The commercial vehicle market is undergoing a significant shift towards electrification, with local dealerships being called upon to do more than just sell vehicles. They must become strategic partners in their customers’ sustainability journeys, providing insight, guidance, and ongoing support for both passenger vehicles and fleet customers. **Challenges and Opportunities**
The commercial EV space presents both challenges and opportunities for dealerships. On one hand, they must develop the necessary knowledge and infrastructure to support EVs, including total cost of ownership (TCO), charging infrastructure, and fleet management. On the other hand, this shift towards electrification creates a new mandate for dealerships to provide long-term value, operational efficiency, and environmental impact. **The Knowledge Gap**
One of the biggest challenges dealerships face is the knowledge gap. Selling and servicing EVs requires a deep understanding of TCO, charging infrastructure, and fleet management. Sales teams must be able to explain how EVs perform in real-world conditions, how they compare to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, and how they fit into a broader operational strategy. *
- 55,774 gallons of gasoline avoided
- $274,522 in total fuel costs saved
- 1,121,712 total pounds of COâ‚‚ emissions prevented
These metrics can be critical for dealers to help their fleet customers better understand ROI opportunities in EV transition. **Infrastructure and Support**
Dealerships must also consider how to support customers post-sale. Unlike ICE vehicles, EVs require a different kind of service ecosystem. Charging infrastructure, software updates, and battery maintenance are all part of the equation. Dealerships that can offer or coordinate these services will be better positioned to build long-term relationships. Moreover, the ability to support dual powertrain strategies is becoming a competitive differentiator. Many commercial buyers are not ready to go fully electric and instead seek hybrid solutions. Dealerships that can help customers manage mixed fleets — offering insights into both ICE and EV performance — will stand out in a crowded market.
| TCO Solutions | Description |
|---|---|
| Leading TCO solutions focused on dual platform solutions | Delivers a unified, data-driven approach to both ICE and EV operations, providing a comprehensive, agnostic TCO analysis that includes acquisition, infrastructure, maintenance, fuel, and depreciation costs. |
| Predictive analytics and real-time telematics | Supports proactive maintenance, reducing downtime and costs, and provides deep insights into vehicle performance and operational efficiency. |
**OEM-Agnostic Solutions**
As OEMs form exclusive partnerships with fleet management platforms, dealerships must navigate a fragmented ecosystem. However, this also opens the door for OEM-agnostic solutions and tech platforms that allow fleet customers to manage diverse vehicle inventories through a single interface. Dealerships that align with such platforms can offer greater flexibility and value to their clients. **The Branding Opportunity**
With the EV market still in its formative stages, there is a unique opportunity for dealerships to shape their brand identities around innovation and sustainability. By positioning themselves as category leaders and trusted advisors, dealerships can attract forward-thinking commercial fleet customers and differentiate themselves from competitors. **The Future of Commercial Vehicle Sales**
The transition to electric vehicles is reshaping the commercial automotive landscape. For dealerships, this is not just a challenge — it’s a chance to evolve. By embracing a consultative approach, investing in knowledge and infrastructure, and supporting customers throughout the EV lifecycle, dealerships can redefine their role and unlock new growth opportunities. Ian Gardner is the founder of EVAI, a cloud-based, AI-enabled platform for fleet electrification and management. Utilizing specialized fleet and EV-focused AI tools combined with deep operational experience in the commercial EV and fleet spaces, EVAI delivers TCO and uptime to fleet managers, enabling them to realize a positive ROI on their alternative fuel vehicle and infrastructure investments. Visit www.goev.ai.
