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GM opens its first Level 2 community charging stations in two states
GM has installed its first Level 2 charging stations in Wisconsin and Detroit as part of a community charging initiative unveiled last year.
Volvo plans to go fully electric by 2030 and only sell cars online
Volvo will only sell electric cars by 2030, ending gas- and diesel-engine sales sooner than other major automakers, the company announced.
Ford trying iPads for sales consultants at dealerships
Ford has launched an iPad app specifically for its dealers around the US to use. Fourteen different dealerships participated in a test program earlier this year, in which sales consultants (car salespeople) used iPads to access information about cars on sale, show presentations on various car features, and even track customer preferences, both helping customers choose the right car for them and helping salespeople convince them to buy. One dealer in New Jersey is getting behind the app full stop: He says he plans to ditch PCs at his dealership completely, instead using the more "relationship friendly" iPad for all of his sales transactions. He cites the iPad's security and ease of use as big factors in putting them on the sales floor as well. The iPad isn't yet usable as a pricing or contract tool, however, so presumably sales associates will have to back to a regular PC for that right now. But soon, says the dealer, all of those functions will be handled by Apple's tablet, and he's looking forward to that.
Coda sedan EV hits California dealerships, spreads semi-frugal greenness
Coda Automotive's EV sedan has been a long time coming -- but it's here in earnest now. After some initial deliveries two months earlier and the slight matter of parts arriving from China with minor damage, the California-assembled electric car should be in the fledgling automaker's Los Angeles dealership this week. Don't assume the sales rep will have the sedan in your preferred shade of periwinkle blue, however: although all four of Coda's dealerships in California will have samples for test drives, just ten units of the inaugural EV are on sale at the LA location. Should you happen to jump to the front of the small queue, expect to pay a relatively reasonable $39,900 before a tax credit for the regular sedan with a 150-mile range, or an ever-so slightly more economical $37,250 for the 125-mile edition.
Dealers wanting to sell Ford's first all-electric car must Focus on the environment
You can't just sell the new 2012 Ford Focus Electric, you've got to embrace what it stands for, or at least that's what Dearborn is telling its dealers. Per the company HQ, outfits hoping to offer the electric hatchback on their lots later this year must send sales staff through a special electric vehicle training program. What's more, all dealerships carrying the electric Focus must install a minimum of two EV charging stations on their premises and enroll in Ford's Go Green program. Go Green, which has been optional up to this point, looks to improve the sustainability and efficiency of shops, regardless of age. So far, 76 dealerships in California, New Jersey and New York (the initial launch markets) have stepped up to the plate and will be selling the EV. Ford's hoping to capture the hearts and minds of those with electric personalities who haven't already settled for on the competition from Nissan.
