Repairs to electric vehicle batteries and fleet services are opening up growth opportunities for Nordic workshops
The independent aftermarket in the Nordic countries stands out in Europe for its concentrated spare parts trade, strong workshop networks, and an increasingly electrified vehicle fleet. Speaking at The Focus on Nordic IAM panel organized by Automediat.com at Automechanika Frankfurt, Antti Wolk, Wolk & Nikolic After Sales Intelligence, highlighted electric vehicle battery repairs, maintenance contracts for corporate fleets, and complex repairs for vehicles past their warranty period as growth opportunities.
Market expert Antti Wolk, Wolk & Nikolic After Sales Intelligence, examined the aftermarket in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark at the “The Focus on Nordic IAM” event organized by Automediat.com on September 9, 2026. His presentation combined figures illustrating the market structure with assessments of the types of services that changes in the vehicle fleet will require from independent workshops and auto parts suppliers.
In Wolk’s 2025 comparison, the combined revenue of independent auto parts distribution and retail companies in the four countries was 8.98 billion euros. This represented 7.3 percent of the total revenue of companies in the 45 European countries included in the comparison and was comparable in scale to Poland. This figure reflects the revenue of distribution and retail companies and cannot be used to represent the value of the entire maintenance and repair market.
The five largest companies accounted for 43.2 percent of Nordic revenue. In the European comparison, the five largest companies accounted for 16.4 percent. The top five companies in the Nordic region were Biltema, MEKO, Broman Group, KG Knutsson, and T. Hansen Gruppen. For spare parts suppliers, this comparison highlights the importance of large distribution companies in gaining market access.
In Nordic workshops, a corresponding distinctive feature is membership in networks. According to Wolk’s 2024 data on passenger car workshops, 55.6 percent of independent workshops in the Nordic countries belonged to a chain, a franchise network, or some other cooperative arrangement. In a comparison of 34 other European countries, the share was 28.4 percent. Independent workshops accounted for over 80 percent of all workshops in both regions.
Reporter: Valentina Ahlavuo, Automediat.com
Focusing on the Nordic aftermarket
Four markets bring the EV service transition into focus at Automechanika Frankfurt 2026
Nordic workshops and suppliers are preparing for electric vehicles at markedly different speeds. At Automechanika Frankfurt 2026, AUTOMEDIAT’s second Nordic independent aftermarket (IAM) panel examined how the region can develop EV repair capacity while sustaining the conventional business that still supports much of the sector. [1, 4–7]
Organised by Finnish aftermarket media company Automediat.com in cooperation with Messe Frankfurt, The Focus on Scandinavian Aftermarket took place on 9 September at the Academy Stage in Hall 8.0. The session was led by publisher and editor-in-chief Valentina Ahlavuo and moderated by Italian automotive journalist Tommaso Caravani. Messe Frankfurt’s Gateway to Automotive selected the session as one of its ten programme highlights. [1]
Antti Wolk of Wolk & Nikolic After Sales Intelligence
The differences were clear in the market data presented by Antti Wolk of Wolk & Nikolic After Sales Intelligence. His 2025 benchmarks put the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) share of the fleet at 36.5% in Norway, 17.5% in Denmark, 8.8% in Sweden and 4.8% in Finland. Based on census data and forecasts, these figures describe fleet composition, which, alongside vehicle age, helps determine demand for EV servicing and repairs. [4]
Mads Engberg, director of AUTIG and president of FIGIEFA
Denmark illustrates the gap between new car registrations and the composition of the overall fleet. Mads Engberg, director of AUTIG and president of FIGIEFA, reported that electric vehicles accounted for 79.9% of new passenger car registrations in the first half of 2026 and 22.9% of the passenger car fleet in July. He identified conventional combustion-engine vehicles as the main drivers of independent aftermarket growth. [7]
Harri Heilimä, chair of the Finnish Association of Automotive Service Providers, AAPT
Finland faces a different timetable. Harri Heilimä, chair of the Finnish Association of Automotive Service Providers, AAPT, described a market shaped by an ageing fleet. Electrification had so far had a limited impact on the association’s members, although battery faults and repairs were identified as a future source of work. Finnish independents therefore need to develop new capabilities alongside the services required by their existing customers. [5]
The commercial structure of the Nordic aftermarket also affects how businesses prepare. Wolk’s 2025 benchmark put independent aftermarket distribution and retail company revenue in the region at €8.98 billion. The five largest companies accounted for 43.2% of that revenue, compared with a 16.4% share for the five largest companies in the wider European comparison. [4]
Workshop networks also play a substantial role. In Wolk’s 2024 passenger car workshop dataset, 55.6% of Nordic independent workshops belonged to a chain, franchise or other organised system, compared with 28.4% elsewhere in the European comparison. For suppliers, this points to the importance of relationships with established distribution groups and workshop networks. [4]
Lars Bergmark, head of Svenska Fordonsbranschen
Lars Bergmark, head of Svenska Fordonsbranschen, estimated Sweden’s annual independent aftermarket turnover at approximately SEK 30 billion, excluding labour, with around 25,000 people employed in the sector. He highlighted access to vehicle data and digital service records as practical competition issues, alongside training and keeping technical knowledge current. [6]
Engberg connected these concerns to the European regulatory agenda, calling for modernised rules, effective enforcement, recruitment and training. For independent repairers, the transition depends on access to the information and systems needed to carry out the work, as well as investment in equipment and skills. [7]
On the exhibition floor, Denmark’s BORG Automotive provided a concrete example of the emerging EV repair business. It won the Sustainable Drive Solutions category of the Automechanika Innovation Awards for its remanufactured eDrive motor. According to Messe Frankfurt, the company had developed a remanufacturing process and produced samples for vehicles from two carmakers. [8]
The panel and award formed part of a wider Nordic presence at the fair. Held from 8 to 12 September, Automechanika Frankfurt attracted 4,400 exhibitors from 80 countries and more than 112,000 trade visitors from 173 countries, according to Messe Frankfurt. The official directory listed 52 exhibitor entries across Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. Combined visitor attendance from those markets rose 8.4% to 3,613 compared with 2024, with Norway recording the largest increase. [2, 3, 9]
Nordic Participation in Automechanika Frankfurt 2026
| Country | Exhibitors entries 2026 | Visitors 2026 | Visitors 2024 | Visitors change-% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 22 | 1,146 | 1,096 | +4.6% |
| Finland | 5 | 974 | 875 | +11.3% |
| Denmark | 21 | 850 | 837 | +1.6% |
| Norway | 4 | 643 | 526 | +22.2% |
| Total | 52 | 3,613 | 3,334 | +8.4% |
Exhibitor entries follow the country classification in the official directory, checked on 17 September 2026. Visitor figures supplied by AUTOMEDIAT; percentage changes calculated against 2024. [3, 9]
Swedish exhibitors included Autocom, Car-O-Liner and CTEK, while Denmark’s included Nissens, BORG Automotive and Triscan. Finland was represented by FennoSteel, Maston, RVS Technology, Sinituote and Vepro. Norway’s entries were AutoSock, Brodreskift Tech, DEFA and Lumen Systems. [3]
For independent businesses, the Nordic experience points to a practical approach: match EV investment to the local vehicle fleet, secure the skills and data access needed for new repairs, and retain the capacity to serve existing customers throughout the transition.
Sources and Editorial Notes
[1] Automediat.com, The Focus on Scandinavian Aftermarket programme, 9 September 2026. Second edition confirmed in the author’s supplied text. Panel programme. Messe Frankfurt, Gateway to Automotive, 7 September 2026. Ten programme highlights. The exact total of 616 events in the supplied revision could not be confirmed in the linked public sources and has been omitted.
[2] Messe Frankfurt, final report for the trade press, 14 September 2026. Final report
[3] Messe Frankfurt, Exhibitors and Products 2026. Country-filter results checked on 17 September 2026. Counts use exhibitor location; they do not consolidate all Nordic-owned groups or their foreign subsidiaries. Norway | Finland | Sweden | Denmark
[4] Antti Wolk, Nordic-Automotive-Aftermarket-2026-Wolk_update(1).pdf, August 2026. Slides 4–5: 2025 distribution and retail company revenue and concentration. Slide 8: 2025 BEV fleet benchmarks, sourced to census data and forecasts. Slide 10: 2024 passenger car workshop affiliation.
[5] Harri Heilimä, How Has Electrification Affected Finland’s Automotive Aftermarket_v2(1).pptx. Slide 9: ageing fleet, limited impact of electrification on AAPT members so far, and future battery repair work.
[6] Lars Bergmark, Svenska Fordonsbranschen-Automechanika 2026 v2(1).pptx. Swedish turnover excludes labour. Priorities include vehicle data, digital service records and technical competence.
[7] Mads Engberg, Præsentationen ved Automechanika Frankfurt.pptx. Registration figures cover January–June 2026; fleet share refers to July 2026. The presentation describes these vehicles as electric vehicles. Regulatory reform, enforcement, recruitment and training are among its priorities.
[8] Messe Frankfurt, Innovation Award winners 2026, Sustainable Drive Solutions category. BORG Automotive remanufactured eDrive motor
[9] National visitor counts for 2026 and 2024 supplied by AUTOMEDIAT for this feature. The underlying attendance report was not supplied. Totals and percentage changes are calculated from the provided figures and rounded to one decimal place.
Automediat.com Brings “The Focus on Scandinavian IAM” Event to the Automechanika Frankfurt Stage
“The Focus on Scandinavian IAM,” Wednesday, September 9, 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Organizers: Automediat.com and Messe Frankfurt.
Location: Automechanika Academy, Hall 8.0. The event is part of Automechanika Frankfurt’s international expert program.
The event will examine the structure, market volumes, and future prospects of the automotive aftermarket in all the Nordic countries. Held on the Academy Stage, the event will feature speakers from spare parts and repair shop industry associations in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, as well as a leading expert specializing in international market data.
Key themes of the event include market structure, electrification, trends in the vehicle fleet, skill requirements for repair shops, the spare parts market, the importance of data, sustainable development, and industry regulation.
Antti Wolk will discuss the structure and potential of the Nordic aftermarket
A broader market overview will be presented by Antti Wolk, CEO and partner at Wolk & Nikolic Aftersales Intelligence GmbH.
Wolk’s presentation, “The Nordic Automotive Aftermarket – Deep Dive into Market Structures, Sales Potentials, and Regional Dynamics,” focuses on the structures of the Nordic aftermarket, sales potential, and regional differences.
Wolk & Nikolic specializes in research, market data, and business intelligence solutions for the international automotive aftermarket. Wolk’s perspective provides comparable market data and a broader European perspective to complement the country-specific presentations.
The slow renewal of Finland’s vehicle fleet is affecting the aftermarket
Finland will be represented at the event by Harri Heilimä, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Automotive Service Providers (AAPT). His presentation, “How Has Electrification Affected Finland’s Automotive Aftermarket?”, examines the impacts of electrification, particularly from the perspective of the structure of Finland’s vehicle fleet.
Finland’s vehicle fleet is being renewed slowly. According to Heilimä, this is reflected in the aftermarket as two parallel trends: electrification is advancing, but at the same time, a large number of older internal combustion engine vehicles will remain on the road for a long time. The need for maintenance and repairs of the older vehicle fleet sustains the workload of independent repair shops, while the technology of the newer fleet places new demands on repair shops in terms of expertise and equipment.
The presentation also addresses the impact on the repair shop sector of regulations concerning batteries, their repair, and the use of used replacement parts.
In Sweden, the focus is on expertise, sustainability, and a level playing field
Lars Bergmark, CEO of Svenska Fordonsbranschen, will present the Swedish aftermarket. The organization brings together approximately 2,000 independent aftermarket repair shops and wholesale operators.
In his presentation, Bergmark will examine the structure of the Swedish IAM market, the organization of the industry, and key current issues affecting the operating environment.
Svenska Fordonsbranschen’s work emphasizes, among other things, the availability of a skilled workforce, sustainable development, and a level playing field for the independent aftermarket. Bergmark also has extensive experience in the tire industry; prior to his current role, he held management positions at international tire manufacturers.
International Discussion on the Nordic IAM Market
The event will be moderated by Tommaso Caravani, a leading Italian journalist and publisher in the aftermarket sector. Following the country-specific presentations, the program will feature a panel discussion on the development of the Nordic aftermarket and future challenges.
“The Focus on Scandinavian IAM,” curated by AUTOMEDIAT.COM, brings the perspective of the independent aftermarket in Finland and the other Nordic countries to the international Academy program at Automechanika Frankfurt.
Automechanika Frankfurt will take place September 8–12, 2026. Automediat.com will report on the events at the trade show and will pay particular attention to developments in the aftermarket and repair shop sectors.