Newly minted “Electrified Dealers” close National Drive Electric Week with special promotions on all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Columbus, OH, September 12, 2018 – Smart Columbus today inducted 11 central Ohio auto dealerships into its new “Electrified Dealer” program designed to help radically increase electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the region. Through the program, dealers have committed to carrying all-electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models, educating sales staff and shoppers on EVs and sharing data with Smart Columbus to help drive continued efforts to increase EV adoption. The program supports the goals of the $10 million grant awarded to Columbus by the Paul G. Allen Philanthropies as the winner of the Smart City Challenge. Though the grant, Smart Columbus is working to increase EV adoption in the seven-county region by nearly 500%, which would add approximately 3,600 EVs to central Ohio streets. 

The first Electrified Dealers collectively carry 16 EVs and PHEVs models ranging from sedans to SUVs to minivans. The first inductees to the Smart Columbus Electrified Dealer program and the EV and PHEV models they carry are:

• Buckeye Honda — Honda Clarity
• Buckeye Nissan — Nissan LEAF
• Byers Chrysler Dodge Jeep — Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
• Byers Volvo — Volvo XC60 PHEV and Volvo XC90 PHEV
• Dave Gill Chevrolet —  Chevy Bolt and Chevy Volt
• MAG BMW  —  BMW 330e, BMW530e, BMW i3, BMW i8 and BMW X5 xDrive 40e
• Ricart Ford  — Ford Fusion Energi
• Ricart Mitsubishi — Mitsubishi Outlander
• Ricart Nissan — Nissan LEAF
• Ricart Kia — Kia Optima PHEV
• Tansky Toyota — Toyota Prius Prime

“Dealers are our community’s front-line ambassadors in the effort to show car buyers that electric vehicles are more fun to drive, more affordable to own, better for the environment and easier to maintain than a combustion engine vehicle,” said Mark Patton, VP, Smart Cities for the Columbus Partnership. “We’re grateful to partner with these innovative dealers to put central Ohio on a new trajectory for adopting these vehicles of the future.”

To celebrate their induction into the program and to close out National Drive Electric Week, each of the Electrified Dealers will be offering a special promotion or event in dealership September 14-16:

• Buckeye Honda and Buckeye Nissan — Dealer will make the customer’s first payment up to $500 on the purchase of a Honda Clarity or Nissan LEAF.
• Byers Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Byers Volvo — Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and Volvo PHEV buyers will receive one year of AEP’s Kyte Works at-home charging program for free.
• Dave Gill Chevrolet — Buyers of a new or used Chevy Bolt or Chevy Volt will receive a complimentary AeroVironment 240V Tier 2 charger.
• MAG BMW — $500 off any BMW PHEV.
• Ricart Ford — A 36-month lease on a 2018 Ford Fusion Energi starting at $289 per month, with $0 due at signing, on a $35,000 MSRP; plus a $200 reimbursement on a home charging system.
• Ricart Mitsubishi — A 48-month lease on a 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV starting at $329 per month, with $0 due at signing, on a $36,960 MSRP; plus a $200 reimbursement on a home charging system
• Ricart Nissan — A 36-month lease on a Nissan Leaf S starting at $329 per month, with $0 due at signing, on a $33,075 MSRP; plus a $200 reimbursement on a home charging system
• Tansky Toyota — 2018 Prius Prime buyers will receive three months of AEP’s Kyte Works at-home charging program for free. 

See dealers for details, including financing information, residency restrictions, exclusions, fees and eligibility. 

These incentives can be combined with the federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500, making now a great time to buy an EV. Anyone purchasing an electric vehicle from a Smart Columbus-partner dealer will also now receive a new EV owner gift, complete with Smart Columbus spirit items and special promotions from central Ohio restaurants and attractions offering EV charging.  

"We know that electric and PHEV vehicles are where our industry is headed. As a local dealer, we are proud to partner with Smart Columbus to help with education, sales training and overall innovation associated with this transition,” said Rick Ricart, Co-Director of Sustainable Growth and Enterprise Operations for Ricart Automotive Group. “We have several current models and more coming and want the best possible experience for those researching, shopping and purchasing this new wave of products.” 

Additional dealerships will be inducted into the Electrified Dealer program on a rolling basis as they qualify, through 2020. Interested dealers can contact Smart Columbus EV Adoption Manager Zach McGuire at zm@columbuspartnership.com for additional information on the program.

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About Smart Columbus

The City of Columbus’ Smart Columbus plan won the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) $40 million Smart City Challenge in June 2016 after competing against 77 cities nationwide to become the country’s first city to fully integrate innovative technologies – self-driving cars, connected vehicles and smart sensors – into its transportation network. Columbus was also awarded an additional $10 million grant from the Paul G. Allen Philanthropies to accelerate the transition to an electrified, low-emissions transportation system. Aligned investments totaling more than $500 million have been made by the private, public and academic institutions in the region to support technology and infrastructure investments that upgrade Columbus' transportation network and help make Columbus the model connected city of the future. Smart Columbus is a regional smart city initiative co-led by the City of Columbus and Columbus Partnership that includes partnerships with The Ohio State University, Battelle, American Electric Power and many more. 

For more information, visit the Smart Columbus website, www.smart.columbus.gov.