For many cities around the country, January and February are
auto show season, a time for hotrods and dazzling depictions of the future. And
judging by what I’ve seen
so far, that future includes electric vehicles.
This is good for the electrical industry, as it means more
opportunities, new relationships and new markets. But EVs also have their
skeptics who say demand isn’t there or that prices are just too high. This article
about the Detroit auto show does a good job of analyzing carmakers’ view on the
market.
Skepticism aside, we distributors need to be paying
attention. Higher gas prices and fuel-efficiency standards will continue to
push EVs into the spotlight. Our industry must use this time of early adoption
to get smart on the players and technologies our customers will need in the
years to come.
We also need to think about how our unique position benefits
the market. We are not alone in this area: Traditional consumer channels like Amazon
and Best Buy
are jumping into the fray, and we must assert our value if we want to own a
piece of the EV pie.
NAED is here to help you do that. This summer, we’re
planning to host our first ever Electric Vehicle Charging Conference, bringing
distributors and manufacturers together for an inside look at the EV
opportunity. Stay tuned to Newsline
and our Facebook and Twitter channels for the latest
information.
As NAED plans future EV resources, I’d love to hear from
you. How are you entering this market? What ideas or questions do you have?
Drop me a line in the comments below.