How car dealers and leasing firms can support EV customers

In a guest opinion piece for AM-online, David Wells, the chief executive of EV charger firm GoZeroCharge.com, shares his thoughts on how dealers can help their electric vehicle buying customers to be ready for daily life with a battery electric vehicle. 

There was a 40% increase in electric vehicle (EV) sales between 2021 and 2022 in the UK, with battery electric vehicles now accounting for 16.6% of the total market share*. With major benefits such as money-saving and protecting the environment, it’s not hard to understand the surge in consumer interest. 

Conservatively, I would estimate that as many as four in five electric vehicle sales could also serve as leads for a home EV charger sale. With this in mind, myself and the team behind the Optimus, www.GoZeroCharge.com ‘s smart EV charger, have outlined how car dealers and leasing firms that sell electric vehicles are starting to support and ensure EV customers have the home set-up they need for charging…

Bring customer support teams up to speed
The post-sale experience for electric vehicles can often be overlooked, but shouldn’t be disregarded. When it comes to EVs, I would warn that many consumers might be purchasing one for the first time and, as a result, will quickly identify follow-up questions. For this reason, it’s very important to ensure that the customer support team is fully equipped to field any concerns or questions from customers.

In my experience, common post-sale questions often revolve around batteries, range and the cost of ownership, as well as troubleshooting queries with charging infrastructure. Naturally, any business wants to provide its customers with an exceptional experience, but it will require a little extra effort with EV sales.

Quell the range anxiety and charger anxiety
In my experience, the likes of ‘range anxiety’ and ‘charger anxiety’ can be serious deal breakers for would-be EV buyers. If prospective owners are too afraid of being left stranded in a remote area or on the side of the motorway as a result of their vehicle running out of charge before reaching their destination to consider switching from a vehicle with an internal combustion engine or PHEV, it presents a serious issue for car dealers and leasing firms housing EVs. 

However, it turns out that less than 4% of electric vehicles have ever run out of charge completely, proving that there really isn’t much to worry about. I strongly recommend providing educational content for customers, such as articles, eBooks and videos, on how to charge an EV – this can go a long way toward quelling any anxiety or preconceived notions. Car dealers and leasing firms should take a proactive approach to offering support and valuable information. 

Establish trade partnerships with EV charger brands
By partnering with a progressive and supportive EV charger brand, car dealers and leasing firms can ensure that customers don’t need to worry about any stress caused by the thought of outsourcing smart EV home charging installation. I work for www.GoZeroCharge.com, who offer a trade partnership with industry-leading commission rates, on top of valuable point-of-sale materials and integrated API based DMS solutions – this is activated by Auto Data Solutions facilitating the delivery of the brand’s EV charging solution into dealerships and leasing firms.

What’s more, public chargers are roughly two thirds more expensive than charging at home – making smart EV home charging all the more appealing. For 100 miles’ worth of charge, an EV driver can expect to pay around £20-25 if using a public rapid charger. Comparatively, it would only cost around £5-10 at home, where consumers even have the choice to schedule charges throughout the night or at times when electricity generally costs less to help lower electricity bills. I know which one I’d choose! 

In conclusion, the electric vehicle boom is one of the fastest rising trends in the UK as the Government pushes to reach its environmental targets for the next decade. There were 267,203 new and 71,071 used battery electric vehicle transactions in 2022 and the number is looking to be far greater in 2023, making it a great time for anyone looking for a new vehicle to jump ship from petrol and diesel.

I feel that Go Zero Charge’s holistic approach to EV customer support is highly beneficial to car dealers and leasing firms. Not only do our partners get access to newfound revenue via our industry-leading commission rates, but customers also get access to the smartest EV charger available and the option of nationwide home EV installation support all managed end-to-end by Go Zero Charge.

Author: David Wells, chief executive, GoZeroCharge.com