What's the best way to increase and make EV purchasing and ownership easier? Educate potential buyers, of course. However, there's an arguably more important piece of the pie that few people may be aware of.
Most automotive dealers haven't received comprehensive training about EVs, and it's widely known that some dealers really have no desire to sell them. No matter how excited people get about the future of electric vehicles, if car dealerships aren't on board, this is a major obstacle. In fact, car dealerships can actually work to impede the sale of EVs, and some have done exactly that.
As you may remember, we shared a video about Chargeway with you in past. It was produced by our own Kyle Conner, and it was the first video in a four-part series. The first episode tackled the topic of ‘Awareness.’ More specifically, it provided a basic overview of electric vehicle charging. The video series will progress as follows.
Awareness —> Purchase —> Ownership —> Experience
The second video – embedded at the top of the page – focuses on purchasing an EV. We've also included the first video below:
While Part 2 covers purchasing, it's not the typical electric car purchasing presentation. Rather than simply focusing on the potential EV buyer, who certainly stands to benefit from Chargeway's ecosystem, it focuses on dealerships. Chargeway shares:
- Most dealers haven't received comprehensive training about "electric fuel."
- Chargeway fills that education gap by presenting an intuitive and all-encompassing software platform that allows dealers to discuss EVs and electric fuel with accuracy and confidence.
- The Chargeway platform creates a curriculum for educating auto dealers about EVs, as well as the electric car sales process as a whole.
As you can see in the video, Chargeway can be integrated into a dealer's showroom, with the 43-inch touchscreen Beacon. It can also be integrated into the dealer's online inventory page. Moreover, the Chargeway platform is vehicle-specific, so a potential EV buyer gets up-to-date information about the exact electric car (and trim level) they're shopping for.
Chargeway's choice to use its "electric fuel" language across its platform – for not only prospective owners but also car dealerships – keeps the process simple and consistent. In addition, the platform provides all the information buyers and dealers may need to know about incentives, home charging, fuel cost, and much more.
While we could type thousands of words about Chargeway and how its platform works, the best way to understand it is to see it in action. Not to mention getting feedback from actual EV owners about their experiences with the app.
Click on the video at the top of the page to watch Kyle head into a dealership and take control of Chargeway's touchscreen Beacon. As you can see, it's a novel idea, and one we hope to see in dealerships across the country sooner rather than later.
Many EV owners are absolutely enamored with Chargeway's platform, and they wish more people were aware of it and using it. Electric car owners and social media influencers EV Nomads - Branden & Kalie shared:
"The Chargeway app is a somewhat unknown gem - the route planning is easy to use and the charge station grading system is slick. I think making giving dealers tools to educate themselves and customers will lead to higher EV adoption and better customer experiences."
Learn More About Chargeway:
Another commenter – HCJP BlueSky – on Kyle Conner's Out of Spec Motoring YouTube channel emphasizes the importance of Chargeway's all-inclusive nature:
"Explaining Chargeway as not a brand of charger or network, but an app that includes all chargers/networks seemed understated. We all know this is confusing to newbies, but prefacing and then emphasizing charging map apps (PlugShare, Chargeway), versus charging brands (CHAdeMO, CCS, Tesla, ChargePoint, ChargeAmerica) and then being sure your audience understands the all-inclusive nature of Chargeway is hard to get across. Glad someone, anyone is trying!"
As always, check out the videos above. While we know many folks in our audience are EV experts, this type of material is perfect to share with family, friends, and colleagues as they consider making the transition to an electric car. It would also be wise to share it with your local dealership, and/or anyone you know who may work in the automotive industry.
For people who need more background about Chargeway in general, the video below provides a brief overview of Chargeway’s app service:
Sources: Chargeway, Out of Spec Motoring (YouTube)