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When electric vehicles began to take off in America about five years ago, it was not uncommon for shoppers of EVs to feel as if dealerships were the enemy. Tesla’s low-pressure “Buy it if you want to” retail vibe was a tempting alternative, and legacy automakers seemed to be caught behind the curve as EV shoppers began to shop for EVs in earnest. The stereotype became an uninformed salesperson selling a vehicle that they knew little about into a culture they themselves had no experience with. Times have changed, and Ford is among the brands that have fully embraced the change. We sat down with sales associates, managers, and owners of Ford dealerships to learn how they deliver a positive EV shopping and ownership experience.
Related Story: Ford’s Blue Oval Network of Chargers Is Fantastic - Our Real-World Test Results
What Did Shoppers Experience In the Bad Old Days?
Rather than use the straw man argument, we thought it would be helpful to list a few social media posts by EV shoppers who stuck it out and later became owners. We found these posts in groups in which we are members, so they will be anonymized. Let us be clear that these are not pulled from Ford vehicle groups:
- 2020 - JB Writes, “The sales folks at my dealership are clueless, and my one conversation with the service folks seems the same. Still want me to schedule an oil change.”
- 2021 - JH Writes, “I just returned from my local dealer and wanted to report what I learned. I stopped by in the showroom to ask about the (EV Model). The salesperson reported to me that they had no plans to stock it. This is in the heart of Silicon Valley. I pulled out my smartphone and showed him that their website advertised an EV model, and he simply said that was fake news. The apathy from dealers is real, people.”
- 2022 - RS Writes, “I am wondering what docs I will need for the fed tax credit. The dealer rep was not versed.”
- 2023 SK Writes, “Yet another bad dealer experience. The service manager came out of his office, pointed at my (EV Model), and said, ‘That car shouldn't even be here; we aren't certified on them yet!’ It's time to give up.”
EV shoppers often reported experiences like these over the past five years. What has changed is that Ford and its dealers have committed to a future in which most or all of the vehicles in the Ford portfolio are electrified, and the primary focus will eventually be battery-electric models.
Two Ford Dealer Sales Associate Spotlights
Gordon Chan is a long-time employee of Acton Ford in Metro Boston and an early adopter of electrified vehicle technology. He was one of the first Americans to own a Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV). Following this vehicle, Gordon leased three consecutive Ford Fusion Energi PHEVs. He’s presently on his second Ford Mustang Mach-E. Having owned six EVs, Gordon clearly walks the walk when it comes to living electric.
Speaking to Gordon, one quickly realizes that his laid-back style is paired with a deep understanding of all things automotive sales. He can converse about the purchasing process, how leases work, and local and national incentives. When the subject matter turns to EVs, Gordon is as much a teacher as he is a purveyor. This is no accident. In addition to living electric in his personal life, Gordon has been trained on EVs and on living electric for many years on-site at his dealership. He has also attended a three-day intensive training session at Ford’s EV ownership experience classroom in Atlanta, Georgia.
We had assumed that the Atlanta training would be mired in technical details, and for certain, there is some of that. However, Gordon told me, “The Atlanta program focused a lot on how to help the consumer navigate the changing landscape of EV shopping, buying, and owning.” Gordon explained that helping shoppers understand the vehicle selection and ordering process was a big part of how Ford elevates the training level of its dealer partner employees. “I attended, another sales associate attended, Chris (the General Manager) attended, and a person from the service department,” he told us. As you can see, Ford dealers don't rely on one “EV expert,” though each dealership may well have a person whose knowledge is deeper than average.
Gordon told us that about 80% of those Ford shoppers he meets with who drive home in an EV come to the showroom with a battery-electric vehicle solely on their mind. About one in five don’t arrive thinking about buying an EV. “The folks who buy an EV after arriving at the showroom with a different type of vehicle on their mind are convinced on the test drive,” according to Gordon.
I asked Gordon if he tries to actively turn conventional vehicle shoppers into EV buyers, and his answer was nuanced. “I don’t try to do that on the spot in one visit because it can take many visits to do so.” He explained that the education process related to range, charging, and living electric can take many hours for a shopper who has not already done some investigations. “It can be fatiguing, so I offer my help and let the shopper decide if they want to continue or go home, think it over, and come back to talk more,” he said.
I’m not a template-style interviewer at heart, so Gordon and I spoke casually on many topics during the time he generously offered me. Our discussion turned to Tesla. Gordon has driven the modern lineup of Tesla cars and SUVs, and, surprisingly, was driving a Model Y belonging to his daughter the day we met. “I’ve had it a few weeks now,” Gordon told me. “My daughter is away, and I wanted to be sure I knew this vehicle inside and out so that I could help shoppers know what the Mach-E offers that Tesla’s Model Y cannot.” His list was extensive on that subject, starting with controls. “It took me a few minutes to figure out how to put the Model Y drive,” he said. “I wanted to skip the tutorials and try it the way any test drive customer might.” His lasting opinion of the Model Y is not very different than my own, having driven the Model Y back to back with the Mach-E. “The controls are polarizing and require a lot of attention, especially at first,” he said.
Seth Orlick is a sales associate at a dealership in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. While Acton is teeming with EVs, Hillsboro is not. There are three dealerships in town, and one is solely a used diesel truck dealer. It’s also the largest. However, with many second homes on the multiple nearby lakes, Hillsboro Ford does see the landscape for vehicles changing a bit.
Like Gordon Chan, Seth is also a Mach-E owner and has also attended Ford’s Atlanta training program. I spoke with Seth while a Genesis EV I was testing charged up on one of the dealership’s four DC fast chargers. Seth’s enthusiasm for EVs is infectious. He speaks from the heart about how much he loves his own Mach-E. We covered many topics while we spoke, but what struck me was how deep his understanding of EV charging was. We discussed things like charging curves and pricing, and Seth surprised me with one fact. “Most of the miles I drive are added using Level 1 charging at home,” he said. “If I get behind, I’ll put the car on the DCFC to bump the SOC up to 80%, but the cost difference is significant, so I typically use my portable charger at home,” he said.
I asked Seth if the other sales associates re-direct EV shoppers to him, and he replied, “Not really. Every staff member here can help customers with EV shopping or service. I am sometimes asked to join in if things get technical, but each person you see here is able to handle an EV topic in their respective departments.”
Smart Management Practices Help With EV Sales and Service
Chris Abatsis is the General Manager of Acton Ford. He and I met about a year ago when I noticed a massive construction project at the dealership. This project was the installation of a half-dozen DCFCs along with a bunch of Level 2 chargers. It was one of the biggest investments in the town in a long time by any business.
Chris and I communicated in person, by phone, and also by email on the subject of Ford’s deep commitment to an electrified future. “We’re all in” is one statement that I remember from our discussions. It makes sense. This is a very green and very affluent area of Metro Boston, and EVs are literally all around you in traffic. From affordable Bolts and Leafs to exotic and expensive Model X, Lucid Air, and Rivian vehicles. The Mach-E seems to have a big chunk of the local market share, and it is due in large part to Acton Ford. The town of Acton also has Mustang Mach-E police cruisers, and the town’s services department has Fusion Energis and e-Transits.
Chris helped me to understand that the Gordon Chans and Seth Orlicks at Ford dealers are not an accident. Chris explained that his dealership recruits the best and brightest associates it can find. Not just so they can succeed individually but also to help elevate an already solid team. “We are lucky to have Gordon Chan on our team. He regularly provides leadership to the sales team by demonstrating features and chiming in on those 'hard to answer' EV questions.”
Another employee at Acton Ford was hired initially as an EV-focused salesperson. This person was immediately given a mission. “During his first week on the job, we gave him a 'budget' for a new EV and had him go out to mystery shop competitive EV brands such as Tesla, Volkswagen, Nissan, Chevy, and Kia. He was free to select which brands and dealerships to mystery shop. During their mystery shop process, he learned that the shopping experience was vastly different based on the individual salesperson's interest in EV's, as well as the manufacturer's own sales process. Notably, a couple of brands/dealerships sent him off on test drives unaccompanied and offered very little demonstration or presentation of the product.” Chris explained that this was eye-opening and helped Acton Ford to refine how its process worked. He also let me know that Acton Ford does not keep employees on the sales team specifically to achieve EV sales. “While this person is still on our team, changes in the market and continuous learning among our team members have allowed that person to serve both EV and ICE guests.”
In Chris's view, the team at Acton Ford has not been static during the growth and maturity of electric vehicles. “Our team had to undergo a lot of change to be ready for the EV customer. Some of that change was through hiring and recruiting, and some of it was through training our existing staff. Overall, it is a work in progress, but we are committed to moving in the direction of delivering a consistent and rewarding sales experience for our EV guests.”
With the deep level of understanding that the teams have at Ford dealers, it was my assumption that the team would eventually be so well educated on EV topics that the training would be complete. Chris said that the exact opposite is true. “Ford has been great about sending a trainer out to work with our sales teams both in-vehicle and in formal training sessions. In the last year, we've had four visits from a Ford field trainer who daily drives a Lightning or Mach-e.”
Chris told us that the topics discussed during these continuous improvement training sessions include:
- Understanding and helping people manage range anxiety
- Optimizing EV battery performance
- Home charging and home charging installation
- Public charging
- Bluecruise (Hands-free driver assist technology)
- E-commerce for EV customers
In combination, Ford’s training may seem like it takes a template approach to selling and servicing EVs, but Chris wanted me to understand that was not really the picture he has. Rather, he says that Ford provides the training and some of the resources, but dealership management is tasked with designing and executing a plan to deliver positive EV experiences to its sales and service guests.
Media coverage of electric vehicles focuses primarily on future products as a possible path to broader adoption of EVs. Reading stories about solid-state batteries that can charge in just moments, “low-cost” EVs that always seem to be just around the corner, and, of course, performance advances are easy and enjoyable reads. However, it’s this EV expert's opinion that the products are already very impressive. What I believe will help to move the needle on EV adoption is a change to the retail landscape. As shoppers begin to consider EVs as an alternative to the style of vehicle they have purchased in the past, dealer sales associates who have been living electric for many years will be ready to help those tire-kickers drive home in their first EV. At Ford, this cultural change has already happened.
Author Note: The author has never worked for Ford or any dealer in any capacity. He has never purchased a vehicle from any of the dealerships mentioned in this story.
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John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work at our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
Image of Gordon Chan of Acton Ford by John Goreham/ Images of EV dealer training sessions provided by Ford. Image of Seth Orlick courtesy of Seth.
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