Your Eco-Opportunity to Surge Ahead with EV Charging and More
We’ve all seen ads from car manufacturers promoting their new electric cars and trucks. Many of us have seen public car charging stations as we’re out and about. We may have even spotted a Tesla or two during our commutes. And certainly, on the national level, politicians are doing what they can to push the electric car.
Make no mistake. The EV bandwagon is gathering momentum and it looks like nothing short of a zombie apocalypse will derail it.
So, it’s time to think about adding EV car chargers to your aftermarket inventory.
Granted, there are not huge numbers of electric cars on American roads just yet.
SimplyInsurance.com states:
- In 2022, there are 2 million electric cars and over 6.8 million plug-in and hybrid electric cars on the road today
- 5% of all automobile sales are electric
- In 2021, 20% of passenger cars bought were electric
And, although Reuters has pointed out:
“Less than 1% of the 250 million cars, SUVs and light-duty trucks on the road in the United States are electric”…
…they also mention…
“So far 14 states and Washington, D.C., have adopted California’s regulations that require the sales of a certain number of zero-emissions vehicles per year and for all cars sold to be zero emission by 2035.”
We may not be there yet in terms of an electric car revolution, but the tipping point is not that far away.
Why should you carry electric car accessories now? Electric car owners have money, and you need to become their local resource—the sooner, the better.
Where EV owners live and their income
In 2018, Energy.gov’s Vehicle Technologies Office broke out the total number of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle registrations by state:
As you can see, there are EV adopters in every state.
EV buyers are also more affluent. Reuters put together this information, based on the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (the 2022 survey is now underway):
In 2021, Luxurycarsa2z.com reported:
“The wealthiest 10% of households in the US bought more than 37% of EVs in 2019 which was around 16k EVs. The 10% of least wealthiest US households only bought 304 EVs in 2019. The general rule of thumb was: The lower the income class the lower the amount of EVs bought.
“People born between the 1960s and 1980s are often referred to as “the gen x”, and they are the ones that purchase the majority of EVs, more specifically almost 40% of all EV buyers reside in this age group.”
The hope is that as prices continue to drop, better batteries come along that charge more quickly and are cold-weather friendly, and more public charging stations become available, income won’t be the big barrier that it currently is now.
Who are the future owners of EVs?
Pew Research has looked into who is more likely to buy an EV.
And Just-Auto.com reported in 2021 that 68% of likely buyers were men and 32% were women.
So, what does this all mean for retailers and installers in the vehicle aftermarket space?
Buyers for electric car accessories are/will tend to be:
- Male
- Gen Z
- Affluent ($100k & up)
But women and other income groups are joining the electric car revolution, too, and should not be ignored.
The conclusion? It’s time to carry the aftermarket accessories that EV buyers of all kinds are looking for.
EV Car Chargers
Electric cars have some specialty aftermarket needs you can easily meet right now. The main two revolve around the home EV charging station and EV charging adapters for on-the-go use.
There are three levels of EV charging, and they correspond to how fast a charge they can deliver. The first two levels can be done at home. By the way, the sweet spot for recharging an EV battery is 80%—not 100%. This extends the life of the battery.
- Level 1. This is 120-volt based. Almost all EVs should come with a charging cord designed for Level 1 use—Tesla has discontinued providing a mobile connector, which has allowed users to charge from a standard wall outlet. Charging from a wall outlet is SLOW, adding 3 to 5 miles of range per hour. Think of it as a trickle charge. But for your customers with short commutes, this charging speed works.
- Level 2. This is 240-volt based. This is faster and, according to cars.com can add between 5.5 to 60 miles of range per hour, depending on the car, charger, and home charging circuit.
- Level 3. Also called DC fast chargers or DCFCs, this is what you’ll see at public charging stations. They are not necessarily compatible with all EVs, especially older ones. This speed can boost batteries from 10% to 80% in 20 to 30 minutes.
As noted by iSeeCars.com, there is no universal charging port used by all EVs and EV charging stations. Tesla has its own kind of charging port while other EVs use J1772. And Tesla has its own network of Level 3 Superchargers. However, other EVs (if capable) can use their Superchargers if they have a CHAdeMO or CCS Level 3 adapter.
EV Charging Accessories
Petra carries a number of EV charging accessories for Level 1 and Level 2 applications.
There are Level 1 and Level 2 chargers with J1772 connectors. These cables can easily be carried in a vehicle.
And there are equally portable charger adapters for charging while away from home. There are adapters that allow J1772 vehicles to use Tesla Level 2 charging stations as well as those for Tesla owners so they can use standard Level 1 and 2 J1772 charging stations.
Plus, for Level 1 and Level 2 home systems, there’s a nozzle holster dock and hook that will keep things tidy. It’s compatible with all J1772 connectors and provides a wide hook to neatly store the 20-ft.+ cable length.
None of these products will break the bank in terms of your investment and will help broaden your customer base. You could even add some of your own Level 2 charging stations out front!
What are some other accessories electric car owners might want in addition to car chargers? Motorbiscuit.com suggests:
- Electric car blanket
- Electric car tires
- All-weather floor mats
- Heavy-duty extension cords
- 12-volt electric car jack
Tractionnews.com helpfully adds a new EV owner should invest in a tool kit with a screwdriver, wrench, jumper cables, etc.
There are certainly places that specialize in brand-specific EV accessories. But there are also customization options suitable for any vehicle. This will ensure you have the broadest customer base possible. After all, gasoline-powered vehicles will be around for years to come, thanks to their average lifespan of 12.1 years.
So, be sure to check out our Power Trip section for an overall look at aftermarket accessory products. All are relevant for gas-powered vehicles while many are ones even electric car owners can use.
Don’t wait. Profit from the electric car revolution today!