NFDA’s Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) accreditation scheme achieved the ‘50 approved dealerships milestone’ in November. By the beginning of December, 65 dealerships had obtained their ‘EVA badge’.
EVA was developed by NFDA to recognise expertise in the electric vehicle sector and promote industry standards for the benefit of the consumer. The scheme is endorsed by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and the Energy Saving Trust (EST).
More than sixty dealerships have now been ‘EV approved’ and will be able to display their ‘EVA badge’. After six months of operation, there is a variety of EV approved retailers selling several major brands. These include Nissan, Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai, Renault, Audi, Mitsubishi, JLR, BMW and Volvo.
Since the launch on 15 May 2019, all the available slots have already been allocated and a number of sites will be audited over the next months.
Under the EVA scheme, dealerships are independently audited by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) to verify that they meet the EVA standards. The standards cover key areas of EV retail and aftersales including retailers’ communication with the consumer, staff training and availability of charge points on site.
Despite the huge growth of the battery electric vehicles sector, a large percentage of motorists still indicate that there are barriers preventing them from buying an electric car. In particular, cost, charging infrastructure and battery range.
Thanks to the EVA badge of approval, retailers will be able to communicate their knowledge and expertise to, ultimately, boost consumer confidence and overcome any perceived barriers. The EVA badge will give consumers more confidence in the retailers and reassure them that EV approved retailers possess all the skills they need to help motorists make an informed decision.
