The coronavirus pandemic has shown us a lot about how people buy cars — namely that they want more options. Even though some consumers have responded positively to the car-buying process online, Newman says Cars.com’s research found 73 percent of consumers want to test drive and purchase EVs at local dealerships.
That means car salespersons and dealerships need to have EVs on the lots. And they do, technically speaking, but we agree they don’t really “sell” them. And by that we mean market them. The reality is that dealerships don’t do enough to help educate potential buyers about EVs, and the cars tend to be few and far between in dealer showrooms, even when they make up a growing part of brands’ lineups. Sometimes it’s hard for consumers to even find an EV to test drive.
Abuelsamid says that car shortages of the past few years haven’t always been the fault of dealerships, but they can do more to promote EVs.
“The attitude of many dealers that seem reluctant to push EVs is also a challenge,” Abuelsamid says. “With many new EVs coming to market over the next couple of years and production volume ramping dramatically, automakers are pushing dealers to make substantial investments in EV training, support and equipment, which hopefully will in turn lead to better attitudes from dealers hoping to sell EVs.”
