Pub. 16 2017-2018 Issue 3

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 4 , 2 0 1 7 22 new jersey auto retailer T he auto retailing industry still has a fundamental prob- lem marketing and selling electric cars. Dealerships respond to consumer demand, but manufacturer in- vestments in marketing EVs to customers (and equipping their dealer networks to sell them effectively) continue to fall short. At an industry conference earlier this year, John Gartner of research firm Navigant observed that automakers have, thus far, proved unwilling to invest a proportional amount in marketing and selling EVs as they have in developing the technology. Until electrics prove profitable, this gap in attention to marketing and retailing EVs will continue to hamper uptake of plug-ins in the near to medium term. Further complicating the matter is that EVs are, for all intents and purposes, a disruptive product. To understand what this means, think about what it was like for customers just a decade or two ago considering a switch from a Windows PC machine to the more costly but user-friendly Apple platform. The decision was fraught with weighty considerations for would-be Apple buyers – most notably whether the promised arrival of compatible software would match the universe of titles running on the long-dominant Win- dows operating system. Similarly, the switch to EVs entails much more significant adaptations for customers, not least of which is an entirely new fueling experience and reliance on underdeveloped charging infrastructure. Dealers have their work cut out for them, with higher up-front cost and worries over range, battery life and charging availability dogging the conversation between dealer and customer. Because switching to an electric vehicle is risky, EVs appeal first to a What Dealers Will Need To Do To Meet Clean Car Mandates BY ERIC CAHILL The “eStar ” Certified EV Dealer Program Can Help