AutoMobility Advisors Year End Review

Happy New Year and Happy Holidays from the growing AMA Team! 2022 has been a fantastic year for AMA and our clients. Since the start of the this year AMA has not only doubled in size, but also expanded our services to a variety of new companies looking to develop their automotive businesses to scale. We’d like to thank all of our clients for such a successful year, and as 2023 begins, we look forward to another prosperous year ahead.

A special thanks to our Creative Director, Mariestella Colon Astacio for her dedication and help with all of the AMA branding, AMA website, and all client-facing materials this year. You may not know that she also recently launched her own Yoga App now available on the Google and Apple App Stores. Check it out at the link below. Such a renaissance woman!

ARI Yoga with Mariestella

This year, AMA also brought on two new members:

Dan Teeter: With nearly three decades of experience in the automotive industry working for both Ford Motor Company and Nissan, Dan brings invaluable knowledge and expertise to the AMA team. Joining in October as the Advisory Director, AMA is thrilled to have him on board to help our clients achieve their goals and to continue growing the business into 2023 and beyond. For more information, visit Dan’s LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/danteeter.

Hayden Teeter: A junior at Harvard College, Hayden Teeter joined AMA as the Head of Market Research during the summer of 2022. Hayden conducts research for our clients and works to expand AMA’s business opportunities and operations. He is especially interested in the future of the automotive technology business. Hayden’s LinkedIn profile is accessible at linkedin.com/in/haydenteeter.

Our client list has grown rapidly this year. We have had the sincere pleasure of working with companies from across the automotive technology industry, from the US, UK, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland, and would like to take time to thank each of them individually.

2hire: AMA and 2hire have worked together fruitfully throughout 2022 to expand their universal key technology to a myriad of oems, rental car companies, and subscription companies throughout Europe. For more information on 2hire, visit them at their website here or at their Linkedin page.

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=9036941770959350989&li_theme=light

Avant Future Mobility: AMA has partnered with Avant, a specialized CASE placement firm to help companies find staffing solutions for their automobility needs. AMA looks forward to continuing this partnership into 2023 as the need for jobs in the automobility sector rapidly continues to grow. Information on Avant’s services are located on their website here.

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=8077540009910295827&li_theme=light

BlueFusion: In 2022, AMA began working with BlueFusion, a Boston-based firm focusing on low cost high capability assisted drive technologies. AMA would like to thank them for a beneficial and fruitful partnership!

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=8748902827937743765&li_theme=light

Luxoft: AMA has had the opportunity to partner with Luxoft this year to advance business in the field of automotive technology. Thank you to Luxoft for a great year, and for more information, visit their website here and their LinkedIn page.

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=8850012159027735430&li_theme=light

Dan Teeter and George Ayres would also like to thank OneMedia ATSC 3.0 for the opportunities to participate in a series of webinars discussing the current state and emerging future of the automotive industry and its many surrounding ecosystems. Check out One Media here on their website or on their LinkedIn page.

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=9078787300765341476&li_theme=light

WirelessCar: AMA is proud to start working with WirelessCar in a business development partnership in 2023. WirelessCar provides high-tech telematics solutions in a variety of fields including connected cars, and for more information on their business, visit them on their website here and their LinkedIn page.

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=8060977430660859083&li_theme=light

2022 has been a very busy and fruitful year for the AMA Team and our clients, and we are excited to provide our services into 2023 and beyond. Make sure to stay tuned for our report about AMA at CES 2023, and several other important announcements are coming soon. Once again, a wholehearted thank you from the AMA Team to all of our clients, and we wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season! Happy New Year!

https://www.linkedin.com/embeds/publishingEmbed.html?articleId=7797880136967695981&li_theme=light

You can subscribe to the AutoMobility Roadmap for free and continue to follow the dynamic and changing automotive mobility world. If you’d like to engage directly with the team at AutoMobility Advisors, contact us or contact us via Linked In.

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December 2, 2022January 2, 2023

The Durability of Automobility: How Automotive Tech Benefits from High-Tech Layoffs

2022 has been a particularly tumultuous year in the global economy. Across the world, the Covid-19 pandemic drags on, and geopolitical disturbances fundamentally change the outlook of many national governments and international corporations. This year economists and analysts warn of a coming recession, wiping post lockdown gains from the major stock indexes in the US, Asia, and Europe. Major tech companies are feeling the squeeze, and corporations like Twitter and Meta have felt significant pressure and seen massive layoffs and suffering stock prices. Peculiarly, a fissure has formed between high tech and the world of automakers and automobility. While companies like Meta struggle, automakers and rental car companies continue to grow. Many in the industry can’t help but speculate on the ways in which the automobility sector can weather the storm facing high tech. However, are they asking the wrong question?

In the last 10 years or so, high tech has evolved into a sort of weathervane for indicating the health of the economy. Companies such as Apple, Google, Tesla, and Microsoft seem to serve as indicators for periods of economic growth and retraction, and their success is often tied to the general health of the global economy. Automakers were similarly prominent, having held these positions of power for decades. Over the past decade or two, the automotive and high tech spaces have become increasingly intertwined, birthing automobility and the high tech automotive sector. Crossing over between two formerly distinct industries, how does the automotive tech sector react, and potentially benefit from, the recent downturn in high-tech? This is a more intriguing and productive question for the automobility sector to ask, having serious implications for the future of automobility and the health of the sector despite a high-tech economic recession,

Last month, billionaire Elon Musk took over Twitter in a deal valued at $44 billion and since then, the company has entered a spiral of layoffs and mass controversy. As of this past week, only 12 percent of Twitter’s pre takeover staff remain employed by the firm. Thousands of white collar employees have been laid off, from coders to top executives. Driven by Elon Musk’s controversial policies and firebrand rhetoric, more still have quit of their own volition, opting to move on to other jobs in the sector. Suddenly, thousands of high-tech employees have found themselves out of work, and where do they go? Meta, headed by Mark Zuckerberg, and the controlling interest in Facebook, Instagram, and the Metaverse virtual reality service, has suffered in kind. The company has experienced an enormous devaluation, with stock prices plunging over 65% from their peak in 2021. Going beyond controversial figures like Musk and Zuckerbeg, Marketwatch reports that Amazon, HP, and Google are expecting to make cuts over the next few years, and that there were nearly 60,000 tech layoffs in 2022, a comparable number to statistics from the Great Recession. Where do all these people go?

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/tech-layoffs

To put it simply, there is a growing supply of experienced high-tech employees waiting to be hired. This is an opportunity for OEMs and automotive tech companies to fill the roles many of them stated they would be adding as many OEMs announced in the past two years that their strategic intent was to transform to high tech companies creating Software Defined Vehicles.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2022/11/30/auto-industry-leads-in-digital-transformation-investments/?sh=3759147f4e90

The OEMs that made these announcements were faced with a significant challenge of finding qualified employees. Speaking to broad trends in high-tech, especially if the fears of recession come true, and automobility companies and OEMs continue to be resilient to economic challenges, a mass hiring of qualified high-tech employees may not just be on the horizon but may be achievable sooner than expected. The automotive technology and automobility sectors have exploded hand in hand with self-driving vehicles, EVs, battery development, and a myriad of other emerging and increasingly popular technologies. With over 2200 exhibitors from across the world and a crowd expected to total over 100,000 people at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in January, the automobility sector needs to come prepared and in full force, ready to showcase their resilience to recession and an openness to taking advantage of where high-tech is faltering.

https://www.ces.tech/News/Press-Releases/CES-Press-Release.aspx?NodeID=954077ec-31f0-4889-b4ec-b6af7a3ad217

As the conditions of the economy and market continue to fluctuate and evolve, the ball is now in the court of the automotive industry and the automobility companies to take advantage of growth and profitability while other sectors are more vulnerable. EVs, autonomous drive, P2P carshare, battery companies, and a variety of other segments of automotive technology are growing at an explosive pace, with Forbes reporting that the market share for EVs more than doubled from 2.7% in Q2 of 2021 to 5.6% of Q2 in 2022. Looking to the future, these trends are expected to only increase, and all of the surrounding technological development will need to keep pace with public demand and government regulations.

To answer the questions stated earlier, automotive technology companies need to be ready to jump on opportunities created by high-tech’s recent struggles and come out of the tumultuous conditions of the last couple years optimistic and ready to compete in one of the world’s most promising industries.

And if you’d like help in finding the best tech talent, you can work with a specialized AutoMobility recruiting provider like Avant Future Mobility. They place hundreds of battery engineers, data scientists, software developers, and AI/ML experts into automotive companies large and small. Maybe they can help you too!

https://www.linkedin.com/company/avantfuturemobility/?originalSubdomain=uk

View and Subscribe to the Automobility Roadmap on LinkedIn here.

November 10, 2022January 2, 2023

ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Spectrum Webinar Series – No. 2

Automotive use of a Broadcast/Multicast Wireless Network to enhance 4G and 5G

Automotive use of a Broadcast/Multicast Wireless Network to enhance 4G and 5G

This webinar invites the automotive industry to take advantage of the next generation of IP based (Internet compatible) broadcast spectrum now being implemented at TV stations across the US and other countries (India, Brazil, Jamaica, and Korea).
This spectrum has a multicast (one to many) propagation pattern and is transmitted from tall towers, where each tower typically covers a 100-mile diameter region at a time. Because this spectrum is IP based it can be used as a supplement to enhance the efficiencies of 4 and 5G networks.
The goal of this three-part webinar series is to start an honest discussion about the benefits and real-world challenges of using ATSC 3.0 broadcast spectrum as a wireless data network to supplement 4 and 5G network data flow to Connected Vehicles.
We worked hard to balance our speakers between broadcast and automotive experts so both perspectives will be well represented. Webinar #1 has been completed and can be viewed on demand.

Webinar No. 2: Watch on Demand

Top 3 Connected Vehicle Applications a Multicast Wireless (ATSC 3.0) Network can make More Efficient

1) Constant RTK geolocation

Satellite delivery of centimeter (cm) accurate geolocation to Connected Vehicles requires error correction, often delivered through a LTE or 5G network which can get costly. The blanket coverage of a Broadcast/Multicast network could be much more efficient but what are the practicalities?

2) OTA software updates

Broadcast/Multicast could logically be a more cost-effective way to wirelessly deliver OTA firmware and software updates to CVs. What are the challenges of getting hardware needed to make this work? What are the software challenges after that?

3) Infotainment

A Broadcast/Multicast data network has the same propagation characteristics as traditional broadcast TV. A single broadcast tower can have a coverage diameter of 100 miles. How can this help in-car entertainment?

Learn more and visit www.atsc3advocate.com

#automotive #technology #webinar #infrastructure #telecom #media #ev #connectedvehicles #autotech #automobilityadvisors

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October 27, 2022January 2, 2023

ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Spectrum Webinar Series – No. 1

Automotive use of a Broadcast/Multicast Wireless Network to enhance 4G and 5G

Automotive use of a Broadcast/Multicast Wireless Network to enhance 4G and 5G

Webinar No. 1: Watch on Demand

This webinar introduces how Connected Vehicles could use broadcast spectrum for wireless multicast (one to many) data transport with existing 4 and 5G networks. Reports on 5G/ATSC 3.0 integration and plans underway to build a national network of broadcast spectrum will be presented.

Learn more and visit www.atsc3advocate.com

#automotive #technology #webinar #infrastructure #telecom #media #ev #connectedvehicles #autotech #automobilityadvisors

View and Subscribe to the Automobility Roadmap on LinkedIn here.

October 27, 2022August 25, 2023

Benefits and practical considerations of adding a wireless multicast network (ATSC 3.0) to Connected Vehicles

A three-part webinar series from AutoMobility Advisors and ONE Media 3.0/Sinclair Broadcast Group
Webinars will be held on Thursdays at 12 PM Eastern, 9 AM Pacific, and 5 PM London time
Each webinar is one hour for speaker presentations/discussion followed by 30 minutes of audience Q&A

Dates: October 27, November 10, and December 1

The goal: Bring together automobile connectivity and broadcast network experts
and advance a conversation between them

Webinar #1: October 27, 2022, 12:00 PM ET

Automotive and broadcast experts review the benefits and considerations of a NextGen Broadcast/Multicast Network (ATSC 3.0) and how it can supplement LTE and 5G

Topics:

NextGen Broadcast/Multicast Network introduction
What is it? What can it do for Connected Vehicle (CV) connectivity? What testing has been done? Why consider testing now?

Cast.Era ATSC 3.0 Connected Vehicle testing
Cast.Era is a technology joint develop, join venture between SK Telecom, the largest carrier in South Korea, and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Automotive tests began in 2019, working with Korean broadcaster MBC, Hyundai Motors, and Mobius. Cast.Era is also working on a plan to add Multicast/Broadcast as a complementary service to 5G networks.

India’s “Direct to Consumer Broadcast” service where ATSC 3.0 becomes a 5G slice
A custom version of ATSC 3.0 is being tested to become a slice within India’s 5G infrastructure.

A report from companies aggregating ATSC 3.0 networks into national networks
Automotive use of NextGen Broadcast/Multicast makes the most economic sense if deployed nationally. BitPath currently has 400 of the US’s 1,700 commercial TV stations onboard. We will talk about this and other Broadcast/Multicast aggregation services.

Register for the webinar: https://bit.ly/3eEPgr8

#automotive #technology #webinar #infrastructure #telecom #media #ev #connectedvehicles #autotech #automobilityadvisors

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October 10, 2022January 2, 2023

Carpe EV Diem

So many things are now happening within the mobility space, all at the same time, that there seems to be some new momentum for change. It’s now getting much harder to see that we might go anywhere but forward. More electric vehicles have been purchased by more open-minded buyers. More fast-charging infrastructure has been deployed. More new EV models are being launched. And more government and local resources have been provided along with policies designed to accelerate more EV adoption.

And as automotive companies change themselves, such as how they are organized (Ford), how they wrestle with becoming software providers (VW), and how they can vertically integrate for the new EV world by buying mining access (all), many other related things are happening too. For example, Ford has told its US dealers that by the end this month they need to commit to being an electric vehicle dealer, with the training and infrastructure Ford requires, or they will only get Ford’s internal combustion vehicles to sell. Sounds like an “ultium-atum” to use another maker’s term. Yet even with this kind of “take it or leave it” approach, the Ford Dealer Council prevailed and Ford agreed to create a middle pathway for smaller dealers to invest, an “EV lite” approach so to speak, so these dealers can sell a few EV’s per month and stay in the game. It’s clear that, at least in the US market, that if we do not respond to rural needs and enable the EV intenders in the middle of America, where there currently are few charge points for example, then we will limit the overall adoption rate of EV’s nationwide.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/14/ford-gives-dealers-an-ultimatum-on-ev-sales/

So companies like Ford are using the catalyst of this product change to electric vehicles to modify their sales approach as well. In the surface, it does not seem that a consumers choice of powertrain should change the sales model, but since Tesla and other new EV makers are selling their cars directly, or through an “agency” model, Ford and the other legacy automakers are right to explore this route as well. It’s easy to recall GM’s Saturn brand, which didn’t allow prices to be negotiated, so consumers knew the price before they arrived at the dealership. This worked well enough, but since Saturn’s product plan was starved, no new product meant that Saturn went away, regardless of the sales model.

And EV’s too will live and die by product selection and performance, not sales and distribution models. Consumers will always seek out and find a new product that has great value and exceeds their expectations. Tesla is the EV market leader not because of how it sells its cars, but how they work. While Tesla needs to bring out more accessibly priced models, it’s clear their basic product portfolio, with sedan’s and crossovers, are popular even though they are all at the higher end of the EV market. Having a network of Supercharger stations, that are easy to use, and widely deployed, and recently providing an adapter for owners to use chargers from other companies, means that Tesla continues to enable its new owners to have a positive EV experience.

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/08/26/us-electric-vehicle-market-growing-yet-tesla-still-dominates/

Recent research from JD Power shows that currently over 26% of all new car shoppers are very likely to purchase an EV within the next 12 months. And while Tesla still dominates the brand consideration for these potential EV consumers, Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Hyundai are now right behind. This is because of all the new EV models coming from these companies, like the F-150 Lightning, the Chevrolet Blazer, and the Hyundai Ioniq. New product gets all the marketing money in the automotive business, and when you see enough “EVerybody In” ads (from GM) you might become curious and start to look closer at buying an EV. When we have over 1 in 4 new car buyers saying they are considering an electric vehicle, we are on the cusp of much faster adoption. Actual EV sales are just over 6% in the US market currently, so this means that 4 times more people are considering an EV today.

Maybe the real challenge for the industry is simply not to disappoint these “willing” buyers, and to make sure their questions get answered the first time, wherever they look for information, either online or on the showroom floor. Reducing their “home charger-install anxiety” for these prospects might also be important now, as “vehicle range anxiety” is quickly becoming a thing of the past with 500 mile range EV’s now. Local, familiar, and understanding auto dealers would be great places to get all this selling done. Think about the early days of cell phones, and the “stores” from the cellular carriers. Customers could buy the device, buy the plan, get their questions answered, all with one stop. Of course as the carriers moved to more sales online, and self-service, much of this experience was eroded. We need to make sure the “EV buying experience” becomes easier and easier. Maybe this is part of what is driving Ford and others to “seize the day” and change their approach to EV’s.

Who will benefit? Well, consumers will get new technology vehicles that have lower operating costs, with an easy sales experience. Automakers and suppliers will be able to participate and earn revenue across the ownership cycle, from initial sales and “over-the-air” (OTA) software updates. Dealers will have an opportunity as well, selling generally higher-transaction priced EV vehicles, but still having many service and repair opportunities beyond the powertrain, and perhaps participating in battery recycling and “energy storage systems” (ESS) redeployment of vehicle batteries. Local governments will have cleaner vehicles and quieter traffic. Utilities will have plenty of roving electricity “storage” too. And the planet will have less greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Sounds pretty good to me. Let’s all “carpe diem” to a greener future!

View and Subscribe to the Automobility Roadmap on LinkedIn here.

October 4, 2022January 2, 2023

Circling around traffic congestion

gray scale photo of road — Photo by Tuur Tisseghem on Pexels.com

I have long considered this roadway change to be a great way to reduce traffic congestion. My friends in the UK will wonder why the US has taken so long to embrace this simple approach. When I drove to work in Coventry, England, from my home in the West Midlands, I could usually make it all the way without stopping once. No idling, saves fuel, saves time, just works! Might even help Autonomous Vehicles be safer as there is no need for the “eye to eye” head nod required at 4-way stops. Of course roundabouts are nearly incompatible with cupholders (learned that the hard way) and they require drivers to actually understand how they work. In the US, many drivers unfamiliar with them stop in the middle of them, causing even bigger issues. And the enormous SUV’s that American’s seem to favor are not the best at handling quick right- left – right maneuvers. Roundabouts beg for more agile traffic conveyances. But I would love to see more of these. Maybe it can be a subcategory of the Infrastructure legislation? Let’s get rid of stop signs and replace all the intersections with a system that makes life smoother. #intelligenttransportation #roundabout #infrastructure

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/29/what-carmel-indiana-can-teach-america-about-urbanism

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October 4, 2022January 2, 2023

We need to talk about Tesla’s deadly problem

This issue is not covered well enough in the industry press.

As a motorcyclist myself, and someone working to help improve the tech underlying vehicle “perception” and therefore reaction to seeing motorcycles on the road, we need to look more closely at all road users. In a future of Automated Driving that includes EV powered Pods continuously circulating, there will still be some who choose to ride 2 wheels. Autonomous cars that can’t see motorcycles is not acceptable. Thank goodness there are companies like BlueFusion helping to improve how vehicles see in all conditions. https://lnkd.in/ghbjk55D

I support the AMA’s good work educating automakers, autonomous driving technology companies, and the public about this issue, and will continue to do so.

#cars #autonomousvehicles #autonomousdriving #adas #motorcycles #safety #tech # #future

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October 3, 2022October 11, 2022

AMA News!

Dan Teeter Joins AutoMobility Advisors as Advisory Director

Brings decades of experience in Connected Services and Market Research at companies like Nissan and Ford to AMA’s clients.

By: AutoMobility Advisors

Dan Teeter of AutoMobility Advisors

MARIETTA, Ga. – Oct. 3, 2022 – PRLog — Dan Teeter, a leader in Automotive Connected Vehicles and Market Research & Intelligence, has joined AutoMobility Advisors (AMA) as Advisory Director. Dan has decades of experience in the automotive industry at companies like Ford and most recently Nissan, where he led the Connected Vehicles program for North America.

At AMA, Dan will work with AMA’s key clients – automotive start-ups, technology companies, investors, and researchers to help them scale and grow in the automotive and transportation connectivity, mobility, digitalization, and innovation spaces. With a background in all facets of Connected Vehicles, Market Intelligence, Six Sigma, Business Transformation, Field Operations, and Business Strategy, Dan brings a wealth of experience and a current OEM perspective to AMA’s clients for solving their challenges for today and tomorrow.

Dan has always looked to do great things, like achieving an industry leader-level satisfaction rating for Nissan with automotive mobile apps, voice assistant integrations, and connectivity feature offerings. In fact, Dan did some of the earliest research at Ford on customer acceptance of hybrid electric vehicles, Bluetooth, and connected vehicle technologies.

George Ayres, Managing Director of AutoMobility Advisors said, “Dan brings wonderful energy and solid experience in mobility, connectivity, and customer experience research to the growing AMA team and will help stimulate our clients to achieve their own greatness as they scale their business.” Dan Teeter said, “I’ve known George since the 1990’s and look forward to helping him and the entire AutoMobility Advisors team, but most importantly our clients, to develop new opportunities and create compelling strategies that help lead the way in the automotive mobility industry.”

Dan has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Go Quakers! Go Blue!

Dan is a dedicated husband and he and his wife are the proud parents of two sons. Dan loves spending quality time watching their kids play Ultimate Frisbee for their respective high school and college teams. Before embarking on his automotive career, Dan thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine on his first-ever backpacking trip, proving once and for all that it is possible to succeed if you have a positive attitude and take things one step at a time!

https://www.prlog.org/12934948-dan-teeter-joins-automobility-advisors-as-advisory-director.html

Contact
George Ayres
george@automobilityadvisors.com

October 28, 2021January 2, 2023

Expanding EV Charging – Some Practical Issues

This week General Motors announced plans to invest $750 million to help provide 40,000 new electric vehicle charging stations starting in 2022 through its GM dealerships, and said that 90% of all American’s are within 10 miles of one of their automotive stores. It’s terrific that GM is making this commitment to EV charging in addition to the $35 billion major product investment it previously announced. Let’s look at a couple of the issues they will need to think about to make their charging network plan deliver on the promise.

The Urban vs. Rural Experience

GM has dealers all over the country, serving rural areas most importantly. EV adoption needs to happen in rural places too, but other than home charging networks, there are just not yet many office buildings and retail locations with chargers in small communities. Shown below is a map of a major charging company, Volta, and their current and near-term charger locations. Notice that major metro areas are where these are all going. So GM can fill a valuable need by leveraging its small town dealers to fill in the gaps.

“We want to give customers the right tools and access to charging where and when they need it, while working with our dealer network to accelerate the expansion of accessible charging throughout the U.S. and Canada, including in underserved, rural and urban areas,” said GM President Mark Reuss in a statement.

But there will be a major difference between who is providing charging stations in rural places, with those in urban locations. While most urban and suburban EV buyer’s will have access to a charger in their home, apartment building, or even their office (if they are still going there), and they can now use a myriad of networks, most people may find that charging is an adjunct to a destination they are already visiting. Going to Whole Foods, or a multi-retail location to shop for groceries and other services, and plugging in to top up your car while you are there, may be the normal use case. When presented with a choice within a few miles, of a multiple-charger bank in a food or services retail store parking lot that they already have decided to visit, or a GM dealer that may have more chargers available but only has accessories and floor mats to shop for, the customer may choose the food and services retailer most of the time. So in urban locations, while GM dealers may be great locations for chargers, the customer will need a different experience that most auto dealers provide today. Free coffee is not enough.

For rural EV buyers, it may be terrific that the local GM dealership, which historically supports the town’s Little League Team, Fourth of July parade, and just about every other civic activity, is now the center of the EV charging experience. It would make a lot of sense as well, for these dealers who are sometimes on the edge of town, to partner with the local Wal-Mart or Dollar Store to provide EV owner’s with a free shuttle to these retailers while their car is charged. This saves the stand-alone retailer from investing, and provides them with some captive shoppers for an hour at no real effort. The GM dealer then becomes a mobility center in some ways within the community, and could easily expand on-demand shuttles to other users too. This may be more than the local dealer wants to do, but they will have little competition from banks of retail chargers, unlike the urban dealer. Rural dealers can leverage their facilities and locations to lead on EV adoption in the community, and EV pick-up sales might benefit the most from local dealer’s stepping up to convince traditional buyers that EV’s can be easy to live with. GM dealers have to help GM get the change to happen, one customer at a time.

Photo Courtesy of Hardy Chevrolet Buick GMC in Dallas, Georgia – Go Visit them today!

Cost Differentials

Buyers of EV’s in urban and suburban locations will have many choices for chargers sooner than you think. And many of these chargers will be free for the first 30 minutes or longer. Much of this is because a bank of chargers in an outdoor retailer strip mall can be used for advertising, point-of-sale information, event, discount messaging, or even saturation with a national brand’s messaging. Retail charging locations in urban areas will have lots of ways to subsidize the cost of a charge, and will be competing with each other for visits. Finding and paying for a charger will be relatively simple for the urban EV owner.

In contrast, it will be awhile before we see many chargers in smaller and rural communities. There may be a couple of chargers, but if they are at the local Chevrolet dealer, then their advertising value accrues to the dealer, primarily, and he or she presumably has much cheaper ways to advertise. So it’s likely that the rural EV driver will be paying more directly for the charge, with less subsidy available. Smart dealers will assess the market penetration of EV’s in their area, using DMV data or other available information, to understand how they can pull in the multiple-brand EV buyers in their community, making “first 30 minutes free” charging or other draws to get the hook-ups they need to make charging successful. Will non-GM EV drivers feel ok to charge their EV at a GM store? I think yes if the experience is safe, easy, and cost-effective. But the cost will not be reduced by advertising in these situations. It will be because the GM dealer thinks creatively about how to attract and serve the community. Since this is something local dealers have been doing for over 100 years, I think they will figure it out too.

Conclusion

We see a divide in our society between urban and rural sometimes culturally. But EV buyers have the same needs wherever they live. They want to find a place to plug in that is safe and cost-effective, and if they can do it while taking care of other things it will be convenient too. I have great faith that the push GM is making to add chargers nationwide, will find great partners with rural dealers as these community leaders change rural resident views on electric vehicles. Maybe The Heartbeat of America just needs a little jolt!

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