Just like passenger cars, commercial vehicles are traditionally sold through dealerships, and these dealerships must also make investments in new facilities and training in order to sell EVs. Vehicle-makers are establishing certification programs to make sure their dealers are prepared to provide a good experience to their customers as they make the transition to EVs.
Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) has announced its new new BEV Dealer Certification Program, which builds on the foundations of its Elite Support network of certified Freightliner dealers.
To date, DTNA has deployed its heavy-duty Freightliner eCascadia and medium-duty Freightliner eM2 battery-electric trucks in over 50 fleets across the US, and these have logged some four million electric miles.
Daimler subsidiary Detroit eConsulting will work with customers to help them understand their infrastructure and vehicle optimization needs.
The BEV Dealer Certification Program covers over 75 specific criteria in four key areas:
- Safety—Comprehensive safety policy and training, nominating a frontline contact person, and being fully equipped with high-voltage safety-specific equipment
- Charging Infrastructure—Commercial vehicle charging infrastructure including stationary or mobile charging solutions
- Dealership Infrastructure—Dedicated BEV service bays, battery storage space and key parts stocking
- Training—BEV training and resources for dealership personnel including sales, service and parts.
Eight dealerships have already completed the certification process, and eight more are in the process of doing so. The Freightliner dealer network plans to have 100 dealer locations certified by 2025.
“After several months of collaboration between DTNA and the Freightliner Dealer Council Principals, representing over 40% of all dealer locations in the USA and Canada, we are pleased to introduce and support the BEV Dealer Certification Program, which will become the model for our entire industry at providing a safe and world-class customer experience for our battery-electric truck customers,” said John Hopkins, Co-chair of the Freightliner Dealer Council.
“Having our dealer network BEV-certified benefits the market as a whole” said Drew Backeberg, Senior VP of Aftermarket at DTNA. “For customers owning or purchasing an electric vehicle in the near term, it is likely their first experience with electrification. We see it as our responsibility to support them on their journey. For wider market adoption, we need experts and safety leaders, and we want to ensure that our dealer network sets the standard high.”
Source: Daimler Truck North America
