Lancashire-based car dealerships aims to boost customers’ confidence in EVs.

Swansway Motor Group-owned Blackburn Audi and Preston Audi have recently received its EVA Accreditation.

This status also affects its four other Audi Centres including Carlisle, Crewe, Stafford and Stoke.  

Developed by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), the EVA Accreditation scheme was launched in 2019 with the aim to offer consumers confidence when purchasing an electric vehicle. 

The EVA scheme is a one-of-a-kind scheme, it offers businesses official certification to say that they are trusted when it comes to providing the highest levels of service and knowledge regarding electric vehicles. 

With the sale of new petrol and diesel (internal combustion engine) vehicles ending in 2030, those who are already considering the switch to electric vehicles may be unsure of their purchase.

EVA Accredited dealerships will be able to instil confidence in their customers. 

Swansway Motor Group saw a 33% increase in sales of electric vehicles in 2022 when compared to the previous year. [i]

This growth in sales was also reflected in recent figures from AutoTrader[ii], stating that demand for electric vehicles in the first four weeks of 2023 has seen an average increase of 44% when compared to 2022. 

The increase in sales seen by Swansway Motor Group in the last 12 months, combined with the demand seen in early 2023 highlights how important it is to achieve EVA Accreditation status. 

All locations were rigorously audited to ensure the high standards required to receive EVA Accreditation. These standards cover EV Sales and Aftersales and touch on areas such as EV demonstration, staff training and knowledge and whether the dealership has the capacity to service and charge electric vehicles on site.  

Swansway Motor Group director, Peter Smyth commented; 

“To receive our EVA Accreditation across the board at our Audi centres is a fantastic achievement. We are delighted to be at the forefront of the electric revolution and are proud to offer our customers the highest level of electric vehicle knowledge and service.”

Alongside their EVA Accreditations, Swansway Motor Group have recently developed and implemented three customer calculators to their website to guide their audience through the process of selecting a suitable new vehicle, these calculators help customers to understand the cost of owning and running a new vehicle and gives them the opportunity to compare vehicles against each other.  

The calculators include The Charging Calculator, this helps those searching for an electric vehicle to estimate the cost to charge the vehicle, as well as how long it will take to charge and the time and cost comparison between charging at home and charging in public. This calculator is especially helpful to those who are making their first steps in to the world of electric vehicles. 

To further aid those who are considering an electric vehicle. The Cost of Fuel Calculator compares the cost to fuel your current vehicle compared to the cost of an electric vehicle of their choice. 

Finally, the Cost of Ownership Calculator helps to compare the cost of owning one model vs another. The calculator cleverly considers the price of the vehicle, the cost of fuel and has an option for a customer to add in their insurance costs to give them the full picture. 

 
[i] Information taken from Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 compared against Jan 2022 – Dec 2022
[ii] AutoTrader statistics taken from 'Has the EV Market Collapsed?' Webinar