Auto dealers, you’ll know better than anyone how the zero-emissions vehicle market is ballooning. According to DriveElectric, a quarter of new car sales in the UK will be electric in 2023.
With their Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, the government is looking to enforce an 80% market share by 2030, growing to 100% by 2035. It’s a one-way street with no stopping allowed.
But – there’s always a but – even with this upward pressure, EVs aren’t always an easy sell.
They offer up a whole new set of objections that dealers must, well, deal with.
Objections to EVs such as…
- Range anxiety
- Status quo bias*
- Jargon – a kilo-what?
- Fewer models to choose from
- Worries about accessing chargepoints
- New technology and models to get used to
- Uncertainty around ongoing support, from service plans to local garage repairs
(*It’s not that we’re stick-in-the-muds; the science shows humans find change difficult. We lean towards the status quo, even when it’s not as good)
It’s all understandable. We’re revamping something we’ve been doing the same way for generations.
Here at Powerverse, one objection we’re clued up on is anxiety around access to chargepoints – and how to overcome it.
1. Home chargepoint technology
Get a chargepoint installed at home and suddenly worries about where to charge an EV fall away.
When your customers have their own charger on their driveway, it’s easy for them to make sure they’ve got a ‘full tank’ every time they set off.
There’s no need to map local chargepoints and plot when they may or may not be busy.
And there’s no need to plan what to do while the battery is charging in the supermarket car park.
There’s only so long a person can wander around Sainsbury’s, right?
In short, home chargepoints take away all the hassle consumers worry about when it comes to charging their EV.
2. Smart EV chargepoint technology can help your customers get the most out of their EV
Just like the vehicles themselves, chargepoint technology has come a long way in recent years.
The units look sleek. They’re robust, reliable, and efficient. And they can slot seamlessly into a smart home energy ecosystem.
Smart tech gives the charger the capability to maximise energy savings. It can prioritise when it tops the car up, such as night-time if you have a cheaper overnight tariff, or when the sun is beating down if you have solar.
Modern chargepoints are controlled using an app. You can turn them on and off and easily see the charging status. If you’ve got an integrated smart system, you can manage all your home energy tech, from turning off appliances to switching between grid and solar energy, on one app.
Which brings us to another point: the home chargepoint and solar panel combo is an absolute winner. When the sun provides the electricity, it’s basically free juice for your car.
How easy would it be to sell cars if you could bundle in a lifetime of free petrol?
Well, with an EV, EV chargepoint, and solar bundle, you can – kind of.
3. Holding on to that long-term relationship with your customers
EVs are a different sales proposition to traditional ICE vehicles.
From customers navigating unfamiliar technology to dealerships working out how it fits into current business models, we’re all adjusting.
The longer-term relationship between customer and dealership is one area in flux.
With ICE vehicles, service plans and ongoing maintenance support were the norm. It was a neat way for you to build a lasting rapport with customers.
For consumers, it helped create the idea that the car dealership was the place to take care of all their motoring needs, from buying to servicing to upgrading.
EVs are a bit different.
There’s less maintenance and servicing. You’re less likely to see those customers coming back to you regularly.
There’s also other stuff they need to sort out – such as a chargepoint installation – that means dealing with third parties.
In this all-new, all-electric future, it has become trickier for a dealership to be the go-to for everything motor-related.
4. The answer? EV and chargepoint bundles
Bundling a home chargepoint (and other home energy tech) with an EV sale is an opportunity for you to keep hold of that trusted motoring partner status.
It also means you can take away those worries about range, chargepoint availability, and variable running costs in one fell swoop.
We can hear those objections crashing down as we speak.
A ready-to-drive package
At Powerverse, we’ve already got that readymade package lined up for you.
We can take care of everything your customers need, from a home survey to identify where best to put the chargepoint to ongoing technical support.
We offer a white-label app to manage the whole process, so your customer gets a seamless EV sales experience managed by you, the auto dealer. No third parties confusing matters.
And our packages can go beyond just the chargepoint. They can cover all the home energy bases: the chargepoint, solar panels, and a home battery.
EV + chargepoint + home energy bundle = everything your customers need to transition to the all-electric, low carbon lifestyle of their dreams.
Out with the ICE and a service plan, in with the EV and lifestyle electrification bundle. Bingo!
Interested in what we have to offer? Speak to one of our experts here.
Latest Posts
Practically everyone in the Western world is a consumer. But recent years have seen the rise of the “prosumer”–a person… Read more
Renewable Energy: What’s in it for us?
There’s a lot of talk about renewable energy these days. This is particularly true in the world of electric vehicles… Read more
How you’ll benefit from an EV solar-ready charger
Charging your electric vehicle (EV) at home is less costly, more convenient and better for the environment than using public… Read more