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Recently, GM Chevrolet revealed that Chevrolet will not be following its sister brands Cadillac and Buick for dealership purchases. Only dealers who make the necessary investments to upgrade to electric vehicles can sell Chevrolet EVs. The news was announced by International Vice President Scott Bell.
Indeed, dealers who choose to take purchases from Cadillac and Buick can sell Chevy vehicles exclusively, which Bell argues is good for the brand. “The minute they pulled back and said, ‘You know, I’m not ready to go all in on the brands,’ they’re now a 100 percent Chevy dealer, which is a good thing for Chevrolet,” Bell said. The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV was unveiled at a pop-up event in Manhattan.
Last week, a top Buick executive said all 2,000 of the brand’s dealers in the U.S. will be given the opportunity to buy it. Taking the buyout means the dealership will no longer be associated with the Buick brand and will no longer be able to sell Buick vehicles, although they will still be able to sell other General Motors vehicles. The deal mirrors Cadillac’s offer to dealers who don’t want to invest in the upgrades needed to sell new EVs like the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq brand. That process ended last year, with GM reporting that about a third, or 575, dealers took the buyout.
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Cadillac and Buick’s loss is Chevy’s gain, Bell says. (All three brands, along with GMC, are owned by General Motors.) Dealers representing 95 percent of Chevy sales are selling at least one electric vehicle, he said. For Bell, those dealers have shown they are willing to shell out the money necessary to sell more EVs set to be released next year.
“They put their hands out and said, ‘I’m on Bolt,'” Bell said. “They really made a commitment to the Chevy brand.” How dealers feel about EVs is a bit harder to gauge, but some evidence suggests they’re not happy about expanding their businesses to accommodate an entirely new category of vehicles. Many car dealers have been in the business for years. Internal combustion engines are their livelihood, and they are understandably reluctant to fully embrace the transition to electricity. Many automakers require dealers to install charging stations and special equipment to provide EV service with expensive upgrades.
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