Pub. 1 2019-2020 Issue 4

http://wvcar.com 16 WVADA gen is more doable than electric because of its range of operation. But right now, the technology is there for electric. I ex - pect to see hydrogen or other alternative fuel situations in the long term. Some are out there now, but manufacturers need to make them on a scale where they are affordable. A longer driving rangematters because you could go a lot further than you currently can with electric vehicles. People talk about Tesla batteries, but GM has longer-range batteries than Tesla that should be out late next year. For traditional manufacturers, gas mile - age is improving. However, I eventually expect to see hydrogen engines. TIM: The big buzz word is electric, even thoughmass productionmight be 10 years away. Manufacturers sometimes mandate a certain number of sales. Sometimes that makes sense, and sometimes it doesn’t. An increase in electric cars is definitely where the industry is going for the foreseeable future. A lot of people are talking about hydrogen engines after electric ones, but that is further out. Engineers and design - ers are working on both engine types side by side; time will tell who succeeds. Electric vehicles will change the land- scape of repair facilities. For example, a Tesla vehicle has 21 moving parts. That translates into less that can go wrong, especially when you also consider safety features and crash avoidance. Manufac - turers are building safer vehicles. The shift won’t happen tomorrow, but in 10 to 20 years, we will see increases in maintenance versus repair in a lot of cases. Dealerships will evolve and will look differ - ent from the way they are now. Why is being a WVADA member important? What makes WVA - DA membership benefcial? MIKE: Having an association is the best way to handle problems that affect all dealers. In the association, we have a place to discuss problems that are unique to West Virginia and decide how to solve them. Also, there are larger problems in the U.S.A. that we are all going to en - counter. We work together on those, too. TIM: Our dealer association has always been a strong organization. The associ - ation works with the dealers on regula - tions, helps pass legislation that is good for the dealer and the customer and brings people together to work collec - tively and not as competitors. It’s a close- knit group. For the most part, our deal - erships and the dealer principals all have the same goals: creating a good working situation for our employees and giving back to communities. The association, like the dealerships, supports community organizations like schools and the Boys and Girls club. The association has been a good conduit for directing support. Did you have past experiences that helped your leadership in WVADA? MIKE: My background in our company was a big help. We diversified the prod - ucts we sold, and we had a lot of experi - ence with manufacturers. I could see both sides of the coin. I always did a lot of listen - ing during my interactions with manufac - turers and when I was dealing with dealers all over the country. You can always learn something from other dealers, whether in Montana, Florida or West Virginia. TIM: I grew up around most of the deal - ers in the association. It’s a well-run as - sociation, and I am sure it will be strong in the future. I am currently on a couple of boards, first for a trucking association and later for a car dealership. I’ve also been serving on a federal reserve round - table for a couple of years. My dad has been an association board member, but I haven’t been. I’ve gotten more involved with the association in the last few years. In looking back at this year, what stands out for you? Are there any accomplishments that you are especially proud of? continued from the previous page