Once you’ve determined that a Kia Electric Vehicle (EV) is a good fit for your customer, it’s time for your Walkaround sales presentation. Your EV presentation should be tailored to the customer’s needs and focus on their key motivators like safety, convenience, value, performance, or reliability. It’s also important to seamlessly integrate features that make the customer’s EV ownership and driving experience unique.
Hitting the Highlights
When showcasing EVs for your customer, you can start with the “big-picture” advantages over traditional gas vehicles:
Fun-to-drive:
Instant torque; the off-the-line acceleration is excellent
Award-winning:
The Niro EV was recently ranked #1 among mass-market brands in J.D. Power’s* 2021 Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study*
Quiet operation: Without a combustion engine, EVs are often much quieter than gas vehicles
Convenience: If the customer installs a home charging station, they can “fuel” their EV without having to go to the gas station
Challenging Misconceptions
Depending on the customer’s knowledge of EVs, you may need to address any potential concerns they have about the vehicle’s All Electric Range*, expected battery life, charging rates*, or access to charging stations.
Determine the customer’s driving habits and needs on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis and help them understand how an EV fits into their current lifestyle.
Another common concern for customers is the purchase price of an EV—this is a great opportunity to explain the total cost of ownership benefits to customers, including:
Less maintenance: Because EVs have fewer moving parts than gas vehicles, they typically require fewer repairs and less maintenance. EVs do not need oil or oil filter changes, transmission fluid, or spark plug replacement
Lower fueling costs: EVs are generally less expensive to drive; fueling with electricity is roughly equivalent to gasoline at $1 per gallon1
And be sure to note that the initial purchase price may be offset by federal and state government incentives as well as local utility incentives. Check the availability for your customers by going to https://plugstar.zappyride.com/tools/incentives to look up incentives by ZIP code.
Shine the Spotlight on These Features
Your customer will appreciate learning about some of the unique features for EVs such as:
Charging port and charging cable: Show them where these are located and how to open the charging port door.
Interior design: Highlight the open front console design, rotary shifter dial, and EV display with the Power/Charge gauge.
Amenities: Note the standard heated* and ventilated front seats that can help make customers comfortable and reduce the climate control’s effects on the battery.
Finding public charging stations from the navigation system/Kia Access* app (if available): Show them the app’s specific EV capabilities, including the ability to find public charging stations and schedule/monitor charging. Explain that customers with time-of-use electricity plans can schedule charging during off-peak hours to save money.
Discuss any available packages, including the Cold Weather Package that comes with a battery heater, heat pump, and heated steering wheel. The heat pump helps to preserve range in cold weather climates.
Data shows that customers are overwhelmingly more likely to buy electric vehicles after their first test drive.2
During the demonstration drive, be sure to explain:
Instant torque means quick off-the-line acceleration and excellent handling delivers a sportier driving experience, especially when “Sport” is selected in the Drive Mode settings
How regenerative braking works and how to use the Regen settings
What to expect from EV drive modes (e.g., Normal, Sport, ECO, and ECO+) and how to adjust them
How the Pedestrian Warning System* (PWS) works and why it’s necessary
Home Charging Stations
It’s important to properly set expectations for EV ownership with your customers, including the recommendation for an at-home charging station unit (depending on their living situation or housing environment). A Level 2 Charging* unit installed with a 40-amp, 240-volt connection to the home is much faster than using a standard 120V home outlet for Level 1 Charging*. For example, with a 64-kWh battery, charging takes approximately 60 hours with Level 1*— this is reduced to about 9.5 hours with Level 2*.
You are the Key
An impressive 74% of EV owners say the Sales Consultant influenced their purchase decision.3 It is essential that you know each EV’s features and benefits and that you’re familiar with the resources related to EV ownership.
Check out the electronic Product Reference Guides and visit the Kia EV Learning Center on the Kia Product Presentation Center for a wealth of information on EVs, helpful links, FAQs, and more.
*Safety Information and Legal Disclaimers:
Driving while distracted can result in a loss of vehicle control that may lead to an accident, severe bodily harm, and death. The driver’s primary responsibility is in the safe and legal operation of a vehicle, and any handheld devices, other equipment, or vehicle systems, including steering wheel-mounted controls, which take the driver’s eyes, attention and focus away from the safe operation of a vehicle or which are not permissible by law should never be used during operation of the vehicle.
2021 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study Best Ownership Experience among Mass Market Battery Electric Vehicles: Kia Niro EV received the highest score among mass market battery electric vehicles in the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study of new vehicle owners’ experience with their battery electric vehicles. Visit jdpower.com/awards. J.D. Power® is a registered trademark of J.D. Power.
All Electric Range (AER): Based on EPA estimates on a full battery charge. Actual range will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, charging practice, battery age, weather, temperature, and your vehicle’s condition. Battery capacity will decrease with time and use. For more information on range, please see www.fueleconomy.gov.
Charging rate: Charging rate based on Kia testing. Actual charging times and range will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, charging practice, battery age, weather, temperature, and your vehicle’s condition. Battery capacity will decrease with time and use. Frequent use of DC Fast charging can negatively impact battery performance and durability, and Kia recommends minimizing use of DC Fast charging.
Heated seats: Use extreme caution when using the seat warmers to avoid burns. Refer to the Owner’s Manual for more safety information.
J.D. Power: All information provided by J.D. Power is proprietary information owned by J.D. Power and is protected by U.S. and international copyright law and conventions. Reproduction of this information, in whole or in part, by any means is prohibited without the express written consent of J.D. Power, other than printing copies of the JDP content by site visitors for their personal use. J.D. Power® is a registered trademark of J.D. Power.
Kia Connect and Kia Access App: Purchase/lease of certain 2021 and newer Kia vehicles with Kia Connect includes a complimentary 1-year subscription starting from new vehicle retail sale/lease date as recorded by the dealer. After your complimentary 1-year Kia Connect subscription expires, continued access to the full suite of Kia Connect services available on your Kia will require a paid subscription at the then-current subscription rate or your use of certain Kia Connect features may immediately terminate. Use of Kia Connect is subject to agreement to the Kia Connect Privacy Policy (available at owners.kia.com/us/en/privacy-policy.html) and Terms of Service (available at owners.kia.com/us/en/terms-of-service.html). Complimentary Kia Connect subscription is transferable to subsequent owner during the original Kia Connect service term. Only use Kia Connect when safe to do so. Kia Connect may currently be unavailable for Model Year 2022 and newer vehicles sold or purchased in Massachusetts; please see the Kia Owners Portal for updates on availability. Kia Access app is available from the Apple® App Store® or Google Play Store™. Kia America, Inc. reserves the right to change or discontinue Kia Connect at any time without prior notification or incurring any future obligation. Message and data rates may apply. Cellular and GPS coverage is required to use most features. Kia Connect features may vary by model, model year, and trim level. Features, specifications, and fees are subject to change. For more on details and limitations, visit www.kia.com or your authorized Kia dealer. Apple® and App Store® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Google™ and its logos are trademarks of Google LLC or its affiliates.
Level 1 Charging: Level 1 Charging refers to 110/120V outlet. Never use an extension cord with a Level 1 connection cord. Charging times will vary with options, vehicle maintenance, charging practice, battery age, weather, temperature, and your vehicle’s condition. Battery capacity will decrease with time and use.
Level 2 charging: 220/240V outlet from public charging or from the installation of a Level 2 charger or an Electric Vehicle Service Equipment box (EVSE). Home installation should be performed by a professional. Permits and permissions may be required for home installation. Charging times will vary with options, vehicle maintenance, charging practice, battery age, weather, temperature, and your vehicle’s condition. Battery capacity will decrease with time and use.
Pedestrian Warning System (PWS): This feature is an audible noise the vehicle emits to alert people around it. No system, no matter how advanced, can compensate for all driver error and/or driving conditions. Always drive responsibly and pay attention to the presence of pedestrians..
1 https://pluginamerica.org/why-go-plug-in/
2 https://reach-strategies.org/2017/02/16/why-we-talk-about-electric-vehicle-test-drives