The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has launched a certification program it claims can turn automotive salespeople into EV experts in only 90 minutes.
Called ElectrifIQ, this system goals to arrange dealers to handle common consumer questions, regarding things like charging times and costs, total cost of ownership, and available incentives, in line with an NADA press release. All that knowledge comes at a price of $199 per person or $495 per dealership.
2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5
This system was developed with input from the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE), which has already administered statewide EV incentive programs and worked with state dealer associations in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Latest Jersey, Latest York and Oregon on EV training, the NADA noted.
Traditional franchised dealers still appear reticent about EVs. A recent survey, albeit one tapping right into a very small sample set, found that dealers think the Biden administration is moving too fast on EVs. Greater than half of dealers who participated in that survey also said they hadn’t signed up to supply federal EV tax credits as point-of-sale rebates.
2024 Volkswagen ID.4
Just as Consumer Reports has found several times over time, dealers push buyers away from EVs—and it is a trend not exclusive to the U.S.
But with Fisker and Vinfast recently announcing pivots to franchised dealers, augmented their previous Tesla-like model of direct sales, times could also be changing. Fisker said last month that it planned so as to add 50 franchised dealerships alongside company-owned showrooms, while the primary franchised Vinfast dealership opened in North Carolina (where the corporate also plans to construct a factory) in December.
This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
