Ireland has targets to reach in decarbonising transport and increasing the number of EVs on the road. The selling of EVs is done at dealership level and SEAI wanted to understand how dealers were promoting or not promoting EVs, in order to understand what education might be needed or additional supports or incentives should be put in place.
In order to get a baseline as to where dealerships were in relation to selling EVs, a mystery shopping excercise was done, which looked at various questions such as what type of car was being recommended (EV or ICE), whether the dealer had the correct knowledge about EVs, and whether they took the time to understand the driving needs of the customer. A report was compiled and became the template for the next step: the EV Dealership Awards.
The awards were open to all EV dealerships in the Republic of Ireland. Each of the 26 counties had a winner announced, receiving a certificate and wall plaque with some promotion of their win. There was also a winner from each of the four Irish provinces. These winners received a certificate and wall plaque, along with a half-page advert in a local newspaper and a radio advert about their win on a local radio station. The national winner received further advertising on radio and in an automotive magazine. These rewards were designed to incentivise dealers to promote EVs where appropriate over ICE vehicles.
Dealerships are scored on mystery shopping results, EV sales staff training, website prominence of EVs, and actual EV sales. A scorecard is provided to each dealership, and if they apply each year, the scorecard shows any improvement or changes in score year on year. Improvements in dealers’ approach to selling EVs have been seen over the last few years. The programme is government-funded and managed by SEAI, with an external company conducting the mystery shopping and evaluation. SEAI developed the questionnaire and manages all other aspects of the awards scheme.
Case study profile
Introduction
SEAI began the EV Dealership Awards in 2022 to reward dealers who were promoting and recommending EVs. The awards programme was built on a mystery shopping exercise that assessed how dealerships registered under the SEAI EV grant programme were engaging with customers. It looked at whether dealers recommended EVs or ICE vehicles, their knowledge of EVs, and whether they took time to understand the driving needs of the customer. The programme uses scorecards, training reviews, and promotional incentives to encourage better EV sales practices.
Behavioural insights
The programme focuses on dealership behaviour - how EVs are presented and recommended to customers - and indirectly influences car buyer behaviour. Car dealerships were the main target group to encourage them to promote EVs, helping increase EV sales. Through the dealers, the other audience is car buyers, some of whom need to be educated on the benefits of EVs, which dealers are well placed to do.
Behavioural techniques include mystery shopping, scorecards, and public recognition. While no formal behavioural frameworks were used, the programme design reflects behavioural principles such as feedback, incentives, and visibility. Dealers are assessed on their understanding of driver needs, EV knowledge, and how they present EVs online and in person.
SEAI procured an external company to carry out the initial mystery shopping and worked closely with them to develop the questionnaire. SEAI manages the awards scheme and all aspects except the mystery shopping and evaluation. A post-awards evaluation is sent to all dealers, though replies are low.
Outcomes and impacts
The scorecards for each dealer are reviewed annually. Brand reports are created to show how dealers of a brand stand against the national average. A national scorecard was also created to show the change year on year. The most important impact has been improvements in dealership engagement with EV promotion.
The programme supports Ireland’s target to reduce transport emissions by 51% by 2030, with 175,000 passenger cars to be EV by 2025 and 30% of the fleet electric by 2030. The model could be replicated elsewhere, and lessons from the programme could inform similar initiatives in other sectors or countries.