ABM_1 - Flipbook - Page 9
ROUND-TABLE
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
on-year it's getting better.
Highlighting positive charging
experiences and showing that
it's possible is really key.”
Staveley says these stories
will also help to “normalise EVs
and reach the next stage of
adoption,” creating “a fear of
missing out – and that’s where
the PR campaigns come in.”
The fleet narrative
Fleet adoption hinges
on targeted TCO clarity,
suitable use-cases and
hands-on trials.
There will always be differences
when dealing with business and
consumer customers. This is
where elements such as total
cost of ownership are going
to have more sway, as fleet
managers are more likely to
be used to mapping costs and
efficiencies long-term.
Nevertheless, Sweet explains:
“There are so many different
experiences for fleet managers,
you can't just put them all in one
box. You have to identify what
data is going to work for them
– like whether their drivers have
the capacity for home charges,
whether there’s an easy route
they can choose.”
When it comes to boosting
uptake among businesses, there
will be plenty that simply cannot
convert, no matter how good the
storytelling. For example, where
drivers are regularly working
in remote places without easy
access to chargers. In the
meantime, Sweet says, it is
important for the industry to
understand which businesses
are “low-hanging fruit” for EV
adoption, after which uptake
should “snowball.”
While fleet buyers are more
likely to look at the bottom line,
this does not mean they should
be excluded from the emotive
approach. Wilbraham explains:
“Recently we brought a load of
fleet managers down, and we
just did a day out with them
driving around Derbyshire. They
got to try all these different EVs,
and they were saying ‘I’d put
that one on my fleet list’ or ‘I
really like that one’.
“You have to prove to them
that it could do the range and
had the tech, but beyond that,
it's then still about whether it
strikes an emotional chord.
"Once you can get them
to engage with it, that then
becomes much easier, because
you don't have to tell the story.
You can allow the products to
tell the story for you.”
Time to convert
In-person experiences and
informed advocates beat
online myth-busting, while
training and incentives
are crucial.
Whatever the combination of
data, messaging and emotion,
real people are still key, even in
a digital age.
Sinclair says: “Misinformation
is our entry point into building
consumer confidence, and you
cannot have those conversations
solely online. People draw their
information online, yes, but then
they want to speak to a real
person and see a real vehicle.”
Graham O’Reilly, co-founder
of EV Cables, adds: “This is
especially important in this
industry, given the amount
of myths there are around
electric vehicles.
“Supporting the fact that it is
a great experience to drive an
electric vehicle, and getting past
that initial phase for customers,
is really important. We need
good storytellers from the
driver's perspective.”
Pressed on how to get in front
of people who might not already
be seeking out a conversation
on EVs, Sweet suggests that
enthusiastic consumer advocacy
is a start, and education of
those at the coalface is another.
He explains: “Some
dealerships do not understand
EVs, and a lot of them don't
really want to because they're
hard and expensive to sell.”
Revell says: “When I was at
Renault, we used to struggle
with educating people in the
dealership. There's a lot of
turnover and they might get
more commission on the ICE, or
it's easier to sell.
“I’d suggest providing an
incentive to sell and push EVs,
and then providing them with
the information they need to →
Q4 2025 AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
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