The Nissan Leaf is coming this fall and is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated vehicles in decades. With it's release, Nissan dealers will be faced with a newfound challenge. How do you sell an electric vehicle?
EVs are unchartered waters for the company and for dealers nationwide. So how do you prepare to sell a vehicle that is entirely different than anything else in the automakers lineup? A report coming in from Automotive News suggests that Nissan dealers may not be prepared for the sale of this vehicle.
The Automotive News quotes a source who attended the Auto Dealers Association annual conference in Orlando, Florida and is reporting that not one single dealer asked Nissan a question regarding the upcoming Leaf. The company was not asked about how to market the vehicle, who is the expected consumer base, how to service it, when dealer training starts, how to sell chargers to consumers, what the vehicle will cost, and so on.
This can only point to one of two situations. Either dealers believe that they understand everything that they need to know about the vehicle, or dealers were instructed in advance not to ask questions about the Leaf. Even if they were instructed not to ask about it, you could almost guarantee that someone would still sneak a question in here or there.
Nissan has planned a dealer session this summer to discuss the Leaf, but its release is only months away now and dealers must understand what this new technology brings to the table. Marketing and knowledge will be a prime factor contributing to the success of electric vehicles.
Let's hope Nissan is prepared.
Source: Automotive News ( login required)
