TMO Talks To Estelle Miller, Director
EV Experts are an independent and award-winning electric vehicle (EV) retailer with Stores in Hook (Hampshire), and in Guildford (Surrey). The business gained accreditation to The Motor Ombudsman’s Vehicle Sales Code in 2023. We caught up with EV Experts to find out more about the organisation.
TMO: Please can you give us an overview of EV Experts, and the key benefits of buying a vehicle from your business?
EM: We established our business in 2017 to help our customers buy, sell and own their EV with confidence. We offer modern and friendly environments where EVs can be bought and sold whilst meeting our customers’ needs for specialist, independent advice. We only sell carefully selected EVs that are in beautiful condition and have a full service history.
TMO: What is your background, and what sparked your interest in working in the motor industry?
EM: Neither myself or my husband – the two founders of EV Experts, came directly from the motor trade. Martin had worked on the Ford and Peugeot advertising accounts earlier in his career, and I was working with a charity operating in the environmental space. As early adopters, we tried to buy an electric car, and had such a difficult experience that we decided to set up a dealership with a fresh approach to used car sales, which specialised in, and only sold electric vehicles.
TMO: How big is your team at EV Experts?
EM: We are a team of ten, each working across our two stores in Hampshire and Surrey.
TMO: What does a typical day look like for you?
EM: A typical day starts with a decent cup of coffee and then catching up with customers or leads that have contacted us overnight. Later in the morning, I am busy buying stock for the forecourt and making sure that everything is prepped and advertised to the highest standards. Towards the end of the day, I touch base with the rest of the team to see how their day has gone and what tomorrow looks like for EV Experts. And before I leave for the evening, I make sure that the cars needed for the next day are on charge with pre-conditioners set.
TMO: What are consumers primarily looking for when buying a used electric vehicle?
EM: Our customers are generally looking for enough information to be able to really understand how to charge both on a day-to-day basis, and when on longer adventures. We spend a lot of time busting myths that are floating around in the media. The second most important thing is probably battery state of health, particularly if the car is more than five years old. We test all of our cars when they come in to stock, and only put great examples on our forecourts (with battery health certificates).
TMO: What would you say are some of the key aspects to bear in mind when looking to own an EV for the first time?
EM: The key thing to get your head around is what size of battery you really need – a bigger battery is not only more expensive, but will also add weight to the car, so you could end up less fuel efficient than you could be, by lugging around more battery than you need. The other thing to remember is that it is still a car! Tyre condition, service history and warranty terms are all still very important.
TMO: Who is your main customer base?
EM: Families are our main customer base (whether that’s parents or grandparents) looking for a car that decouples reliance on fossil fuels (and visiting a petrol station), who can charge at home or work, and want a car in their family that is easy to drive and own.
TMO: What do you think are some of the challenges that your business may face this year?
EM: Keeping up with demand, as some used EVs are limited in availability, due to interruptions in supply of new models in 2020 and 2021 caused by the pandemic, and in 2022 – the outbreak of war in Ukraine. There are also pockets of the country where public charging needs improvement, and the current Government’s commitment to supporting its development isn’t clear.
TMO: Are there any changes or new innovations that we can expect to see from your business in 2024?
EM: We are going to expand our help and advice section on our website and increase our social media presence, as more and more people look to make the switch to an EV. We will also be preparing to open a third store in 2025, which is very exciting.
TMO: How do you see the used EV sales sector evolving as we go through the year?
EM: Growing faster than ever before! I think we will also see more forecourt space for EVs, as dealerships selling just petrol/diesel cars move into selling EVs. It does take quite a commitment to training customer-facing teams on all things EV, and we hope that the industry embraces this so that customers get really good information and buy the right car according to their needs.
TMO: What were the main reasons for EV Experts gaining accreditation to The Motor Ombudsman’s Motor Industry Code of Practice for Vehicle Sales?
EM: We ultimately want to represent best practice, and joining the Motor Ombudsman’s Vehicle Sales Code seemed a good way to get insight on that. There is also interesting data and insight available through The Motor Ombudsman on some of the key challenges that consumers are struggling with when buying EVs, and we can then make sure that our customers do not experience such issues. It’s another pair of eyes and ears on the industry for us.
TMO: Thank you for your time, and it has been very interesting to learn more about EV Experts.
Images courtesy of EV Experts.
Interview conducted in February 2024.