According to a recent study by the Sierra Club, electric vehicles are not widely available on most lots. The demand is there, but the study informs that dealerships are not keeping electric vehicles in inventory, salespeople are not prepared and educated to talk about them, or the vehicles are not charged or unavailable for a test drive.

The Sierra Club conducted a multi-state study called Rev Up EVs, which examined the EV shopping experience. Respondents visited 308 dealerships across 10 states.

Rev Up EVs also found that:

• Respondents were 2.5 times more likely to find no EV on the lot in the nine other states involved in the survey, compared to California.

• The average number of EVs on the lot in California was twice the average number on lots in the nine other states.

• Respondents who asked to test drive an EV were told at 14 percent of the dealerships that the car was not sufficiently charged.

• Of the visits to dealerships with at least one EV on the lot, respondents indicated that about 33 percent of the time, the salesperson did not discuss the federal and state tax credits and rebates available to lower the cost of an EV.

• Of the visits to dealerships with at least one EV on the lot, volunteers found that 42 percent of the time EVs were either “not prominently displayed,” or were only “somewhat prominently displayed.”

Competitive advantage

Your dealership has a competitive advantage if you have EVs in inventory, especially with National Drive Electric Week coming up Sept. 10-18. The week is a nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of today’s widespread availability of plug-in vehicles and highlight the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, trucks, motorcycles and more.

If you have EVs, you may want to reconsider how you are marketing that inventory. The Rev UP EVs study found that 65 percent of California drivers surveyed wished there were more purchasing options.

You can also craft specific dealership social media posts around your EV inventory. Consumers are looking for these types of vehicles and it’s important you take advantage of it. A good place to start is by determining how to get your inventory in front of a national audience.

List your electric vehicle inventory nationally on eBay

eBay is a national marketplace that lets you market your inventory to customers all over the country. Your dealership can list inventory on eBay via a national auction or national classifieds.

—National classifieds: eBay has introduced a new option called national classifieds that is gaining traction with dealers. Think Craigslist-style listings, but with a much broader audience. This option is 100 percent hands free and by syndicating your pre-owned inventory to eBay, you can get national exposure for a set monthly fee. 

—National auction: Most eBay listings are in an auction-style format. Bidding on items in this format is fun for consumers and gives them more control in the buying process. Dealers like national auctions because every bid is a lead.

Consumers are using eBay

eBay builds consumer confidence with a number of programs to put shoppers’ minds at ease. The site offers free vehicle history reports and financing options, and consumers can even schedule a third-party inspection via WeGoLook.

As you can see from the Sierra Club’s Rev Up EVs study, there is a demand for electric vehicles, but consumers are struggling to find them. Take advantage of this demand and promote your inventory nationally in a place where customers are looking for it.

Adam Goldberg is the marketing manager at LotVantage, a provider of digital marketing solutions for automotive, marine, powersports, RV, trailer and outdoor power equipment dealerships. He can be reached at agoldberg@thatus.com. You can also access more social media tips at LotVantage.com/blog.