Pub 20-2021-2022 Issue 1

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S 11 new jersey auto retailer W W W . N J C A R . O R G billions of dollars to grow the nation’s recharging infrastructure signifi- cantly. On top of this, we are rapidly approaching price parity. Dealer attitudes toward selling and servicing EVs have also changed dramatically. Franchised dealers aren’t at all EV-reluctant, and they certainly aren’t anti-EV. How do we know this? Cadillac. Last fall, Cadillac announced plans to move entirely to battery-electric drivetrains and 880 U.S. Cadillac deal- ers faced a choice. If they bought into Cadillac’s all-electric future, they could pay a minimum of $200,000 of their own capital for the in-store charging infrastructure, tooling and training that Cadillac was mandating. More than 80% of their network chose to make the significant capital investment and completely debunked the myth that franchised dealers don’t want to sell and service electric vehicles. The enthusiasm toward EVs is hardly unique to Cadillac. In fact, franchised dealers of other brands with EVs in their lineups have been making these same commitments and investments for years. They have done so because they don’t want to lose sales to other brands as more and better EVs — and more EV customers — come to the market. So why does this myth persist? It’s simple — EVs still don’t sell in significant numbers. Many feel that they need a boogeyman to blame for slow sales, and dealers are a conve- nient scapegoat. However, the lie that dealers are reluctant or unable to sell EVs has taken on a new and more dangerous life designed to take down the franchise system in favor of a direct sale model. Direct sales have never benefit- ed consumers with lower prices, more convenience or better service and maintenance, and never will. Direct sales are only about creating a vertical channel for manufactur- ing, sales and service that allows a single entity to control everything, including prices and margins, which harms consumers. Direct sales are not needed for EVs. In fact, over time, direct sales could crip- ple EV adoption as more EV owners are forced to deal with higher prices and longer wait times for even basic service. Sustainable EV sales to consumers are best served by an expansive network of retailers invested in the future sales and service opportunities that these products promise. Fortunately for automakers, consumers and policymakers alike, that network already exists. Franchised dealers aren’t an obstacle to EV sales; they are essential to them. You can read the whole article at: https://blog.nada . org/2021/03/15/the-big-lie-about-ev-sales/ . Dealer attitudes toward selling and servicing EVs have also changed dramatically. Congratulations Winner