Perficient Research Reveals Significant Consumer Satisfaction Gap Between Electric Vehicle and Traditional Vehicle Buying Experiences
27 September 2023 - 11:30PM
Business Wire
Research Indicates the EV Buying Experience
is More Aligned with Customer Preferences
Perficient, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRFT) (“Perficient”), the leading
global digital consultancy transforming the world’s largest
enterprises and biggest brands, today unveiled research findings
that show striking disparities in customer buying experiences
between buyers who purchased electric vehicles (EVs) and buyers of
internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid vehicles.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230927472262/en/
With the increase of EV models from traditional automotive
manufacturers, the competition among automakers for EV buyers is
intensifying. Yet according to Perficient’s study, the adoption of
EVs remains a struggle across the industry due to the
misperceptions original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and dealers
have about the customer buying experience. Nevertheless, 31% of
non-EV owners plan to purchase an EV in the next two years, and
only 3% are not open to it.
For generations, the traditional car-buying experience has been
fraught with high-pressure sales tactics, haggling, and a lack of
trust between consumers and dealerships. Among other factors,
Perficient’s research found that this outdated model deters
potential EV car buyers. Specifically, Perficient found that:
- Only 39% of non-EV owners believe that dealerships have their
best interests at heart; and
- A mere 35% of non-EV owners trust the salespeople at
dealerships.
But the same cannot be said for EV dealership experiences.
According to Perficient’s study, 96% of EV buyers, especially Tesla
owners, feel satisfied with their in-person buying experience, and
71% consider the relationship with the dealer or showroom important
or very important when making a purchase.
“The success EV brands like Tesla are experiencing stems from
their customer-first approach and seamless experiences across the
entire purchasing journey,” said Keith Tomatore, automotive
industry lead, Perficient. “If traditional automotive players want
to compete effectively and gain EV market share, they need to
embrace a more modern buyer journey consumers have come to
expect.”
There are data-backed strategies that OEMs and dealers can take
to gain market share and improve the car-buying experience,
including:
- Shift from sales focus to product expertise: Nearly 75%
of EV owners expect salespeople to be knowledgeable about the
product, yet almost 10% of traditional dealers were found by
customers to be only somewhat knowledgeable or not knowledgeable at
all. Whereas traditional automotive salespeople are hyper-focused
on aggressive sales tactics, EV brands have crafted a buying
experience with salespeople who are passionate about their products
and eager to share their knowledge.
- Improve the virtual and in-person showroom experience:
Consumers are reducing the time spent in traditional automotive
showrooms by preemptively conducting their own online research.
Perficient found that 95% of all car buyers in the study reported
doing at least some research prior to visiting a showroom – with
68% of EV owners doing a significant amount of research –
emphasizing the need for robust and engaging online
experiences.
- Prioritize education to overcome roadblocks: While EV
ownership is on the rise, 75% of car buyers have no experience with
EVs and are reluctant to purchase due to lack of knowledge,
allowing for misperceptions about EV charging, maintenance, and
ownership costs. EV manufacturers are addressing these pain points
through buying experiences focused on product education over sales,
representing opportunities for traditional automotive manufacturers
to shift their approach.
“Our research underscores the pivotal role that customer
experience plays in the EV adoption journey,” said Eve Sangenito,
principal of digital marketing and customer experience consulting,
Perficient. “Car buyers are more likely to purchase an EV when they
understand the product and can make an informed purchase. EV brands
have listened to consumers and crafted buying experiences that
cater to their expectations.”
Visit Perficient.com to learn more about the results of
Perficient’s EV research study and access the full report titled
“Perficient Research Reveals an Opportunity for Legacy Automakers
and Dealers to Improve Customer Experience and Accelerate the
Adoption of Electric Vehicles.”
Having served more than 150 leading OEMs, dealers, suppliers,
and emerging mobility companies globally, Perficient’s automotive
industry experts champion a digital-first, customer-driven approach
to connected vehicles, electrification, omnichannel commerce, and
the future of transportation. To learn more about Perficient’s
automotive expertise, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Perficient’s EV Research Study
To better understand consumers, both current EV owners and
non-EV owners, Perficient surveyed a mix of 1,012 individuals
across regions, ages, and genders. The survey collected 502
responses from ICE vehicle or hybrid owners and 510 from EV owners
between May 15 and June 5, 2023.
- EV owners are defined as people who purchased a new electric
vehicle in person or online through a dealership or showroom within
the past year.
- Non-EV owners are people who have not purchased a car in the
past year but intend to purchase a new car in the next two years,
in person or online, through a dealership or showroom. These
individuals have also never owned an electric vehicle
previously.
Additionally, Perficient conducted 45-minute interviews with 20
car owners (a mix of electric, traditional ICE, and hybrid
vehicles) and seven dealers to gain more in-depth insight into
perceptions, motivations, and behaviors.
About Perficient
Perficient is the leading global digital consultancy. We
imagine, create, engineer, and run digital transformation solutions
that help our clients exceed customers’ expectations, outpace
competition, and grow their business. With unparalleled strategy,
creative, and technology capabilities, we bring big thinking and
innovative ideas, along with a practical approach to help the
world’s largest enterprises and biggest brands succeed. Traded on
the Nasdaq Global Select Market, Perficient is a member of the
Russell 2000 index and the S&P SmallCap 600 index. For more
information, visit www.perficient.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Some of the statements contained in this news release that are
not purely historical statements discuss future expectations or
state other forward-looking information related to financial
results and business outlook for 2023. Those statements are subject
to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that
could cause the actual results to differ materially from those
contemplated by the statements. The forward-looking information is
based on management’s current intent, belief, expectations,
estimates, and projections regarding our company and our industry.
You should be aware that those statements only reflect our
predictions. Actual events or results may differ substantially.
Important factors that could cause our actual results to be
materially different from the forward-looking statements include
(but are not limited to) those disclosed under the heading “Risk
Factors” in our most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K and
other securities filings.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230927472262/en/
Connor Stieferman, Communications Manager 314-529-3595
Connor.Stieferman@perficient.com
Perficient (NASDAQ:PRFT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Perficient (NASDAQ:PRFT)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024