Leading the culture of change.
The Coronavirus crisis, the environmental emergency and the global activism of the Fridays for Future Movement have shaken the foundations of the global economy, exerting a strong push towards a future that was only a dream yesterday, but which today can be real. Restarting from a Sustainable Culture has become the most ambitious challenge for everyone – governments, local and regional administrations, industries, citizens – and a priority for car manufacturers called to accelerate change.
But are consumers ready to switch to electric mobility?
The issue of sustainability is important to everyone, the CO2 targets are mandatory, but what are the restrictions, the timing, the problems to be solved in order to achieve the objectives set (-40% by 2030, zero climate impact by 2050) if do you not involve the consumer and make him an active partner of this change?
The big challenge of Electric Mobility should not be set behind closed doors. In fact, it is not a question of who will arrive first with the most technological proposal, but of who will be the first to understand the mobility needs of future customers in an increasingly regulated market.
There are still many purchase barriers on electric vehicles in Italy: first of all the availability of infrastructures, then autonomy, charging times and finally the high price compared to the ICE version due to battery cost.
On these limits, car manufacturers are committed to reducing battery costs, improving efficiency and increasing range. The various energy companies are engaged as well and are expanding the charging infrastructure throughout the country and increasing the presence of high-recharging columns to be able to recharge faster. Finally, the important role of the Institutions should certainly not be forgotten, in order to overcome the still considerable price gap between electric and ICE vehicle, providing financial support to accelerate the spreading of this new technology, facilitating both its purchase and use.
Electric mobility has entered the agenda setting of all major players. For institutions, electric vehicles are essential not only to reduce CO2 emissions, but to make cities more liveable, sustainable and “open to future”. For energy companies, it is the key to the transition. Finally, for car manufacturers it represents the most important challenge for their business, a true source of regeneration.Today the demand for electric cars has increased largely thanks to incentives, but if we want this change to last over time, we should not only depend on them.Teamwork has become essential to reduce the purchase barriers of electric mobility: it is possible to drive change only if everyone sits around the same table- automotive manufacturers, energy companies, institutions – to achieve this ambitious goal together. Each stakeholder must do his part not only to facilitate the transition to this new technology, but to create a Culture of Change and transfer it to the end customer.
The real change comes from us.
Because the starting point remains the consumer, his needs. It is necessary to understand the evolution of his behavior in terms of mobility, to test his level of preparation in living and using this new technology.
Creating a culture of change means redefining your marketing, sales and consumer relations strategies, starting with increasing knowledge, education and awareness of users towards the “electrical world”.
The electric world must not be experienced as a stretch for the customer, but as an emotional choice. The electric car must be driven, experienced: moving in electric mode is “fun to drive”: it is silent, there is no smell, it offers driving dynamism and it eliminates access restrictions to city centers. A unique experience, which has nothing to compare to traditional mobility. This is demonstrated by the high satisfaction rate of those who have chosen to switch to an electric car.
Last but not least, the dealer, touchpoint of the electric experience, plays a fundamental role in the choice of purchasing an electric car. Not a simple salesman, but a sort of “evangelizer”, capable of amplifying the experiential value of the purchase choice and activating the emotional strings of the customer.
But who are the ideal customers of Electric Mobility? If we talk about the future and really want to create a culture of change, based on sustainability and innovation, we cannot only favor those who can afford to buy this technology, but we must also involve young people in this project, in particular the Z Generation.
Establishing contact and dialogue with them is essential because they will one day lead the electric revolution. This is why car manufacturers will soon have to change their business models and look to the future in perspective. In fact, today we know that young people are no longer interested in buying a car, but are sensitive to sustainability, they love to be connected, share the travel experience, they prefer to “use” the car rather than buy it and move around without constraints or limitations. To communicate with them, we must therefore also revolutionize our language, making it more interactive and emotional.
We need to create a lasting connection through continuous storytelling, “humanize” the technology and make it more accessible and understandable, finding a communication style that causes this “click” in the minds and hearts of young consumers. Leading the culture of Change will be the great challenge and starting point of the electric revolution.