The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) will launch its new Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme at Automotive Management Live 2018 tomorrow.

Introducing a new set of industry standards which recognise the world done by the sectors leading franchised car retail franchises to introduce new, low emission electric vehicles (EVs) into the market, details of the new scheme will be presented at the NFDA’s stand (C20) during tomorrow’s (November 8) car retail expo atthe NEC in Birmingham.

Sue Robinson, director of the NFDA, said that the introduction of the Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme delivered “the only certified standard of its kind which is open to all automotive retailers and recognises and certifies, through an approved set of standards, the efforts that retailers are making in the electric vehicles sector to meet the ever-changing consumer demand.”

EVA is a set of standards for retail and aftersales, which has been developed by NFDA.

EVA is initially open to retailers as a pilot phase lasting from November 2018 to February 2019.

Dealer participation in the scheme will be made available via an initially limited number of available slots to be allocated on first come first served basis to ensure a fair geographical representation of the UK, the NFDA said.

The pilot will be used to establish the scheme and we will monitor the operation before the official launch to consumers in 2019.

The NFDA said in a statement: “Both pure Electric Vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles are experiencing very significant growth and a number of manufacturers have ambitious plans for the expansion of both the model range and volume of models sold. 

“Crucially, interest from consumers is also expanding rapidly. However, consumers have found buying a plug-in car more complex than purchasing an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, due to the additional considerations to be taken into account and possible lifestyle impacts.

“A retailer who has committed significant time and resources to EVs should meet the standards set by EVA and then be able to communicate clearly, through the EVA trust mark, to consumers their expertise in the sector. The EVA status is awarded to individual dealership locations and not to dealer groups.”

Robinson added: “The new car market is evolving and retailers have a crucial role to play in helping consumers understand the benefits and implications of owning an electric vehicle. The EVA membership will make retailers’ EV capabilities clear to consumers.

“We look forward to giving retailers the opportunity to show their excellence in EV retail”.