Plenty has been written and said about the shift to electric vehicles being the biggest change to hit the car market in perhaps more than a century. It’s only natural, therefore, that drivers who have only ever been behind the wheel of combustion-engined cars will have many questions about such a fundamental change in drivetrain technology.
Also, given the size of investment a new car represents to the average consumer, it’s understandable that they might scare easily – especially given the potential for them to pick up wildly conflicting information from sources ranging from national media to their own friends and family members. Given all this, it’s essential that dealers selling EVs can put customers at ease, with boosting buyer confidence having to be a greater point of emphasis than it would be with the average petrol car sale.
When asked what dealers can do to help boost EV buyer confidence, Sue Robinson, CEO of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), highlights the importance of education and transparency.
She says: “Dealers can build customer confidence by ensuring their teams are fully trained and accredited through schemes like the NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA), which guarantees impartial advice and high standards in EV sales and aftersales.
“Providing transparent information by way of EVA-endorsed Battery State of Health Certification, extended test drives, and practical demonstrations helps demystify EV ownership and empowers customers to make informed choices.
“Dealers must avoid underestimating the importance of staff training and customer education, as knowledge gaps can undermine trust and lead to lost sales.”
Although Robinson believes that the NFDA’s accreditation and professional development programmes are reducing occurrences of dealers lacking the EV knowledge they need, Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EV drivers’ advocacy association EVA England, says it is an issue many EV drivers have encountered.
She says: “Our EVA England surveys show that nearly 40% of EV drivers felt their experience at dealerships was poor or needed improvement. Many felt that those selling EVs didn’t know enough about them, and that misinformation around battery range and charging were rife.
“A dealership can be a driver’s first point of contact with the prospect of buying an EV – and they have a right to expect a similar level of knowledge of driving EVs than of driving petrol or diesel cars.
“Better training of dealership staff, including ensuring they have experience at driving electric, and are able to talk knowledgeably about their lower running costs and charging options would make a significant difference to so many prospective EV customers.”
Vital for dealers to be EV-informed
Edmonds says that one of the benefits of dealer education is to avoid misinformation about EVs being passed on to customers.
She says: “Dealers need to be careful not to feed off misinformation in the media about EVs and pass that onto customers: as EV drivers we see and hear too many stories about EV safety, battery failures and costs that simply aren’t true.
“Making sure dealers are properly trained and aware of where they can find out accurate information on EVs is essential.”
Robinson adds: “Dealers frequently encounter misconceptions around range, battery life, charging costs, and safety. EVA accredited dealers use their expertise to proactively debunk myths and provide reassurance at every stage of the customer journey.”
Marcus Berger, CEO at Aviloo, a company which offers independent battery state of health testing, says that educating dealers is an important part of its service.
He says: “Our business model is very much car dealer focused. So, we help car dealers to get confident in their products.
“Many car dealers grew in a combustion engine world. and have been selling combustion engine cars for decades. So, obviously that’s a shift in technology, a shift in know-how, and batteries are a bit more complex. There’s a lot of fear related with batteries because we all, you know, we all own mobiles, notebooks – we know what might happen. So, we are helping our clients with education, we train them.”
Potential benefits from extended EV test drives
Both Robinson and Edmonds believe that measures such as offering extended test drives for EVs and advice on home and public charging can help dealers to boost buyer confidence.
Robinson says: “Extended test drives allow customers to experience real-world EV use, how throttle control and regenerative braking can extend mileage usage, while expert advice on home and public charging addresses common concerns and builds confidence.”
Edmonds says: “Offering test drives and providing advice on charging options – including on the potentially significant cost savings that EVs bring over petrol and diesel cars – are absolute musts for any dealership, as they would be upon sale of petrol and diesel equivalents.
“Those who already drive electric do not worry about how the car will run, battery range or charging anxiety (indeed 95% of EV drivers would recommend their EV to family and friends). Those who haven’t yet made the switch are often nervous about these issues.
“Dealerships can do much to provide reassurances around the fact these cars are easy and simple to drive; and about how often drivers will need to charge, how much it will cost them at home, and what their options are for charging on the public network.”
Robinson adds that dealers could then look to continue this support during the first few weeks and months of EV ownership.
She says: “Dealers are offering proactive follow-up support, including tailored advice on charging, maintenance, and day-to-day use, to help customers adapt smoothly to their new EV.
“Regular check-ins, access to knowledgeable staff, and resources such as digital guides to ensure customers feel supported and confident during the crucial early stages of ownership.
“Customers may require further guidance on battery charge or how better to utilise regenerative braking, all of which the experts within the dealer can demonstrate and help consumers adapt their driving styles to suit the EV vehicle.”
Used EV buyers seeking battery confidence
Aviloo operates in a part of the industry where the issues discussed in this article are particularly relevant, since however much confident issues affect new EV sales, it’s worse for the used market, with research published earlier this year by the AA and Electrifying.com suggesting just 3% of drivers would have confidence buying a used EV. However, 38% said a formalised battery health certificate would give them more confidence.
Berger says: “We are there to create confidence in used EVs. We think electromobility is a superior technology, and we want to help people who are not as familiar with the technology as we are to overcome unjustified fear, but we also want to address justified fear.”
Berger argues that, while people with outdated fears of terrible battery degradation would be unlikely to be in the market for EVs anyway, those with more favourable views of the technology may still have valid concerns.
He says: “They just want to know what they get for their money. They just want to know am I buying whatever car it might be with a battery state of health of 92%, or 85%, or 76%?
“Contrary to combustion engine cars, where mileage and age would more or less tell you the value of the car, it doesn’t work like this with EVs.
“You cannot derive the battery condition simply by adding up mileage and age. You need to look deeper into the battery. And consumers know that, and they will demand proof from the car dealer about how good the battery is.”
