Advancing EVs by recognizing the top EV dealers

A blog by Plug'n Drive President and CEO, Cara Clairman

As you know, at Plug’n Drive we are big fans of electric cars because of their potential to reduce CO₂ emissions while at the same time using surplus off-peak electricity that is made locally, providing local economic benefits. And of course cleaner air benefits all Canadians.

As a group that spends a lot of time doing outreach and education, we  know that drivers have some common concerns about switching to EVs, such as the location (and number) of public charging stations, the vehicle models available, the  driving range  and the price tag to name a few..  However, , the EVs on the market today can meet the  needs of many Canadian drivers -   Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) stats tell us that most Canadians drive 50 kms or less a day; that’s well within the EV range.

Its easy to be optimistic about EV - battery life is steadily improving, the climate imperative is increasing, charging station networks are expanding, a number of provinces across the country have rebate programs in place and more and more models of cars are coming online every year with lower price tags.  Taking all these developments together, EV success is no longer an “if” but a “when”.

What else can be done to make it easier for drivers to choose an EV? One area of opportunity we see is on the sales floors of car dealerships. There are some car dealerships in various regions across the country that are doing a fantastic job at pairing their customers with electric vehicles. This is true despite the fact that, at present, the profit margins can be less on EVs – which means a salesperson might make less money selling an EV over another model – and despite the fact that it often takes more effort to sell an EV because it's different, is relatively novel and needs more explanation than a more familiar car, and despite the temptation to sell cars that generate more revenue on service than EVs which are known for low maintenance costs.

What is the difference between dealerships that are growing EV sales and those that are not? There is some evidence that suggests an important factor is having knowledgeable sales representative willing to go the extra mile to promote EVs as a viable option. There are ever-more environmentally-conscientious customers who are hungry to make choices with their dollars that lower their carbon footprint. And there are even more still who are willing to lower their carbon footprint if it’s easy and convenient and saves money. Dealerships that take steps to encourage the adoption of EVs become partners with consumers to help solve one of Canada’s energy and environmental issues.

Recognizing the potential benefit of identifying and rewarding dealerships that have found ways to help consumers to choose EVs, Plug’n Drive has partnered with the Canadian Electricity Association to create the very first ever Canadian EV Dealership Awards.  We want to celebrate those top EV dealers and encourage others to take a page out of their playbook.

The awards will be launched at Electric Mobility Canada's EV2013VÉ conference in Ottawa, Gatineau on October 23^rd and the first awards will be presented at the EV2014VÉ conference.

For more details on how this exciting contest is going to work, check out www.electricvehicleawards.ca.

Whether you are selling EVs, driving an EV, participating in the industry, or simply observing,we look forward to your participation in this initiative!