The result of the survey is that buyers want both in-person and online shopping options.
More than half of those surveyed think the online approach is not acceptable.
Dealerships as a whole do not have the greatest reputation, much like politicians and lawyers. Even so, new car buyers have come to expect a certain level of in-person services which is why 74% of survey participants prefer to deal with a dealership when buying a new vehicle.
Many assume that EV buyers are fine with configuring a car online, pressing the “order” button, and patiently waiting for their new vehicle to arrive. According to the 2022 Dealer DeepDive report, the truth is that the dealership experience will remain a pivotal part of an EV intender’s shopping experience, as reported by Automotive News.
The survey was developed to gauge shopper reactions to various online retail models and the results are conclusive.
“So we de-badged or de-branded some of the experiences that these EV specialist automakers are using and we said, you know, what’s your reaction to this? Is this something that would be a net positive or a net negative?” K.C. Boyce, Escalent’s vice president of powertrain innovation and energy transformation, said. “’And a lot of the things that the EV specialist manufacturers are doing really are net negatives to customers.”
The majority of current and potential future EV buyers were found to still prefer purchasing directly from an automaker. Furthermore, and despite the convenience, the survey also found that consumers would rather take their vehicle to a service center than have it picked up.
“People are much more comfortable taking their vehicle to a dealer than they are, for instance, having a mobile service unit coming out and doing it in their driveway or garage,” Boyce said.
It seems clear that the dealership model is far from dead as some have stated.
