I have yet to find any dealership where the EV specialist knows anything about EVs and isn’t an asshole. I’ve been browsing cars for over a month now, and 99% of car dealers have one of two things:
- A guy that knows nothing about EVs, but thinks he does.
- A guy that knows things about EVs, but will outright lie to you.
Sometimes this applies to the car itself - sure, it’s got the preheat. Oh you want it in writing? Okay it doesn’t have the preheat, I admit it.
More often this applies to the tax rebates. Hyundai dealers in Connecticut were illegally applying the state and federal EV credit to cars above 50k MSRP, and when called out on it are just like “c’mon, you’ll get it.” Like dude, you’re ASKING me to defraud the IRS?
Today, I dealt with these assclowns: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select (autohausinc.com)
“Qualifies for up to $7500 in tax credits.”
No, it doesn’t. The used EV credit is for 25k and below. This is 27.5. It will not get a dollar. I talked to them about this… and got willful denial every step of the way, to the point that I showed them the IRS policy, pointed out the exact wording, and told them no one on earth would be eligible for it, to which they kept telling me “not all buyers are qualified.” I’m like, no one can get a dollar back from the government for that car. Take that off your website.
The response? " Without an application we cannot answer if you will personally qualify, but we know for a fact there are credits available for our car. I apologize if you feel mislead."
I’m just so frustrated. It shouldn’t be this hard to find a worthwhile used EV under 25k or a new EV under 50k, but everywhere in Connecticut it seems the dealerships play it up and mark the new MSRPs over 50k and the used EVs around 28-33k, and almost all of them then still act like you’d still get the rebates. I’m happy to be smarter than that, but I feel sorry for all the people in Connecticut who will fall prey to the assholes at Hyundai dealerships and used car dealerships in this state.
Salesmen not knowing anything is not unique to EVs. I’ve purchased 5 Audis and 2 VWs from dealerships and with the exception of one guy (who was a specialist shop/dealer combo primarily dealing in VAG diesels) every time has had me giving the sales person a lecture on their own product.
Guy who I bought the VR6 Atlas from told me “I’d put premium fuel in it, especially in the summer”. Which is wrong on so many levels I didn’t even bother to correct him.
Once I was on a road trip and my A4 started knocking and the nearest Audi dealership was 200miles away, but the city I was in had a VW dealer. I had to argue with the front desk for like 15 minutes that the A4 had the same engine as half the cars on their lot before a mechanic came out and was like “yeah I can look at it” and ending up changing a leaking fuel injector seal because, shocking turn of events, they had the part number in stock.
If you go over to askcarsales, they’ll tell you that car guys are rarely good salesman, that deep product knowledge isn’t necessary to sell cars, and that sales skills are all you really need. And apparently they’re right if customers keep buying cars from people who know less about them than they do.
We buy cars from them because the dealership lobby forces us to. I’d love to order direct from Audi’s website, but alas, I have to go talk to Chad for 3 hours instead.