Easterns Blog

Buying and selling cars has drastically changed over the past decade. The worldwide pressure of going green has incentivized the auto industry to invest more heavily in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. With some manufacturers moving to all EV production, and some EV makers taking a new approach to selling their vehicles, traditional car dealerships are facing new challenges.

Which Manufacturers Are Going Green?

A handful of vehicle manufacturers have made it a goal to change production to only Electric Vehicles within the next decade or two. General Motors is one of them. They plan to be all EV by the year 2035. Volvo also made the commitment to go fully green by 2030. Other companies, like Ford, do not expect to be rid of gas-powered vehicles in their lines until 2040. These industry changes don’t just affect vehicle manufacturers. Companies like FedEx and Uber are also having internal discussions about how quickly to adopt EV technology and when transitional deadlines are most realistic and appropriate. Jaguar and USPS are on the more ambitious side of EV transitioning, with their goal to go full EV by 2025.

The Appeal of Modern Hybrids and Electric Cars

Electric cars run entirely on battery power. Hybrids are powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by energy stored in batteries. The appeal of these vehicles is that they are more “fuel-efficient” because they do not require as much fuel to go the same number of miles as their pure combustion-powered counterparts. 

Improved Battery Life and Longevity 

Electric cars have far fewer moving mechanical parts in the motor and are in some cases simpler to maintain than traditional combustion vehicles or hybrids. While there have been concerns about the longevity of an electric car and hybrid batteries, the industry has made many improvements over the past decade. 

Just 10 years ago the used car market for electric and hybrid vehicles wasn’t that big because there simply weren’t that many of them, and the batteries didn’t last long enough to last long on the resale market. Today, EVs and hybrids can last nearly as long as any traditional gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles.

Should Car Dealerships Be Able to Sell Electric and Hybrid Vehicles?

The average car shopper may not even realize this is an issue. Pre-owned dealerships like Easterns Automotive can sell electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, right? Yes, they can.

The dispute is more important to new car dealerships. You can’t buy a new Tesla at a normal dealership because Tesla sells directly to its customers out of its own showrooms. Companies like Rivian and Lucid Motors are attempting to do the same direct-to-client model that cuts traditional dealerships out of the process.

This has resulted in lawsuits being filed by dealers in some states against electric vehicle manufacturers. These EV manufacturers are establishing their own showroom locations from which they can sell their cars in some cities across the country. The auto dealers argue that the direct-to-consumer electric vehicle sales model threatens their survival.

How fair or unfair you believe this to be depends on how you feel about new car dealerships. The idea that new car dealerships will be extinct in 20 years because small auto manufacturers are selling their vehicles directly to consumers seems a bit farfetched, especially since companies like BMW, Ford and Kia are now big electric vehicle manufacturers and they are still selling their vehicles through countless dealerships nationwide.

This debate doesn’t matter as much for used car dealerships. Electric and hybrid vehicle owners can sell their car, truck or SUV to Easterns Automotive for a great price and we will happily help it find a new home in Washington DC, Baltimore or the greater Maryland and Virginia area.

Easterns Automotive is proud to provide a diverse selection of hybrid and electric vehicles. If you are interested in buying a car or truck that is environmentally friendly, there are plenty of options to choose from in our inventory. You may even quality for tax credits or rebates for your electric or hybrid vehicle purchase.

Call us at (888) 650-4775 to learn more about the electric and hybrid cars available on our lots or visit an Easterns Automotive Group location near you.