Sustainability in the car dealership

Sustainability in the car dealership

As a link between manufacturers and end customers, the car trade plays an important role in the transformation of the automotive industry towards sustainability. According to a current survey by the auditing and consulting firm EY among 23 automobile dealers and dealer groups in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 26 percent of dealers already have a formulated sustainability strategy. "Many retailers still have a lot of catching up to do. Many don't know what activities they can use to put sustainability into practice," says Andrea Weinberger, partner in the sustainability department at EY. The main cause: In everyday business there is often a lack of time and capacity to develop appropriate measures. Only 39 percent of dealers feel supported by automobile manufacturers when it comes to sustainability. Weinberger advises that they should offer their dealer partners, among other things, tailor-made training, manuals or a regular assessment of sustainability activities.

“Sustainability is a competitive factor and does not contradict economic success – on the contrary,” says Christoph Haller from the Environmental and Energy Policy Department at the WKO. A first step towards sustainability can, for example, be taken by training car salespeople, informing customers about the ecological impacts of different types of vehicles and encouraging them to choose more environmentally friendly options. The WKO supports companies with a wide range of advisory services, including financially supported ones. The experts' recommendations in advance of a decision are intended to help find and implement the best possible and economically most sensible measure. The WKO specialists advise, among other things, on environmental funding, investment funding, energy advice and funding offers for the implementation of mobility projects. The WKO also states on its website https://ratgeber.wko.at/provides a sustainability check for companies.

If the sales team is on a sustainability course, the sustainability screw can also be turned significantly when it comes to company equipment. Among other things, reducing energy consumption is a key measure for reducing the ecological footprint. This can be achieved, for example, by using energy-saving LED lighting, switching from fossil-based heating and cooling systems to heat pumps or using photovoltaics to supply electricity. Further measures can include increased recycling and the digitization of documents to avoid unnecessary paper consumption. A strong signal for existing and potential customers is the company's own fleet. If the fleet of rental vehicles consists of environmentally friendly models, the car dealership is recommended as a competent contact when switching to CO2-saving mobility and at the same time boosts sales of its current electric and hybrid models.