What Your Customers Want to Know about EVs

This is the first time that many in your customer base are truly considering if an electric car is right for them personally. Sure, they know about EVs in general, but now they are largely considering getting behind the wheel of one of their own.

This poses a great opportunity for your dealership. Whether a customer is simply curious about EVs or they come to you ready to buy, you have the chance to establish a strong, loyal relationship that will last years to come. Simply by helping customers through the discovery process and providing them with the valuable insights and key resources they need when exploring their car-buying options (electric, gasoline, and everything in the middle), you can create a customer for life.

The first step in adding something new and insightful to the conversation is personalizing your message based on your customer’s individual interests:

For the Customer Who’s in it for Mother Earth

A huge selling point for hybrid and electric vehicles alike is that they are more environmentally-friendly than their fully gasoline powered counterparts. Customers who are first and foremost concerned with reducing their carbon footprint might be interested to know that:

• It only takes 27,000 miles of driving a small gas powered car to produce enough emissions to surpass those created by manufacturing and regularly charging an EV. This means that emission-wise, after being driven for a few years, EVs are less harmful than gasoline powered cars.
• The average EV battery has a lifespan of around 200,000 miles, which is roughly 15-20 years of mileage. That said, things like extreme temperatures and fast chargers can affect battery life (much in the same way your phone is affected by these things).
• EV batteries also don’t end up in junkyards or landfills—most are used for energy in other industries, or the parts are recycled to make other technology.

For the Customer Who’s Always on the Move

A large portion of Americans drive less than 25 miles a day, but it’s still a valid question: what happens if you run out of battery in an area without a charging station? While an EV isn’t going to be the best option for everyone, some customers just want to know that they aren’t sacrificing peace of mind if they decide to go electric.

What can you do as a dealership?

• Show your customers the EV Charging Station Map (which lets you know where you can charge your vehicle anywhere in the country).
• Locally, consider what is available in your area. If you find that there aren’t many public charging stations near you, it might be worth offering one at your dealership.
• Consider your service team—having an expert on EV-specific repairs can do a lot to make your customers feel confident (and keep them coming back to you).

For the Customer Who Can’t Seem to Look Past the Sticker Price

Some customers will inevitably like the concept of going electric, but like the sticker tag (along with other costs associated with charging) far less. Make sure these customers have all the numbers they need to decide if an EV will suit them:

• Depending on the specific year, make, and model, EV owners may be eligible for up to a $7,500 tax credit. This applies to certain hybrid vehicles as well.
• Many states offer rebates, tax deductions, or other incentives to make the cost of an EV more affordable for the average car-buyer.
• Some electric companies are also jumping in on the savings—some offer rebates, along with incentives for individuals who charge their vehicles during times of the day with less energy demand.
• Charging an EV is roughly 3.5 times cheaper per mile than powering a gasoline vehicle. (As you know, this is a huge “pro” in the EV column with the inflation of gas prices right now.)

For the Customer Who Likes All the Newest Bells and Whistles

Customers aren’t going to buy car that they can’t easily operate (that’s part of the reason why we do test drives!). The same goes for any special features.

Think about it this way—if customers ask you how a specific feature works when they’re at the dealership, how many customers are you missing out on because they couldn’t find that information online?

Customers might be less familiar with features that some EVs offer, such as:

• Parking assistance
• Self-drive capabilities
• EV-specific display panels
• Plug-in charging

Be the helpful advisor your customers need by creating or sharing YouTube content that addresses these things. For your dealership, this might mean creating dynamic test drive videos, tutorials where specific features are explained as they are used, or even a rundown of best practices for charging and maintaining your EV.

When it comes to the growing interest in EVs, your customers are working to find information from sources they can trust. Your dealership can offer just that. Providing valuable resources and insight to your customers creates a win-win situation—you establish relationships that turn a profit in the long run, and your customers get the information they need to confidently purchase whatever kind of car it is that they’ll love—EV or otherwise.

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