Car dealer Brad Sowers is spending money to prepare for the wave of new electric models from General Motors Co. It installs charging stations, modernizes service locations and retraines its staff in the St. Louis to handle vehicles with technology.
But when he considers how many screws Chevy Plugs sold last year – nine of the nearly 4,000 Chevrolets sold at its dealerships in Missouri – he pauses.
“The consumer in the middle of America just isn’t there yet,” when it comes to switching to electric vehicles, he said, citing the long distances many of his customers drive daily and the lack of charging infrastructure outside big cities.
While carmakers and investors are buzzing about the future age of the electric car, many dealers say they are striving to instill that enthusiasm with today’s reality in new car sales lots, where last year battery-powered vehicles accounted for less. 2% of US Car Sales.
Most consumers who come to showrooms do not buy electric cars, and with relatively low gasoline prices, even hybrid models can be a difficult sale, say dealers and industry analysts.