49% of dealership sales staff not excited to sell EVs

The way sales teams feel toward electric vehicles is closely tied to their dealership’s location, according to new research from CDK Global.

Driving the news: Dealership teams in all parts of the country were asked to share their perspectives on EVs. Despite some pockets of optimism, most teams lacked enthusiasm for selling electric cars.

• 49% of sales staff across the country are not excited about EVs. Pessimism was most common in the East South Central Region, where only 12% had any level of enthusiasm.

• On the other hand, 46% of sales teams in the Pacific area (which includes California) said they were moderately or very excited at the prospect of selling EVs, making it the most optimistic region.

• The most enthusiastic respondents lived in New England, where 25% said they were “very excited” to sell EVs. However, overall excitement in the area was less widespread than in the Pacific region.

Zooming in: Another factor that seems to dictate EV optimism is training, which dealers in several regions have seemed to neglect.

• While 78% of dealers said their teams were moderately, very or extremely trained on EVs, only 14% were extremely trained. 23% admitted their teams either weren’t trained or only slightly trained.

• In New England, where EV optimism was the highest, a whopping 83% of dealers felt their sales staff were well trained.

• Conversely, dealers in areas with low enthusiasm tended to have less proficient teams. Only 24% of respondents in the East South Central region felt their employees were very or extremely prepared for EV sales.

Bottom line: Overall, EV sentiments continue to vary based on the local market dealers operate in. However, if sales continue to grow at their current pace, storefronts that lack effectively trained staff may soon find themselves at a disadvantage if the market shifts.

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