EV Sales Training Available to California New Car Dealers

One in four new cars sold in California last year was an electric vehicle (EV).

That’s a major milestone.

But it also means three of every four new cars sold have polluting internal combustion engines.

Consumers still have a lot of questions about going electric and one place they turn to for answers is their auto dealership. However, a survey of dealerships conducted by Cox Automotive published in June 2023 found less than half felt well prepared to sell EVs.

That is why it is significant that California new car dealers have the opportunity to increase their knowledge of EVs and EV charging through the national ElectrifIQ sales certification program.

Introduced by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and the Center for Sustainable Energy (CSE) at the NADA Show 2024, ElectrifIQ was developed by the two organizations to help auto sales staff better inform their customers about driving electric — and turn EV interest into EV sales.

The cost of ElectrifIQ is $495 to train an entire dealership sales team and includes a two-year EV sales certification. However, the fee will be waived for the first 500 California NADA member dealerships that apply.

To take advantage of this offer, which ends July 1, dealership managers must fill out an application form at ElectrifIQ California Dealers. For further details, they can email electrifiq@energycenter.org.

As U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said at the NADA Show after touring the EV Solutions Center exhibit area, “ElectrifIQ is such a great gift, a great service to the dealers to be able to educate their salespeople and make sure these EVs are moving off the lot.”

Why EV sales training?

ElectrifIQ provides auto sales staff with knowledge of EV features and how to integrate that knowledge into the sales process in a way that is easy for their customers to understand.

The online ElectrifIQ training consists of seven user-friendly modules that can be completed in 90 minutes. After successfully completing the course, sales staff will be able to join the ElectrifIQ Genius Network, launching this summer, where consumers can search for EV sales experts near them.

The course is manufacturer- and model-agnostic, making it applicable across all brands and EV types. The information is designed to assist with selling both new and pre-owned EVs in any dealership by addressing common customer questions such as: 

• Will an EV meet my driving needs? 
• How long does it take to charge? 
• How much does home charging cost? 
• What is the total cost of EV ownership? 

With California committed to having all new car sales be zero-emission vehicles by 2035, auto dealer sales staff sit in the ideal spot – at the point of sale – to help each new-car buyer choose to go electric.