Automobile giant Audi is planning to make bucks by selling Audi EVs in a non-traditional way, following the footsteps of Tesla. The German brand thinks it could earn 25% of its sales from plug-in EVs (Electric Vehicles) as per its revelation at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2015.
Tesla is so far the only automobile brand which has brought in a unique user experience to sell its EVs. The showroom is nowhere close to a traditional display and pretty much follows the lines of Apple i-Store. They offer a space to actually experience a vehicle if you do not want to purchase it straight away. Tesla has developed an innovative strategy to attract potential customers by providing them technological experiences, which is quite in tune with what the brand is known for.
As reported by the New York Times, the automobile dealers have yet to figure out a way to effectively make EV sales. The Audi in particular is willing to tap the rather unexplored market and make a few changes. Scott Keogh (President Audi America) said that Tesla has surely paved way for other automobile dealers to further explore the EV market and attract potential customers. He claims that with resources available at hand, Audi is aiming to do a far better job than Tesla has already done.
Director Product Management (AoA) Filip Brabec agrees that the “biggest fact to consider here is to expose potential consumers to Audi EVs by making them experience the technology first”. We are not sure if traditional test drive will be enough to gauge a user’s interest, however, it will be exciting to see what Audi has in store to tap the EV market more effectively.