11:23 am, March 17, 2025
Used car dealer Estelle Miller of EV Experts explained how lack of government clarity about electric cars was damaging their business and has been for years.
She told Car Dealer that the combination of this, falling residual values and misinformation about electric cars had meant running a dealership that exclusively sells EVs can be a real challenge some days.
Speaking on Car Dealer’s new podcast series Drive Her Success, Miller explained: ‘The government has been very unclear on its messaging since 2022 on the path to electric cars, what that’s going to look like and the timeframes. We’re still there, we’re still in the period of a lack of clarity from this government.
‘I appreciate that they have a lot on their plate right now and have big things that they’re dealing with. Therefore messaging about electric cars of the future is obviously not their priority.’
The award winning car dealer added that ‘misinformation in the media’ and ‘in particular and social media’ has made people really polarised that they ‘either love them or hate them’.
‘It’s interesting just how emotional people get when basically you’re just saying it’s just a different way of fuelling your car’, she said.
It wasn’t all bad though, she added that ahead of a busy weekend full of test drives as they were anticipating things would feel very exciting and positive.
Miller explains on the podcast how she set up the used car dealership with her husband Martin because they could see a gap in the market. She was very interested in electric cars for their eco-friendly credentials but found that when they tried to buy one there wasn’t the knowledge at dealerships or enthusiasm for this type of car.
Since then, they’ve seen the rapid change in electric vehicles and their stock profile is extremely varied! Miller discusses how the profile of their customers has changed too, from the very early adopters to more tech focussed buyers. However, she adds that families where they’re located in Surrey have been a big part of their customer base due to poor air quality in the area.
The wide ranging interview covers how they set up the business, what it takes to run a busy used car dealership, and the changing face of the industry.
Drive Her Success speaks to a different woman working in car dealerships every week about their career and experiences. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts or by clicking play above.
