- NFDA’s Winter 2024 Dealer Attitude Survey reveals insights on EV landscape from 2,321 dealerships.
- Concerns over manufacturer support for EV infrastructure and costs persist.
- Kia leads in dealer satisfaction, while Seat lags, highlighting areas for improvement.
The NFDA’s Winter 2024 Dealer Attitude Survey dug into the emobility opinions of dealerships across the UK
The latest insights from the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) paint a revealing picture of the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) landscape. In its Winter 2024 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS), NFDA drilled into the pulse of franchised networks over five weeks.
The report garnered responses from 2,321 dealerships — a solid 63% engagement rate. Front and centre in the survey’s spotlight was the ever-evolving dialogue between dealerships and manufacturers in the emobility revolution.
Sue Robinson, NFDA’s Chief Executive, commented:
“The Winter 2024 NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey, contains topics on EVs seeking to gain insights on the dynamic between franchised dealerships and their respective manufacturers during the ongoing transition to electric. Topics dealers were queried on ranged from battery electric vehicle products currently offered by manufacturers to support with on-site EV charging infrastructure. This edition of the DAS featured more EV related questions compared to previous surveys”
Digging deeper, the survey highlighted the Return on Investment (ROI) in equipment/training for EVs. It revealed Kia’s dominance, while MINI and Nissan were not far behind. However, despite Kia’s triumphs, concerns were raised regarding manufacturer support for on-site EV charging infrastructure.
The survey measured the total margin on new EV/hybrid sales compared with their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. Kia once again led the charge. MG faced a minor setback, slipping to sixth place.
A notable addition to the survey was the examination of manufacturers’ EV charging information and training programs. This aspect yielded mixed reviews. Kia, BMW, and MINI earned approval. Seat faced harsh criticism, landing at the bottom of the leaderboard in this category.
Sue Robinson continued:
“It is positive to see each EV topic featured in the DAS see a general uptick in average scores.
Yet, once again, EV topics were among the lowest scoring questions with dealers concerned, regarding various factors including manufacturer support for infrastructure.
From an EV perspective, the DAS shows that there are certainly areas where manufacturers can improve their relationship with dealers such as with support and investment.
Many dealers have also noted their frustrations with the Government and that more needs to be done in terms of charging infrastructure and cost.
The ZEV mandate, introduced earlier this year, requires OEMs to meet a target this year of 22% of new car sales and 10% of new van sales to be zero emissions or face penalties. This target percentage will gradually rise each year reaching 52% of new cars and 46% of new vans by 2028. As such, manufacturers must heed the concerns of their respective dealerships as illustrated in the DAS. A closer manufacturer-dealer relationship particularly regarding electric vehicle training and support will in turn be extremely beneficial for consumers during the UK’s transition to electric.
NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme has been vital during this transition. EVA was developed in 2019 to recognise retailers’ excellence in the electric vehicle sector and last year surpassed the milestone of 500 accredited sites.”
The NFDA survey illuminates the path toward sustainable mobility solutions. With dealerships positioned as the vanguards of this seismic shift, nurturing a robust manufacturer-dealer relationship is imperative for a smooth transition to EVs. Moreover, the solid engagement rate shows an appetite for EV improvement. Dealers are rapidly learning to sell this new technology, which is why the education and satisfaction from the manufacturers is
