Zero emission vehicle sales - the role of data and multi-channel communication

Following on from our last Auto Talk article, designed to provide support to retailers focus on the sales process and creating an enquiry management advantage, this final article in the series will consider the role of data and multi-channel communication.

March saw an impressive 10.4% rise in new car registrations overall. However, OEMs and retailers focused on the Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Mandate (which requires 22% of all new cars registered this year to have zero emissions) may be concerned that Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) market share fell to 15.2%.

Encouraging more people to buy a BEV will be an immediate issue for many across the industry. 

Tracking lead management

People are moving towards EVs, but for some OEMs to hit their 22% ZEV target, more need to choose BEVs rather than hybrid or petrol cars. Using CitNOW Insights’ Business Intelligence, retailers can track lead management by fuel-type data. Using this information and, for some manufacturers, often armed with impressive deals for BEVs, sales teams can increase their focus on converting more buyers from hybrid and petrol cars to BEVs.

However, it is online that customers’ hearts and minds must first be won.

Research undertaken by ICDP reveals that 60% of buyers made a final decision on the brand and model that they expected to buy via online research, before visiting a retailer, and they stuck with this decision after visiting the retailer.

Re-imagining digital communication to increase BEV sales 

‘When buying an electric vehicle, consumers want an experience that matches their expectations of the car itself. That is, something exciting and innovative but also reliable and predictable. They expect to both transact online and negotiate with a real person, and they still need to take a test drive. However, the overall experience needs to be more seamless, more personalised, and more flexible than it was in the days of forecourt walkarounds.’

McKinsey’s Future of Auto Retail – July 2023

CitNOW Conversations has been developed to meet these needs. It has been designed to make it easier for retailers to communicate with customers seamlessly on the messaging channels they prefer, when they want, from one central platform – whichever fuel type they are looking for.

Retailers can engage with every online visitor in real time by adding a live chat widget and a WhatsApp icon to their website; Facebook Messenger & Google My Business Messages are other options. Integration with OEM apps is also possible.

The platform makes it easier for customers to start conversations and discover more about BEVs.

But the platform is much more than just a communication hub.

Efficient communication on any channel at every step of the customer journey. CitNOW Conversations is an ideal tool to help enhance BEV sales now.

Just contact us to discover more about how CitNOW Group can make exceeding those ZEV targets a bit easier.

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