GM this morning has launched a service it’s calling EV Live, which aims to provide a wide range of answers about EV ownership to prospective buyers and the general public.
Said to be part of the automaker’s “holistic approach to EVs,” EV Live will be “an immersive, virtual experience that allows participants to interact one-on-one with EV specialists and learn everything about electric vehicles.”
EV Live virtual sessions will be held from a studio in Michigan that houses both EVs and displays of home charging, public charging, battery tech, and more.
The specialists accessed through the service will be able to help with home charger installation, for instance, or refer people to installers. Or it might help counsel customers as they prepare to take their first EV road trip.
Although personal cars and trucks will be the main focus, staff at EV Live will be ready to talk about more than that—including fleet use and even EV conversions.
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV
GM officials assured Green Car Reports that the service will be prepared to take on EV skeptics—and myths to some degree—as well as to discuss some of the tougher questions such as battery longevity, EV durability, maintenance, and warranties, as well as recyclability. And they’re prepared to discuss those questions with visual assets.
Tackling the misconception part will be especially important, explained Hoss Hassani, GM vice president of EV Ecosystem, and perhaps getting to the tipping point for somebody going from EV cynic or skeptic to considerer or purchaser. But it won't get political.
“This is in no uncertain terms an apolitical space,” explained Hassani. “So we are not looking, our EV specialists are not looking, to offer any editorial commentary or get into a political discussion about federal policy or any of that.”
GM sees EV Live as complementary to its dealerships, and for now a way to draw in people who are a little farther away from EV consideration. “We’ve got 4500 places that customers can go to have a conversation about EVs today,” said Hassani.
GM EV Live
“This is not going to be a hard sales pitch for anybody who comes into EV Live,” he said. “Of course if they want to know more about the Lyriq or the Hummer or the Bolt, we’re happy to tell them more about it.”
Beyond the public, EV Live will play an important part in helping employees, commercial customers, utility customers, and others get schooled about EVs.
“If we can accelerate adoption at a societal level at a cross-national level, we know that General Motors, when it comes to a more sales-pitch conversation, we know we’re going to win that conversation more often than not,” said Hassani.
To use the service, which is free to the public, you can go to evlive.gm.com and click “join a tour,” for two-way audio and one-way video.
