Cox Automotive is launching a certification program designed to help its Manheim auction locations safely and effectively handle used electric vehicles.

The Manheim Location EV Certification Program, developed and administered by Cox Automotive’s EV Battery Solutions team, offers three levels of certification.

The base level focuses on foundational practices such as battery health monitoring, safe EV charging procedures and fire safety training. Mid-level certification adds competencies in short-term battery storage and logistics, including specialized hazmat shipping and forklift training.

At the highest level, Cox said, certified sites are equipped to conduct complete battery pack swaps and manage complex EV battery logistics, which require advanced training and specialized high-voltage equipment.

The company said certification standards will continuously evolve to reflect the latest EV technologies and advancements.

Manheim plans to certify the majority of its physical locations by the end of 2025.

“For more than a decade, Cox Automotive has remained bullish on the future of EVs,” Cox Automotive president of inventory solutions Grace Huang said. “While others have been debating if EVs are here to stay, we’ve spent the past 10-plus years heavily investing across our 70-plus auction locations to create scalable, repeatable solutions that solve the industry’s evolving EV challenges.”

Manheim said used EVs have become more common in its marketplace, with approximately 106,000 used EVs sold through Manheim in 2024, up 108% from 51,000 the previous year.

In addition to its auctions, Cox Automotive said Manheim’s lots, covering a total of more than 6,500 acres, also offer clients extended capabilities for new and used EVs, including sequencing, maintaining and storing vehicles, and battery transportation optimization.

“Managing used EVs at scale requires a dynamic shift in operations, which is why we have invested more than $500 million in Manheim’s physical infrastructure, capabilities and people,” senior vice president of physical services and auctions Alan Lang said. “We established this certification program as a way to formalize and measure our own efforts — as well as lead the industry in transitioning to a more electrified future.”