Metalman
Well-known member
sling said:
This is exactly what I'm talking about. The dealers have to understand that their customers need to be able to count on the chargers being available when they need them.
Dealer Charging Stations
- Thread starter greengate
- Start date
Help Support My Nissan Leaf Forum:
This is exactly what I'm talking about. The dealers have to understand that their customers need to be able to count on the chargers being available when they need them.
philipscoggins
Well-known member
I shot a commercial today at a Chrysler dealership (who has let me trickle charge at his store before) and spoke to him about having a level 2 charger at his dealership. I explained that for a majority of EVs it would cost him about $0.30/hour and with the new LEAFs it would be a little over $0.50/hr for someone to charge. Then I asked him how much he spends advertising to get people into his showroom and isn't everyone who comes through the door a potential customer. I told him that even though Chrysler currently has no EVs, they will come & that having a Level 2 charger available would draw people into his dealership.
I think I made a little headway.
Philip
I think I made a little headway.
Philip
A review like that seems to warrant a link to their website: Cronic Nissan in Griffin, GA. Gotta help promote the good dealerships!sling said:
LEAFer
Well-known member
Thanks for posting the dealership & location. sling should update his profile to include his approximate location ...drees said:
LEAFer said:
Done, and despite my overwhelming review, I didnt want to come across toooooo strongly promoting one dealership over another, it could just be the people i talked to. Mr/s. Cronic and the other half of his/her staff might be a jerk for all I know. And the other place might have great service aside from the 2 people I talked to. I almost left Cronic anonymous.
Metalman
Well-known member
I got to speak with the owner of my local Nissan dealership tonight, wow. If you're looking for an EV friendly dealer who is interested in progressing the EV movement don't look in Selinsgrove PA.
This dealer is under new ownership in the last year or so and will be selling the Leaf this year. They installed a charger outside that has been turned off. I stopped and talked to a salesman who was very nice and interested in the Leaf, I took him for a ride. I tried to make my point to him that having the charger available 24/7 is, in my view, essential to convincing potential customers that the car will have sufficient range and won't leave them stranded. He seemed to understand the point I was trying to make. I asked him to talk to the owner and I would check back.
There are no other chargers in this area so I feel it's up to the dealers to get the ball rolling with this and lead by example.
When I talked to the salesman a week or so later he said the owner told him it would only be on for customers who bought there, which of course means don't stop by after hours.
So you want 30k for a car with 75 miles of range can only be pushed to the edge from 9 to 5?? Good luck selling that to the masses.
So anyhow, the owner may be under the impression that I just want to steal his electricity. His first comment was pretty much my customers buying a gas car don't ask me to fill up their tank for free. He then stated how much the electricity costs and that they would charge up a car if it was in for service. To say he was not interested in anything I had to say would be an understatement. He then went on to question how could they charge everyone for free with the few dollars he may make on each car? I told him if that was his outlook on it he won't be selling many and wished him luck.
Some of the points I would have brought up if he was interested would be.
Possibly, they may have to look at the EV market as more of a long term investment rather than a quick return on pumping out a few cars, this market will take time and effort to develop.
Having their charger on 24/7 will help to give their customers a sense of security (no matter how false) and make the car appear much more useful. I believe they also have to sell potential customers on the idea that there will be more charging stations available in the future. I'm not sure how you convey that when you keep yours turned off. I found the story about Japan in this article very interesting. Basically stating that readily available charging can almost double the usable range of an EV almost WITHOUT ever using that available charging.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news...rtheast-is-more-charging-needed-some-thoughts
The goodwill and potential customers on their lot is worth far more than the cost of the electricity. They must spend tens of thousands of dollars a year to advertise to people that will never set foot on their lot.
I’ve been in the automotive field all of my life and would like to see these cars succeed. I had hoped to give the owner at least some information to consider and hopefully help them get off to a good start. You would think that it may be worth a few minutes of their time to discuss a new product they will be carrying with someone who has owned one for almost a year and 17,000 miles.
I don’t mean to trash this dealer, but as I‘ve said before, I think it is of the utmost of importance that Nissan dealers have their chargers available for peace of mind of Nissans customers.
If you need a charge in Selinsgrove PA, I’m only 7 miles away and you can charge here for free, I’m on plug share. It doesn’t even matter if you didn’t buy your car here.
This dealer is under new ownership in the last year or so and will be selling the Leaf this year. They installed a charger outside that has been turned off. I stopped and talked to a salesman who was very nice and interested in the Leaf, I took him for a ride. I tried to make my point to him that having the charger available 24/7 is, in my view, essential to convincing potential customers that the car will have sufficient range and won't leave them stranded. He seemed to understand the point I was trying to make. I asked him to talk to the owner and I would check back.
There are no other chargers in this area so I feel it's up to the dealers to get the ball rolling with this and lead by example.
When I talked to the salesman a week or so later he said the owner told him it would only be on for customers who bought there, which of course means don't stop by after hours.
So you want 30k for a car with 75 miles of range can only be pushed to the edge from 9 to 5?? Good luck selling that to the masses.
So anyhow, the owner may be under the impression that I just want to steal his electricity. His first comment was pretty much my customers buying a gas car don't ask me to fill up their tank for free. He then stated how much the electricity costs and that they would charge up a car if it was in for service. To say he was not interested in anything I had to say would be an understatement. He then went on to question how could they charge everyone for free with the few dollars he may make on each car? I told him if that was his outlook on it he won't be selling many and wished him luck.
Some of the points I would have brought up if he was interested would be.
Possibly, they may have to look at the EV market as more of a long term investment rather than a quick return on pumping out a few cars, this market will take time and effort to develop.
Having their charger on 24/7 will help to give their customers a sense of security (no matter how false) and make the car appear much more useful. I believe they also have to sell potential customers on the idea that there will be more charging stations available in the future. I'm not sure how you convey that when you keep yours turned off. I found the story about Japan in this article very interesting. Basically stating that readily available charging can almost double the usable range of an EV almost WITHOUT ever using that available charging.
http://www.greencarreports.com/news...rtheast-is-more-charging-needed-some-thoughts
The goodwill and potential customers on their lot is worth far more than the cost of the electricity. They must spend tens of thousands of dollars a year to advertise to people that will never set foot on their lot.
I’ve been in the automotive field all of my life and would like to see these cars succeed. I had hoped to give the owner at least some information to consider and hopefully help them get off to a good start. You would think that it may be worth a few minutes of their time to discuss a new product they will be carrying with someone who has owned one for almost a year and 17,000 miles.
I don’t mean to trash this dealer, but as I‘ve said before, I think it is of the utmost of importance that Nissan dealers have their chargers available for peace of mind of Nissans customers.
If you need a charge in Selinsgrove PA, I’m only 7 miles away and you can charge here for free, I’m on plug share. It doesn’t even matter if you didn’t buy your car here.
Metalman
Well-known member
I was checking out Nissan's Leaf site today and noticed they had a place to ask questions. I sent them this.
My big concern right now regarding the success of the Leaf is the lack of dealer support in regards to charging. I've tried to express to the dealer I purchased from, Alexander and my local dealer, Northwoods about the importance of helping to establish a charging network. I feel this is vital to make up for the Leafs short range and set Nissans customers fears about range at ease.
Northwood's owner (Tim) Said "MY CUSTOMERS BUYING GAS CARS DON'T ASK ME TO FILL THEIR TANKS. WHY SHOULD I FILL UP EVS?" He made it clear he was concerned about the cost.
Alexander's keeps theirs off and locked. I love my Leaf, but cannot and will not recommend this car to anyone until Nissans dealers get on board to help establish a charging network.
My house is listed on http://www.plugshare.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and will gladly charge anyone, at any time, free of charge. Why can't Nissan's dealers do the same?
It won't do any good , but I'm trying.
My big concern right now regarding the success of the Leaf is the lack of dealer support in regards to charging. I've tried to express to the dealer I purchased from, Alexander and my local dealer, Northwoods about the importance of helping to establish a charging network. I feel this is vital to make up for the Leafs short range and set Nissans customers fears about range at ease.
Northwood's owner (Tim) Said "MY CUSTOMERS BUYING GAS CARS DON'T ASK ME TO FILL THEIR TANKS. WHY SHOULD I FILL UP EVS?" He made it clear he was concerned about the cost.
Alexander's keeps theirs off and locked. I love my Leaf, but cannot and will not recommend this car to anyone until Nissans dealers get on board to help establish a charging network.
My house is listed on http://www.plugshare.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and will gladly charge anyone, at any time, free of charge. Why can't Nissan's dealers do the same?
It won't do any good , but I'm trying.
LEAFer
Well-known member
YES, IT WILL ! Thank you ! Keep goingMetalman said:
DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
LEAFer said:YES, IT WILL ! Thank you ! Keep goingMetalman said:
+1! its important to be heard. without your voice, we have nothing. dont stop with Nissan, what about your legislators? last I checked, 28 states had some sort of pro EV legislation they were considering.
the sad part is most of these are swept under the table within a few weeks, some a few days because no one expresses interest. you need to be the leader in your community when these proposals come up.
not saying its easy. requires you (or your network) to be vigilant about checking for new motions but its well worth it. one that popped up here. learned about it on FB
http://daveinolywa.blogspot.com/2013/02/sb-5849-provide-fines-for-iceing-ev.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
**edit** links??? start with your state's home page which is (i believe this works for all 50 states. at least i dont remember any not working)
[two letter abbreviation] dot gov
cgaydos
Well-known member
Twice I've stopped at Nissan dealerships and asked to charge. Both times they were very helpful although I didn't get the car from them - Go Arapahoe and Woodmen. The Go Arapahoe salesmen took the time to explain their charging practices and said that the outside charger is always available.
mazdaboi
Well-known member
Every dealer who sells LEAF's have at least 1 L2 Aerovironment EVSE. mine has 3, another one around me has 2 (12miles away) and Mitsubishi has 1 EATON L2 EVSE for their i-Mievs. I know some dealers will shut power down at night...when/if I come across a dealer who shuts power off at night I update it on Plugshare.com so nobody will accidentally show up and not be able to charge when in need or an emergency.
some Chevy dealers I have come to see are arrogant against NON-VOLT owners charging. Nissan in my area is completely the opposite as they welcome all EV's.
Funny story...Guy drives in with his new TESLA Model S... Charges out front, the entire staff came out to look at his car, his son noticed a LEAF, test drove it and bought a LEAF for his son.....
Now if Nissan didn't do this, they would not of received the sale.
some Chevy dealers I have come to see are arrogant against NON-VOLT owners charging. Nissan in my area is completely the opposite as they welcome all EV's.
Funny story...Guy drives in with his new TESLA Model S... Charges out front, the entire staff came out to look at his car, his son noticed a LEAF, test drove it and bought a LEAF for his son.....
Now if Nissan didn't do this, they would not of received the sale.
greengate
Well-known member
That's really a shame about dealer #2.
Maybe it was just a bad moment?
If not, I would speak to the General Manager about your experience...and...if you get the same response, I would consider it my DUTY to let any and everyone, (including corporate Nissan,) know of your experiences as that attitude is not worthy of the respect owning to the Leaf's.
I hold it as an honor to have one and EVERY dealer should hold the same with respect to privilege of selling them.
(I'll send an email to the "good dealer" you mentioned, letting them know of how proud I am of their customer service and how I came to know of this great service.)
Maybe it was just a bad moment?
If not, I would speak to the General Manager about your experience...and...if you get the same response, I would consider it my DUTY to let any and everyone, (including corporate Nissan,) know of your experiences as that attitude is not worthy of the respect owning to the Leaf's.
I hold it as an honor to have one and EVERY dealer should hold the same with respect to privilege of selling them.
(I'll send an email to the "good dealer" you mentioned, letting them know of how proud I am of their customer service and how I came to know of this great service.)
greengate
Well-known member
Just found the earlier link on Cronic Nissan, so I used that link to their web page to give them my appreciation.
Lets go viral with this..take you 2 minutes to do the same!!
Lets go viral with this..take you 2 minutes to do the same!!
apvbguy
Well-known member
bingo!! the Nissan dealer who is welcoming of all is the wise business man.mazdaboi said:
the moral is that you never, ever turn away any potential customers!
my story is that before I leased my LEAF I was sniffing around the Tesla site and a Tesla rep called me right after I brought the LEAF home, I explained that I was no longer considering his car because of the LEAF and his response was to congratulate me for moving to an EV rather than sticking with an ICE, wise move on their part because after my lease is up I just might make the leap into a TESLA
electrifeyed
Member
Nissan dealers around me (central AL) have their charging station inside the service shop. This makes it useful for them if they need to charge a new Leaf in inventory, or charge a customer car while it is in for service; but it is not useful for someone just "coming by" to get a charge.
greengate
Well-known member
No reason not to place one on the outside wall where you can access it. (I can buy it for $950 on Amazon. They should get it for even less.)
My dealer, The Autobarn in Evanston, Il has one mounted on the outside wall.
Just drive up and plug in, then go inside and have a coffee, bagel, fresh fruit, tea, news paper, TV, talk with the sales people or the parts people or even the shop manager, all of whom are excited to hear about your Leaf experience....or walk one block north to Whole Foods or two blocks south to several really good restaurants!!
My dealer, The Autobarn in Evanston, Il has one mounted on the outside wall.
Just drive up and plug in, then go inside and have a coffee, bagel, fresh fruit, tea, news paper, TV, talk with the sales people or the parts people or even the shop manager, all of whom are excited to hear about your Leaf experience....or walk one block north to Whole Foods or two blocks south to several really good restaurants!!
CMYK4Life
Well-known member
Called the dealer I purchased from (66 miles away). They would be a great spot to charge my car on the way to 'grandmas house' (18 miles from the dealer). They said I am Free to charge during business hours however the lot is locked up at night.
I completley understand that. Luckily there are public statins less than a mile away. I can see how it ought to be free and available 24/7 at a dealer... however... most dealers in my state are not really near anyplace I want to stay for more than 30 mins. I would much rather find one in a downtown area.
*update
I also called the dealer nearest me (10 miles away) and they said the same thing. During business hours only because the lot is locked at night. The guy I talked to seemed excited with the prospect that someone would come there to charge. (I know they are a low volume dealer since they never have any on the lot, why I went to the one 66 miles away)
I completley understand that. Luckily there are public statins less than a mile away. I can see how it ought to be free and available 24/7 at a dealer... however... most dealers in my state are not really near anyplace I want to stay for more than 30 mins. I would much rather find one in a downtown area.
*update
I also called the dealer nearest me (10 miles away) and they said the same thing. During business hours only because the lot is locked at night. The guy I talked to seemed excited with the prospect that someone would come there to charge. (I know they are a low volume dealer since they never have any on the lot, why I went to the one 66 miles away)
teichholtz
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2013
- Messages
- 29
The dealer I bought from told me that I am always welcome to charge up there and they are across from the Home Depot so it will make a good place to park while I go shopping. I'm pretty sure that it is on at night.
There is a BMW dealer near me that has a charger. I stopped in to ask if I can use the charger at night since they are next to a restaurant we occasionally go to. He said that the charger is off at night due to liability and insurance reasons but that I am free to use it during business hours. And again, due to liability issues I would have to stop at the service desk before using it. He was very friendly and asked a number of questions about the Leaf.
There is a BMW dealer near me that has a charger. I stopped in to ask if I can use the charger at night since they are next to a restaurant we occasionally go to. He said that the charger is off at night due to liability and insurance reasons but that I am free to use it during business hours. And again, due to liability issues I would have to stop at the service desk before using it. He was very friendly and asked a number of questions about the Leaf.
Berlino
Well-known member
I've never heard of any LEAF driver prevented from charging at an open Nissan dealership in my province. Too bad none of them offer DCQC.
Unfortunately, dealers are closed weekends and most lock their gates when they're not open. There is some mention on plugshare of non-LEAF EVs being denied charging. Also based on plugshare, Mitsubishi dealers generally allow anyone to charge, but some restrict service to i-MiEVs.
For test purposes, I've asked to charge for one hour three times, and in each case the receptionist seemed uneasy, but called the LEAF salesman or manager who immediately invited me to plug in.
Then, there is this case where the AV is mounted on the side of the garage off a side-street, so it's accessible even when the main lot is closed.
"FREE," in caps and highlighted. I don't see how you can be more welcoming than that.
Unfortunately, dealers are closed weekends and most lock their gates when they're not open. There is some mention on plugshare of non-LEAF EVs being denied charging. Also based on plugshare, Mitsubishi dealers generally allow anyone to charge, but some restrict service to i-MiEVs.
For test purposes, I've asked to charge for one hour three times, and in each case the receptionist seemed uneasy, but called the LEAF salesman or manager who immediately invited me to plug in.
Then, there is this case where the AV is mounted on the side of the garage off a side-street, so it's accessible even when the main lot is closed.
"FREE," in caps and highlighted. I don't see how you can be more welcoming than that.
parout66
Member
This complete thread is disappointing. I live in Franklin, TN home of the "mothership." Nissan HQ keeps a DC charger and multiple level 2 chargers available free of charge 24/7. As well, they keep a keen eye on the dealership just down the road. As a result, all Middle Tennessee dealerships are very accommadating with their chargers. Nissan has made a concerted effort to have level 2 chargers installed at their dealerships everywhere. They need to make a concerted effort to ensure that their respective dealers provide the same level of customer support that is being provided at HQ's.
