While automakers, utility companies and third-party charging station providers all have roles to play in educating consumers about electric vehicles, dealerships arguably have the biggest role — and biggest incentive — with creating demand by engaging with non-EV owners. They are in the best position, physically, to engage with the shopper in a local context. As a result, dealerships can provide important insights into the resources, policies and incentives that are unique to their community.

New daily driving habits must be developed. Charging awareness is the key to addressing range anxiety and is an issue that will subside as a robust infrastructure evolves to support the growing fleet of EVs on the streets. Since most owners likely will have a charging kit at home, they can simply charge the battery overnight, similar to what they do with their mobile devices. This means that in most cases a sufficient charge is available in the morning when owners go to work or run errands. It simply is a different experience than with a gas-powered vehicle. And to EVs’ credit, owners of internal combustion vehicles can’t top-off gas tanks at home.

Beyond education on the local landscape, prospective buyers must understand what it means to live with an EV. It requires a unique approach to planning for different driving experiences so that potential pitfalls can be avoided.

 

Take for instance, the all-American road trip tradition. Conventional vehicle owners simply need to know how to gas up and go. EV owners need to be aware of their vehicle’s range and the charging infrastructure that is available over the course of their route.

As consumers figure out how to integrate EVs into their daily lives, driving range ceases to be the deterrent that many think it is. The key issue revolves around when and how consumers are put behind the wheel, literally and figuratively.

 

It will be up to the industry to determine the investments that should be made to engage and educate EV shoppers sooner rather than later.