EV 101 for Auto Sales: How to Sell Electric Vehicles to Your Customers

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Memorial Day is coming and that means your dealership needs to be ready for all the shoppers looking to buy a new vehicle on what is traditionally seen as the kickoff to the summer car buying season.

What makes this year’s summer so special is that there are likely to be a lot of people looking to switch from an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle to an electric vehicle (EV), continuing on from a strong start to the year for EV sales.

With so many new EV buyers looking to get into their first zero-emission vehicle, that means your sales team is going to have to act as their guide while they explore their options and decide which one is best.

To help your sales team steer your customers to the right ride, here are the basics that your dealership’s salespeople need to know about EV charging and selling EVs.

Driving habits

While it’s always important to know your customers’ driving habits, it’s especially important for drivers looking for electric vehicles.

Drivers who will primarily be commuting around a city with little to no long-distance driving should be okay in an EV that doesn’t have a long-range battery, as they will always be near a charging source.

Folks who are planning to take long, inter-city road trips will likely need an EV with a long-range battery. At some point in the future, there should be plenty of charging stations for drivers along interstate highways, but until that infrastructure is in place, long road trips will require long-range batteries.

Usually, long-range batteries cost extra, but the extra cost will be well worth the peace of mind for folks who may be travelling through areas with a dearth of charging infrastructure.

Living situation

Getting to know your customers’ living situation becomes more important when they are in the market for an EV.

This is because EVs are primarily charged at home or at work.

If your customers live in a detached house, this will probably not be an issue, as they will have access to an outlet for a Level 1 charger.

However, if they live in an apartment, townhouse, or some other type of home where they may not have access to an outlet they can use — and if they are not able to charge at work either — they will need to rely on public chargers.

This is where your sales team can really be supportive for new EV owners by helping them locate all the available public chargers near their abode and along their usual commuting routes.

Tools like Google Maps can help drivers locate EV chargers and even provide additional information like nearby amenities.

Charging demonstration

This is an ideal opportunity for your salespeople to explain the different charging cables available, and which socket types they will likely come across in their area and to demonstrate how to plug in and charge the vehicle.

They can also show drivers how to find EV charging stations with a service like PlugShare or the US Department of Energy’s charging station locator, and how to manage charging sessions via an app.

Salespeople can use this opportunity to explain how things like cold weather affect battery range, along with answering frequently asked questions like “How long will it take to charge my EV?” and “What’s the difference between a Level 1, 2, and 3 charger?”

If your dealership opts to sell EV accessories or partners with a charging station retailer, you may also be able to upsell EV drivers a Level 2 charger for their home.

EV vocabulary

Most people were raised around ICE vehicles, so the vocabulary relating to them is pretty common for the majority of car buyers.

But, because EVs are so new for so many, there is bound to be some confusion — and a lot of curiosity — about these vehicles.

One of the best ways to familiarize yourself with something is to learn the vocabulary that relates to it. Shoppers who are new to EVs will benefit from learning the language surrounding their new car or truck.

Some words your salespeople will likely want to know so they can easily explain these new vehicles and answer questions, include:

Alternating current (AC)

• A type of electrical current. Household items like lamps that plug into electrical outlets run on AC. When an EV (or anything with a battery) is charged, AC has to be converted to direct current (DC).

Amperage & Amperes (Amps)

• Amperage is the rate at which electricity flows through an electrical circuit. It is measured in amperes, which is often shortened to “amps.” In terms of EV charging, drivers won’t have to worry about amps unless they are having charging equipment installed at home.

Battery

• The vehicle’s power source, which is usually situated along the bottom of the vehicle.

Charger

• The device inside the vehicle that converts AC to direct current and actually charges the battery.

Charging station

• A device that provides power to the vehicle’s charger so it can charge the vehicle’s battery. (These are commonly referred to as just “chargers” and if you talk to customers about chargers, these are most likely what they will be picturing in their minds.)

Circuit

• An electrical circuit is simply a path for transmitting electrical current. When a person installs a Level 2 charger (see below) in their home, it will likely have its own dedicated circuit. In multi-family or commercial settings, one circuit can accommodate multiple chargers thanks to load management (see below)

Direct current (DC)

• A type of electrical current that batteries use. When batteries power something, they are using direct current. Similarly, when batteries are being charged, they are charged using direct current. Items that have an internal battery, like laptops, will come with a converter (a small box on the cord) that converts AC to DC.

Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC)

• Sometimes referred to as a Level 3 charger, a DCFC is the fastest type of EV charging equipment, able to charge a battery in under an hour. The DCFC converts AC from the power source to DC to charge the battery. They are able to charge a vehicle quickly because the current conversion takes place outside the vehicle in the charging station itself.

Frunk

• A “front trunk” that acts as an additional storage compartment under the hood where an ICE vehicle’s engine would normally be located.

Kilowatt (kW) and Kilowatt hour (kW/h)

• A kilowatt is a measurement of power while a kilowatt hour is a measurement of energy. A kW/h is the amount of energy an electrical device uses in an hour. For EV batteries, their capacity is expressed as the ability of a battery to deliver a set power output (in kilowatts) over a period of time (in hours). Today’s EV batteries range from around 30 kW/h to 200 kW/h.

Level 1 charger

• The slowest type of charging equipment. They plug directly into a standard wall outlet (120 volt in North America) and slowly charge a battery. It usually takes several hours (8–12) to fully charge a battery with this type of charger, which a customer will usually receive when they purchase a vehicle. They supply AC electricity to the charger in the vehicle, which converts it into DC electricity to charge the battery.

Level 2 charger

• The next fastest type of charging equipment. Level 2 chargers can either be plugged into a large wall outlet (240 volt in North America) or hardwired into an existing electrical system. They can charge a vehicle in just a few hours, and they work essentially the same as a Level 1 charger, supplying AC to the vehicle’s charger, which converts it to DC in the vehicle.

Level 3 charger

• See Direct Current Fast Charger above.

Load management

• The ability to host multiple chargers on the same electrical circuit by dividing the available electrical current between the chargers being used. For example, if four chargers are connected to a 30 amp circuit, and only one is being used, that charger will get all the available power. If another vehicle is connected, the available power is divided between the two, etc.

Range

• The distance a vehicle can travel on a given charge. Usually, when you see a car’s range advertised, it’s talking about the range on a fully charged battery. (You may also want to explain the difference between gross versus net battery capacity, which affects how range is conveyed.)

Range anxiety

• The worry EV drivers sometimes face when they are in an area that does not have much EV charging infrastructure and they are not sure when they will be able to charge again.

Voltage & Volts

• Voltage is similar to water pressure in that it is the measurement of the electrical potential (or “pressure”) that runs through electricity lines. It is measured in volts. In the United States and Canada, the most common voltages for electrical outlets are 120 v and 240 v.

Your dealership’s ability to sell EVs is going to depend on how well your salespeople can familiarize shoppers with a potentially unfamiliar concept, assuage fears, and match them with the right vehicle for their driving habits and living situation.

Find out what kind of educational resources your brand offers and get everyone up to speed on EVs and their terminology so you can meet those incoming questions head on.