Finland’s EV fleet growth falls short of expectations
Finland’s EV fleet growth remains slower than expected, while the country’s ageing vehicle fleet continues to sustain demand for conventional maintenance and repair services. According to Harri Heilimä, chairman of the Finnish Association of Automotive Service Providers (AAPT), electrification has so far had only a limited impact on the association’s member companies. Nevertheless, battery faults and repairs are expected to create new business opportunities for independent workshops.
Chairman Harri Heilimä, The Association of Automotive Service Providers examined the electrification of Finland’s aftermarket at The Focus on Nordic IAM event organized by Automediat.com at Automechanika Frankfurt on September 9, 2026. His presentation described this shift from the perspective of repair shops’ current customer base and the slowly renewing vehicle fleet.
The influence of the Association of Automotive Service Providers is growing
The Association of Automotive Service Providers (AAPT), which Heilimä represents, comprises independent companies in the maintenance, collision repair, painting, and spare parts sectors. According to the presentation, the association has 250 members and 450 locations throughout Finland. Member companies employ approximately 4,500 people.
The high average age of Finland’s passenger car fleet was a key point in Heilimä’s presentation. A graph based on data from Statistics Finland showed that the vehicle fleet has aged over the long term. Gasoline and diesel cars continued to make up the vast majority of the passenger car fleet described in the presentation.
The renewal of Finland’s automotive sector will take time
At the same time, new car registrations have declined significantly from the levels seen in the late 2010s. The share of fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids among new cars has grown, but the renewal of the entire vehicle fleet will take time. From the perspective of repair shops’ workload and service needs, the types of cars their customers drive are crucial.
Heilimä highlighted the difference between independent repair shops and brand-authorized dealerships. Brand-authorized dealerships sell new cars and are thus facing the effects of electrification earlier. As cars age, they are transferred to service providers outside the brand network. This helps explain why electrification has had only a limited impact on AAPT member companies so far.
The need for repairs on used all-electric vehicles is growing
However, the import of used cars is also changing the future customer base of independent repair shops. According to Traficom data presented by Heilimä, fully electric vehicles accounted for the largest powertrain category in used car imports for both 2025 and the first half of 2026. Electric vehicles are thus also entering Finland’s vehicle fleet as used cars.
According to Heilimä, the electric vehicle fleet is growing, but more slowly than expected. He believes that news reports about battery problems and electric vehicle fires are increasing consumer hesitation.
Heilimä highlighted battery faults and repairs as a future area of focus for independent repair shops. He believes that both battery problems and the ability to repair them will continue to influence the work orders received by AAPT member companies. This will bring a new type of repair work alongside the maintenance needs of the current vehicle fleet.
Source: Harri Heilimä, “How Has Electrification Affected Finland’s Automotive Aftermarket?”, updated presentation materials for the Automechanika Frankfurt 2026 event. Membership figures: slide 1. Registrations, vehicle fleet, and used car imports: slides 3, 5–6, and 8. Conclusions: slide 9.
Reporter: Valentina Ahlavuo, Automediat.com
