VW starts cross-brand EV campaign ‘to counter widely believed myths’

Finally, instead of complaining about low EV acceptance and the general public’s reluctance to give up combustion engines, a major carmaker, Volkswagen, is ready to address the ‘common customers concerns’ about the affordability and usability of an electric car. And that includes salespeople, too, who are often reluctant to sell EVs instead of the ICE they’re more familiar with.

For the first time, Volkswagen Group launches a cross-brand campaign under the banner “Enter Electric” to address the benefits of and prejudices against e-mobility.

Clear facts and messages

Volkswagen says it will distribute clear facts and transparent messages in a wide range of formats to counter myths that are still widely believed. The focus is on suitability for daily use, battery performance, charging convenience, and sustainability.

A first example was a special 12-page edition of Volkswagen Magazine that circulated in November, with a print run of 1.2 million copies in weekly papers, industry magazines, and distributed by car dealers.

Another is the miniclip series ‘Battery ABC’ produced by Volkswagen Group Technology and PowerCo SE, which is being aired on social media channels like TikTok.

Dedicated e-mobility hub

Part of the approach is a permanent cross-brand ‘e-mobility info hub‘ with facts, stories, interviews, and assets related to the thematic focus points of battery, charging maintenance, and sustainability. That site is updated permanently with new stuff as it becomes available.

For just over half of all Belgians (51%), there is little to no belief in a new dawn the electric car could provide by 2035. 36% even think it won’t happen before 2045-2050, and 17% say “never for me”. And that negative feeling Belgians share with Germans within Europe, among others.

Mobility barometer

That was in March 2024, according to a new study by Europe Assistance, which started publishing its own ‘mobility barometer’ in 2022.

For this online survey, 8,000 people were questioned in France, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium. In Belgium, some 1,000 people, a representative sample between 18 and 80 years old, participated.

Still, 48% (+7% compared to last year) of Belgians say their next car will be electric. The yawning gap between ‘believers’ in e-mobility and non-believers couldn’t be more pronounced. Yet there is one thing Belgians (71%) agree on: they can’t live without their car.

Higher purchase price

So, what holds the private buyer back? Number one is still the purchase price of an electric car compared to its sibling on fossil fuel (75% and increasing).

Volkswagens’ Enter Electric site addresses the most heard prejudices, with this one as number one. VW draws the card here of (personal) leasing as an alternative. “Vehicle leasing is key to driving the further market success of e-mobility.”

“Leasing rates are already at a similar level to combustion vehicles (e.g., ID.3 vs. Golf, ID.4 vs. Tiguan, ID.7 Tourer vs. Passat Variant). With advantages in operating costs (e.g., lower electricity costs, reduced maintenance expenses), BEVs are on the same total cost level as combustion vehicles.”

And purchase prices are steadily converging, Volkswagen says. “Like the Škoda Elroq is achieving price parity with Karoq and a reduced starting price of ID.3, supported by falling battery costs. New MEB models starting at €25,000 will be introduced in 2025.”

Cheaper in maintenance

“E-models are cheaper to maintain, as home charging costs are 50%-60% lower than gasoline costs and often lower when charging on the go.” For instance, it backs up its statement with figures from BMWK Energy Costs Comparison.

Another major concern among the general public is ‘range anxiety.’ Current ranges are fully suitable for everyday use, even in winter. On average, a driver charges their vehicle only twice a month.’

Batteries to last as long as the car

And, no, your battery won’t die on you after eight years. “Like engines or other components, the battery is built to last as long as the vehicle.”

“From what we know today, batteries outlast their eight-year or 160,000 km guarantee, retaining at least 70% capacity (net energy content, also known as SoH or State of Health). Internal and external data unanimously confirm this.”

Volkswagen continues with facts about charging times, such as the 310 km range, which can be recharged in just ten minutes, the infrastructure that is significantly better than its reputation, or the sustainability of EVs, which is questioned by many.

“There is a consensus across all studies: EVs have an unbeatable carbon footprint,” Volkswagen says.

Educating its salespeople?

Of course, Volkswagen has every reason to try to sell as many EVs as it can, as it was the first to bet its future on electric cars after it dragged the whole automotive world with it into the dieselgate scandal.

Still, correct information about electromobility is clearly needed to counter the misinformation often found on social media. But carmakers also have to ‘educate’ their own people.

When a client wants to shop for an electric car, salespeople at classic dealerships often try to discourage them and ‘guide’ the customer toward a more profitable diesel or gasoline car.

Mystery shopping for EVs

Mystery shopping research in 2022 at 40 Belgian dealerships showed that 24 even advised against buying an EV. Using mystery shoppers to find out how car salespeople handle questions from potential customers is not uncommon.

BMW Belgium, for instance, used fake mystery shoppers a few years ago when it wanted to introduce the electric MINI in Belgium to see how car salesmen at the competition handle EV sales.

At that time, EVs were a rare commodity in Belgium, and besides BMW’s own i3, Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe models were sold.

It turned out that at the dealerships of both brands, salesmen often discouraged the ‘shoppers’ and pushed them toward a stock car with a classic combustion engine instead. For instance, BMW Belgium set up an internal weekly ‘Insights’ information channel to tackle that with their people.

The problem with salespeople being unconvinced themselves was confirmed again by the mystery shopping research conducted by the Ghent-based market research agency Profacts. 29 respondents did the field research at 40 Belgian dealerships, 37 in Flanders and three in Wallonia, representing 20 car brands.