How Tires Can Help Maintenance Teams Keep BEVs
How will the popularity of electric vehicles impact your service drive’s revenue? It is obvious that the move away from combustion engines is no longer merely a passing trend, given that Tesla is currently the most valuable automobile manufacturer in the world.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales have increased significantly in recent years, and this trend is only anticipated to continue. According to projections, 40–50% of US vehicles will be electric by 2030, and half of US drivers indicate they plan to buy a BEV as their next vehicle.
Naturally, this new kind of vehicle has a completely new set of servicing requirements, for which some dealerships are better equipped than others. The specific service requirements of electric vehicles will cause some to incur significant losses, but those who make changes now will fare considerably better than those who don’t.
The Potential Impact of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) on Your Service Revenue
The service industry has undergone a significant change as a result of battery electric cars (BEVs, or simply EVs), and many dealerships are now feeling the effects of this change.
Except for battery replacement, BEVs require fewer trips and less general maintenance than conventional automobiles. Only 54% of BEV owners reported taking their vehicle in for servicing in the previous year, which is nearly two-thirds less frequently than owners do with ICE vehicles.
The new technology is a factor in this. Regenerative braking means that BEVs experience less pad and rotor wear, which reduces the need for brake replacement. Engine problems are no longer an issue because the battery now provides all power instead of the combustion engine.
Even worse, numerous related maintenance items have also been dropped. These components of the conventional system—engine and air filters, spark plugs, fuel management, lubricants, drive belts, and spark plugs—no longer exist in BEVs.
This indicates a significant decrease in serviceable parts and associated earnings, given that the majority of moving parts in conventional vehicles were solely used to assist the engine in some manner.
Even though EVs don’t need as much maintenance as conventional cars, if you make some adjustments, they can still bring in service revenue for your dealership.
How Tires Can Increase Revenue and Save Services
Although BEVs have many benefits for drivers, there is some good news for dealerships as well: BEV tires wear out far more quickly than those on ICE cars, necessitating more frequent rotations and replacements.
BEVs have batteries in place of engines, and those batteries are very heavy. A gas-powered car of a comparable size weighs just roughly 3,000 pounds, compared to the typical Tesla’s 4,500 pounds. This significantly increases the stress on the tires.
BEVs proudly tout quick torque, which, although enjoyable to experience, puts even more strain on those tires on top of the added weight. BEVs often require heavier-duty tires with stronger structural support for these reasons, but this only goes so far.
Dealerships benefit in two ways:
Despite needing less maintenance than other standard parts, tire repair for owners of electric vehicles requires more frequent visits. BEV drivers must replace their tires less regularly, as often as every 5,000 miles, and closer to the 20 to 30-thousand-mile mark than the average 40,000-mile interval.
When tires need to be replaced on electric vehicles, better-quality tire options are needed. These tires are typically 10 to 40% more expensive than standard tires.
In other words, dealerships with tire-focused service initiatives will fare far better than those without, possibly even making up for revenue lost from the drop in traditional services. Service departments may manage these changes easily with proper planning.
However, those specializing in rapid lubrication or general service may experience considerable income losses due to the growth of BEVs unless they change their approach.
Discover the 5 Ways Dealerships Can Compete Better for Customers Needing Services.
For the majority of dealerships, tires are still an untapped retention opportunity.
Only 48% of motorists who say they are “extremely loyal” to the dealership where they repair their car said they bought their most recent set of tires there.
The fact that many car owners are unaware that their dealership offers tire repair or replacement is a major contributing factor to this issue, as we discovered in our Dealership Service Retention Report. This gives dealerships a significant chance to boost service department revenue from all clients, not just BEV owners.
33 percent of respondents preferred to have their tire rotations, replacements, and repairs done at the dealership, according to the study we conducted.
Dealerships must first make sure their clients are genuinely aware of their tire offerings if they want to take more of this untapped market share. In the aforementioned study, 24% of car owners were confused about whether their dealership sold tires.
It’s a good idea to address the poor awareness of your tire business, but improving messaging and promotions won’t be enough to fix the issue. Dealerships must also set themselves apart from rival companies that sell and service tires.
Offering extra perks like a special package from SimpSocial, which car owners automatically renew each time they visit for service, is one way your dealership may stand out.
SimpSocial benefits drive more BEVs back to dealerships for fixes, from normal tire maintenance to damage from road hazards.
Road hazards do not exempt BEVs, therefore, it can be difficult to have tire problems covered under a warranty. Tires are rarely protected in the manner that a client anticipates unless they are covered under a specialized tire and wheel policy.
However, if they purchased their vehicle from a dealership that provides SimpSocial advantages, the problem can be resolved without spending any money.
In other words, because they can get the tire fixed for free, the dealership becomes the first location a car owner considers when they get a flat. What happens if it transpires that the tire needs to be replaced? That is also covered.
This encourages clients to think of your dealership when they need tires rather than the nearby tire store or big-box retailer.
It’s understandable that 70% of car owners visit dealerships that provide SimpSocial at least twice a year when they provide benefits like these.
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