By Dave Bean, FMW Associate Editor
As summer was winding down this year, fleet sales were winding upward, at least according to analysts at Cox Automotive*. August year-over-year sales improved in major fleet segments – some quite remarkably.
Of the Big Three U.S. automakers, General Motors experienced the biggest uptick in fleet sales, trailed by Stellantis. Ford actually experienced a decrease in fleet sales. Overall, the revival of fleet sales continued to outpace the retail sales recovery.
“Although retail sales were weak, fleet sales in the U.S. for August were strong and reached levels for the month not seen since 2019,” said Cox Automotive Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough.
The pace of adoption in California picked up significantly once EVs reached 5% of new-car sales, a threshold at which preferences start to flip for mainstream car buyers. California was one of the first major car markets to reach that tipping point, in 2018, and so far 23 countries have been added to the list.
If California were itself a country, it would now rank fourth in terms of overall EV sales; only China, the US and Germany sell more. The pace of adoption in the state shows no signs of slowing, either, with second-quarter EV sales rising 70% over the same period in 2022. The US as a whole is just three years behind California, and currently tracing its path.
Results from a 2023 EV sentiment survey conducted by Edmunds explore motivators across male and female respondents surrounding EV car shopping and suggest some of the reasons why this gap exists.
71% of men said they would consider an EV as their next vehicle, while only 34% of women fell in the same camp. Men are more likely to buy an EV for the privilege of being the first to own any newfangled tech. The price and range of an EV is related to other pragmatic issues that women reportedly consider when switching (or not) to fully-electric cars, such as value.
By Ed Pierce, FMW Brand Acceleration Marketing Consultant
Marketing organizations have a wide range of marketing mix options to select from when developing their marketing strategies. There is more chance for confusion to occur when you have more options and disciplines.
With careful management, lines can be drawn that minimize redundant work and maximize each contributor's talents.
To integrate PR, marketing and content effectively, a certain degree of organization and communication is needed. It will make the process more efficient, and everyone will stay on task.
The new automotive world is filled with electric vehicles, which presents a whole new set of challenges for drivers. Today, you’ve got to know how to charge your EV and what the best charging ranges are.
Even before you buy your new electric vehicle, you should know where the public charging stations in your area are located.
What happens if you charge your EV to 100-percent every time you charge? Should you use DC Fast-Charging exclusively? Can you still use a regular 120-volt outlet to charge your electric car? Where are the nearby electric charging stations?