EV Chargers for Retail Automotive Lots
More drivers in the United States want electric vehicles (EVs). Will your dealership be ready to sell them?
In the first four months of 2021, EV registrations nearly doubled year-over-year, according to data from Experian. A growing number of consumers want to buy their first electric vehicle. And EV chargers for retail automotive lots can attract them to your dealership.
But many who are interested in EVs don’t know enough about them to commit to buying one. Even in California, a state at the forefront of EV adoption, consumer awareness lags. A study from the University of California–Davis Institute of Transportation found that despite the availability of approximately 40 models of electric vehicles, many California consumers could not name one.
Ultimately, your dealership can find opportunity in this barrier. Having on-site chargers can help your sales staff educate first-time EV buyers on EV ownership and persuade other EV drivers to buy again—from you.
And dealerships that choose the Future Energy solution for electric vehicle chargers not only acquire cutting-edge ChargePoint hardware but also a data-driven charging environment. Educate your customers on the benefits of EV ownership to generate more sales and maximize value from your on-site EV infrastructure.
Data capture from the environment enables better power and inventory management. This can help your dealership run as a highly cost- and resource-efficient EV retail and service operation.
Educating Buyers with Commercial EV Chargers
Electric charging stations on your retail lots can provide an anchor point for your salespeople interacting with customers browsing outside. First-time EV buyers will have lots of questions. And a tangible demonstration with an electric vehicle charging station can help address them.
Soothing Range Anxiety
Your salespeople can show customers how easy it is to integrate EVs into their lives. Rightly so, many customers will feel apprehensive about whether an EV is capable of meeting their needs without running out of a charge, let alone how to find a charging station when their vehicles are running low.
“Range anxiety” is the fear of running out of charge while driving an EV. Before buying EVs, 91% of EV owners had significant range anxiety, an AAA survey found. However, after purchase, range anxiety dissipated. Around 95% of survey respondents reported never having run out of charge while driving, information that your sales associates can impart to customers.
What’s more, with the Future Energy solution, you’ll have electric vehicle chargers from ChargePoint on your lots. ChargePoint has the largest global network of EV chargers, 120,000 of which—and counting—are in North America; your dealership will be a part of that network.
Your sales staff can assure customers that they will be close to an available charger virtually wherever they are. And your salespeople can even show customers how to find a nearby charger using the EV charger map on the ChargePoint app, built into the Future Energy solution.
Addressing Charger Confusion and Maintenance Concerns
Customers will also want to know how the charging process works. Having EV charging stations on your dealership retail lots can help your sales associates show them.
And while overall price and range anxiety remain the main reasons why buyers hesitate to buy EVs, some are concerned about maintenance. A survey from Castrol found that 65% of US consumers won’t buy an EV due to perceived high maintenance costs.
Electronic car charging stations open the door to discussion with consumers who are unaware that the overall average cost of ownership of an EV is less than that of a gas-powered vehicle, especially where maintenance is concerned.
Research from Consumer Reports shows that EV drivers save on average $4,600 in repair and maintenance costs over the life of their vehicles compared to those driving gas-powered ones.
Developing a Sales Strategy around EV Charging Stations
By 2040, nearly every new car sold globally will be electric, according to the investment bank UBS. Automobile companies worldwide are making the transition to electric vehicles.
Thinking Proactively
Cadillac is going beyond a commitment to selling electric vehicles. It also is requiring its dealerships to install car charging stations. The requirement includes specialized training for employees as well as the tools needed to sell and service electric cars. Your dealership can get ahead of the curve with EV charger installation now.
Optimizing the Test Drive
German researchers found that having the chance to drive an EV significantly changed the consumer’s perception of electric vehicles. Providing a real-life EV driving experience, the researchers found, is a promising marketing strategy.
Having a fleet of electric vehicles ready for test drives can influence a consumer’s decision to buy. And EV charging stations on your retail lots are key to making sure that those electric vehicles are ready to go. But how do you ensure that each vehicle is fully charged at all times?
Keeping Your Inventory Fully Charged
The Future Energy solution leverages an easy-to-use proprietary software called Interface™, which connects to every electric vehicle on your lots and out-lots, regardless of lot size. It remotely monitors their charge and fuel levels and notifies you when they’re low.
That way, you know instantly which vehicles are fully charged and ready for a test drive. You’ll never have to keep a customer waiting. Mixed fleets will be managed for a long time until EV is 100% of all cars.
Preparing for the Future
Several studies have found that a dealership can find financial benefit in installing EV chargers and selling EVs. But without charged vehicles at the ready and an enthusiastic sales staff, the potential is largely unrealized.
Future Energy can help your dealership tap this potential by working with you to develop a comprehensive strategy for the installation of EV chargers for retail automotive lots. Contact Future Energy today to learn more about our EV Impact Study™ for your Dealership.
Included with Future Energy’s EV dealership solution
Future Energy’s complete, EV vehicle charging solution delivered as a turn-key environment.
Future Energy’s data visualization and management dashboard that connects all intelligent building systems.
Future Energy’s intelligent building systems solution that integrates your property’s lighting, climate, safety monitoring and more.
Rebates & Financial Incentives
Growing into the world of electric vehicles has never been more affordable or easier. Incentive programs include an array of combinable credits that can potentially cover all of the cost of your EV charging installation. Contact us to find out what funding is available to you.
Let’s Connect
Designing smart building connectivity begins with a personal connection. We’ll discuss your goals, budget and timeline, and take it from there.
