Dealers should tailor emerging retail technology to customer needs and preferences that change as vehicle technology changes (“Dealers must tailor technology to their needs,” Opinion, Nov. 10). New research led by Eric Cahill at the University of California, Davis, suggests that most dealers as they currently perform are ill-equipped to sell new high-tech products such as plug-in (and fuel cell) vehicles. For those alternatives, customers expect salespeople to know more about topics as alien as the location and use of charging equipment, eligibility for public incentives and local home electricity rates. They also expect more support from dealers to navigate this new landscape, including help submitting incentive paperwork, acquiring decals for carpool lane access and enrolling in “away from home” charging networks.
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