Dealers and carmakers fall behind new EV providers when it comes to their digital offer. That’s a key finding of the Porsche-owned MHP Consulting research, which looked at the German market to see how carmakers and dealers performed.
“The Benchmark Analysis makes it clear that traditional manufacturers and retailers frequently fall below the expectations of the customer base.
“There are clear weaknesses, especially when compared to the new EV providers: many manufacturer websites appear cluttered, technical tools such as vehicle configurators do not work reliably, and the websites are often complicated and difficult for users to navigate.
“Chatbot features and the option for getting in touch are often not implemented adequately, or these are difficult to find,” according to the report.
It added that newcomers to the market have an inherent advantage and not be held back by legacy practices.
“On the other hand, many of the new EV manufacturers present themselves quite differently – their later entry to the sector meant that they were able to define their digital sales pathways from the very beginning.
“Their websites feature clear menus, minimalist design and a strict separation of information and purchase processes.
“These sorts of approaches foster trust and contribute considerably to a high conversion rate,” the report found.
“The benchmark for the online experience is no longer set by the automobile sector, but by the expectations of conventional e-commerce experiences which customers are familiar with from their everyday lives,” said Maurice Tennekes, senior manager in customer experience at MHP.
“In addition, the customer wants to know what the individual processes before they receive their vehicle look like. Here, the following applies: the more they understand exactly what is involved in a digital car sale process, the more confident they feel with their decision to purchase their new vehicle completely online.”
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