for Brecon Beacons College, said: “The new Electric Vehicle courses in Brecon are a chance to majorly upskill workers in the Automotive Industry in Mid Wales and beyond.

“Having short, accessible trainings in Brecon Beacons College will boost local garages’ knowledge of new and green electric vehicle technologies and help prepare them for the future.”