Certainly, not a big vote of confidence...What do THEY know that makes them so reticent to sell them?
According to a new report from the Sierra Club titled "Rev Up Electric Vehicles: A Nationwide Study of the Electric Vehicle Shopping Experience," 66% of US car dealerships do not have any EVs available for sale, and 45% of them stated that they would not sell them regardless of circumstances. However, the report found that out of the 66% of dealerships without EVs, 44% intend to sell them when they become available. Dealers cited supply chain problems, inventory challenges, and automaker allocation as the causes of stock bottlenecks. The study collected over 800 surveys from auto dealerships and stores across all 50 states.
The report reveals that the EV buying experience at dealerships varies significantly by geographical region and car brand. The Western region had the lowest availability of EVs for sale, with only 27% of dealerships offering them, but it sold the most EVs in the country, accounting for 45% of total EV sales in 2022. The Southeast had the highest percentage of dealerships with EVs for sale, at 41%, and sold 17% of nationwide EV sales. The report noted that 27 states do not allow direct sales from automakers like Tesla and Rivian, which impacts EV sales, with states that allow direct sales accounting for 65% of total EV sales.
The study found that dealerships in the 13 states with zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) programs would sell more EVs if inventory and supply challenges were not an issue, and ZEV states accounted for 61% of the total EV sales in the US. Mercedes-Benz had the highest availability of EVs for sale, with 90% of its dealerships surveyed having one. Toyota had the second-lowest availability, with only 15% of its dealerships offering EVs for sale, and Honda had the lowest, with only 11% of its dealerships having EVs for sale.
To address these issues, the Sierra Club authors recommend that car dealerships partner with utilities to install EV chargers on-site, provide regular training to salespeople on EV charging, consumer incentives, and effective sales strategies, and display EVs prominently. Automakers also need to produce more EVs and incentivize dealerships to sell them.