ElectrifiedDealerProgram

Progress To-Date:

• Electric Vehicle Models Available in Market: 23
• Smart Columbus Electrified Dealers: 27 / 108% of goal

With a goal to increase electric vehicle (EV) sales by nearly 500% by 2020, car dealers are critical to Smart Columbus’ goal to electrify the transportation sector. 

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are investing billions of dollars in EV technology, showing that the transition to the electric drivetrain is inevitable. To be ahead of the curve and future-proof their business, dealers have to be educated on EVs and know how to sell and maintain them. We’re partnering with area car dealerships to lead EV sales in pursuit of our goals and to prepare local businesses for the future of the automotive industry.

Smart Columbus Electrified Dealers commit to: 

Sales readiness:

• Dealers are required to have electric vehicle inventory on lot
• Dealers must have a live EV charger on site and/or a demo charger in their showroom 
• Dealers commit to participating in a training with Smart Columbus staff

Electric vehicle promotion

• Dealers are asked to actively market electric vehicles
• Dealers are encouraged to offer educational materials on EVs in their showrooms 
• Dealers provide EV buyers with a new owner’s gift from Smart Columbus, which helps to welcome car buyers to the community of central Ohio EV owners. 

Support 

• Dealers share anonymized sales data to help us understand sales trends and barriers
• Dealers are asked to engage with our team so we can make the program more beneficial to local dealers and car buyers alike