Take Action: The Auto Industry Needs to Make It Easier to Shop for Electric Cars

Take action!

Shopping for an EV should be fun and easy. With so many terrific options available, why are EV sales still at only one percent of total monthly U.S. auto sales?

To find out, we launched Rev Up EVs, the first-ever multi-state study of the EV shopping experience. Based on surveys from Sierra Club volunteers who called or visited 308 different auto dealerships and stores across ten states to check out and test drive EVs, the study finds that there is tremendous room for improvement among both the dealerships and the automakers to provide customers with a better EV shopping experience.

Right now, the standards that encourage EVs are up for review, and many automakers are lobbying regulators to weaken Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) regulations, saying they are doing everything they can to sell EVs. We know this simply isn't true. Some leaders in the industry are doing a great job of developing, marketing, and selling EVs to consumers by having several options on their lots, informed salespeople, and strong EV advertising. These best practices are not rocket science. But many other dealers and automakers are simply not doing the basics.

Take action: send your message to the National Auto Dealers Association and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to tell them that there's no time for excuses. We need to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles now!

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Auto-makers and dealers need to do more to improve the EV shopping experience

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Electric vehicles (EVs) are fun to drive and are better for the planet than conventional cars. I’ve read the Sierra Club’s “Rev Up EVs” report and see that there is a lot of room for improvement among both auto makers and auto dealers for the EV shopping experience for consumers, and in ensuring a strong multi-state zero emission vehicle (ZEV) program. In fact, to achieve our climate, air quality, and EV sales goals, we need even stronger ZEV regulations.

And it’s possible. Dozens of dealerships got a “five star” rating for excellent overall EV shopping experience as rated by volunteers featured in the “Rev Up EVs” report. Let’s learn from these successes.

Automakers can increase manufacturing, inventory, and multi-state distribution of EVs, as well as offer attractive deals to dealerships. Once EVs are on dealers' lots, auto dealers need to ensure EVs are charged, ready for test drives, and prominently displayed. Auto dealers and makers need to improve training programs for salespeople on the ins and outs of EVs, including the federal rebates and state incentives that are available to make EVs more affordable, and so that salespeople can answer customer questions. Finally, automakers need to increase advertising of their EVs, which in turn will encourage dealers to advertise more at the local level.

With 2016 on track to be the new hottest year on record, we need to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles now. There's no time for backsliding. It's time to step up to the challenge and help grow the EV revolution!

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