Dealers Can Convince Them Otherwise

Is there a dealer out there who hasn’t had to answer questions about charging availability, “road trip” anxiety, and whether Tesla’s charging network is better?  No.  Every prospective EV buyer has the same concerns.

Announcing J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging report, released last month, Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, said, “The availability of public charging stations is still a critical obstacle, but it isn’t the only one. EV owners continue to have issues with many aspects of public charging, as the cost and speed of charging and the availability of things to do while waiting for their vehicle to charge are the least satisfying aspects.  At the same time, the reliability of public chargers continues to be a problem. The situation is stuck at a level where one of every five visits ends without charging, the majority of which are due to station outages.”

Interviewed by WardsAuto Daily, Gruber encouraged dealers to focus on educating potential EV buyers about public charging as a means to overcome consumer skepticism around public charging, adding, “In order for someone to adopt an electric vehicle they have to feel comfortable and confident they can charge their EV.  Right now, they don’t feel confident.  Dealers can educate consumers about public charging.”

Public Charging 101

Most EV buyers are able to charge their vehicle at home or work, so the routine commute raises few worries.  However, charging anxiety spikes when buyers think about trips beyond the full-charge range that will require them to use public chargers.  This is where dealers can step in to educate buyers and ease their concerns.   

First, there are about 37,000 fast chargers in North America.  That’s a big number, it’s and growing.  So, buyers should be assured that there are lots of fast chargers out on the road. 

Second, most of the manufacturers selling EVs in North America have recently adopted Tesla’s charging standard (NACS) – meaning buyers will be able to access Tesla’s network of fast chargers using a plug-in adapter.  That’s big news that dealers can praise because most prospective buyers know Tesla owners are the most satisfied cohort when surveyed about their charging experience.

Dealers can tell buyers the basics about public charging networks so they’re prepared for the challenges: 

  1. About 95 percent of fast chargers do not accept credit, debit, or cash, relying instead on charging networks.
  2. To participate in a charging network, EV owners need to download the specific network’s app.
  3. Downloading the app enables the owner to create an account that links their credit or debit card with the charging network.
  4. There are nearly 40 EV charging networks, so dealers should identify the networks in their geographic area that will be most convenient for their customers. The most common networks throughout North America are ChargePoint, Flo, and Tesla, so dealers might want to suggest buyers download these networks to their mobile devices as starters. 

Educating prospective buyers about the facts of EV fast charging will allow them to make better-informed buying decisions and reduce their road-trip anxiety.  A recent article, authored by Freddie Hall on his “Power Supply” Substack (https://powersupply.substack.com/p/fast-charging-networks?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web), is an excellent snap-shot, as Hall says, “of the current state of charging networks and how to navigate them.”   We recommend dealers review Hall’s article and consider discussing it with customers thinking about an EV purchase.