Unless you know exactly what you want and are willing to put down the money and wait, it’s hard to find an electric vehicle in dealer stock to test-drive and buy. As anyone who’s shopped for a new EV in recent months knows, a recent nationwide study of the electric vehicle shopping experience from the Sierra Club on Monday underscores just how widespread the issue is—and how it’s getting in the way of EV adoption. . The Rev Up Electric Vehicles report, released ahead of the EPA’s hearing on its proposed stricter standards for light vehicles by 2032, which account for an estimated 67% of EV sales by then, suggests that it’s no longer dealerships that are the weak link in rolling out EVs. . For consumers, but the automakers themselves. The report found that nearly two-thirds of dealerships do not have an EV for sale, while 44% of dealerships would offer an EV for sale if they could get one. Honda’s Future Dealership Designs to Sell EVs – 2022 In the Western region, which accounts for 45% of US EV sales in 2022, only 27% of dealerships had EVs for sale. And overall, even though EV sales are higher as a group in California zero-emission states (ZEV), dealerships with EVs in stock are no more likely in those states than in the rest of the country—35% vs. 33%, respectively. The study found essentially no difference between dealers in the 23 states that allow direct sales versus those that do not. The results were based on a national survey conducted from June to November 2022 using results from randomly selected dealerships in each state. Across the brand, Mercedes-Benz offered the best EV availability, with EVs available for sale at 90% of the luxury brand’s dealerships. Toyota and Honda ranked worst, with 15% of Toyota dealers. EV Availability by Automaker – 2023 Sierra Club Rev Up Study How Are Dealerships Getting More EVs? Simply put, this year’s survey results point to a clear solution: automakers need to build more EVs. They also need to make EV certification free or affordable for dealerships and increase marketing and advertising for EVs. “While some dealerships are still reluctant to fully embrace EVs, many dealers are expressing a renewed interest in selling EVs,” the Sierra Club said in its release. “However, the onus is on manufacturers to deliver more EVs to all dealers.” “The bottom line is that automakers must invest more in EV production to match consumer demand that is at a record high.” The problems that slowed Lincoln boutique and dealership EV sales have changed significantly. In 2016, an early version of this survey found that dealerships lacked general knowledge about EVs and were not all interested in selling them. The 2019 version of this survey found that the EV sales experience on dealer lots is fragmented, with many dealerships simply unwilling to sell EVs. Now, the dealership is not the exact point. And many stores are probably familiar with the reality that not having an EV to sell is a lost sale. Households that have already decided they want an EV are more likely to postpone the purchase altogether than to settle for another gas or diesel model. A recent study by the advocacy arm Consumer Reports found that increased demand for a tight supply of EVs will reduce the potential market for combustion vehicles—leading to a loss of market share for automakers unwilling to ramp up EV production quickly. Amid the looming EV price war, that will require companies to quickly move past supply chain issues and cut production costs. You can bet the dealership is asking for it this time.
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