The EV explosion is recomposing all of the game plans for the car landscape, and if you’re an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), your whole chain of auto dealerships is suddenly charged with overhauling itself by leaps and bounds. EVs are popping up all over the place, and your auto dealer groups must familiarise themselves with new approaches to dealing with inventory, repairing vehicles, and customer communications.
Yesterday’s DMS, designed for petrol and diesel vehicles, don’t exist anymore. There will also be a requirement for your dealers to have an EV Dealer Management System to handle everything from tracking inventory details through to software updates and customer inquiries regarding range and charge.
In countries such as India, the Middle East (consider UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), and Mexico, sales from EV cars are increasing dramatically due to Government interventions, increasing environmental concern from individuals, and improving technology.
According to the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook in 2024, global sales of electric vehicles surpassed 1.7 crore vehicles in 2024 and accounted for over 20% of all car sales.
Your OEM operations require an Electric Vehicle Dealer Management Software that will enable your network of dealers to provide quick, correct, and compliant repairs.
This blog reviews eight large EV trends transforming what your dealer network requires from a DMS and how NetFlows360, a locally manufactured in India AI solution, keeps your dealer groups one step ahead.
8 Key EV Trends Reshaping DMS for Your Dealer Network
1. Navigating Extremely Complex EV Inventories
Electric vehicles are not gasoline vehicles. They all have these specific details, battery sizes, charge types (e.g., CCS or CHAdeMO), levels of software, and how energy-efficient they are.
For example, in India, Tata Nexon EV provides a driving distance of 465 km with a 40.5 kWh battery, and Tata’s Tiago EV provides a driving distance of 315 km with a battery size of 24 kWh (Tata Motors, 2024).
Your dealer groups require an EV inventory management system for dealerships that will keep all this sorted out in real-time.
With a system like this, your dealership networks can implement multi-lingual voice based AI-Based Agents and can quickly pull up details like how far an electric vehicle can go on a single charge or what kind of charger it needs to answer customer questions without missing a beat. This builds trust and helps close sales.
If your dealer network is relegated to using an outdated DMS, they may struggle with missing or inaccurate info, which would lose customers to a competitor. A good Electric Vehicle DMS Software ensures your dealer groups are able to promote your EV inventory clearly and confidently.
2. New Ways of Servicing EVs
EVs are less complicated in some respects; they have roughly 20 as opposed to 10,000 moving parts (McKinsey & Company, 2023), yet they’re far more technocratic.
Your dealer networks once performed oil and spark plug changes; now they’re running diagnostics, checking battery health, and distributing over-the-air (OTA) software updates. With EV battery-management systems allowing OEMs to monitor vehicle diagnostics from afar, your dealer network needs tools to schedule trained technicians, record high-voltage system checks, and distribute software updates.
An EV Dealer Management System designed for these purposes can make service operate like clockwork. It would allocate technicians who are familiar with EVs from stem to stern, maintain battery health records, and process recall updates in no time.
This means faster service and happier customers. If these tools didn’t exist, your dealer groups would stall, resulting in long waits and grumpy customers, and that’s not good for your brand’s image.
3. On-Site Charging Station Management
EVs are everywhere, and many dealerships are putting in charging stations to draw in customers and show they’re serious about going green. For your dealer teams, it will entail tracking how much is consumed, booking charge slots, and billing customers who utilise charge points.
While EV charging management systems are great for running charging stations, DMS that could be integrated with charger scheduling and availability, can keep operations running smoothly: even if the DMS doesn’t manage charging infrastructure directly. This could include checking if chargers are free, matching appointments with charging times, and avoiding scheduling mix-ups.
Such includes verification if charge stations are available, aligning appointments with charge time, and preventing scheduling confusion. A system like this keeps things running smoothly at the dealership, so customers won’t sit idle, and your dealer teams can take care of giving them a great experience.
4. Answering EV Buyer Questions
The customers purchasing EVs are worried about something other than petrol car buyers. They inquire about the range, where they will charge, discounts from governments, and how long they will get from the battery.
A Cox Automotive survey conducted in 2023 claimed that 32% of individuals contemplating EVs had concerns about insufficient charging spots, although that was lower than 40% in 2021.
Many customers are new to EVs and expect your dealer teams to explain things clearly. An EV dealer software should let your salespeople share documents, figure out relevant queries, and help customers to compare EV models.
For example, a prospective customer might want to know how your EV’s range compares to a competitor’s EV brand. A DMS equipped with such AI-powered features can make buying easier, helping your dealer network seal the deal and build trust with customers who are new to electric vehicles.
5. Catching Up with EV Data
EVs generate volumes of data about how their batteries are performing, how customers drive their vehicles, software levels, and other things. OEMs use them to create better cars and serve customers better, but your dealer groups can use them as well. Suppose a battery is beginning to deteriorate. A DMS that brings in telematics data can notify your dealer groups so they can contact the customer beforehand.
This kind of proactive servicing makes customers feel looked after and keeps your dealer group ahead of the game. It’s convenient for calculating resale prices or coming up with suitable plans for maintenance. A suitable Automotive Dealership Software is one that is able to effectively administer data and give your dealer groups the knowledge they use to offer personalised maintenance. That keeps your brand ahead.
6. Training Dealer Teams on EV Workflows
EVs are a whole new world for many sales and service staff. Your dealer teams need an EV Dealer Management System with easy-to-use interfaces, clear guides, and features tailored to their roles to make the switch easier. AI-powered tools could be integrated to facilitate training modules and remote diagnostics support, which could help everyone, from new hires to seasoned pros, get up to speed fast.
For example, an AI-Powered DMS could be configured to help technicians in walking-through a checklist of high-voltage system checks or help salespeople explain battery warranties to customers. This cuts down on mistakes and makes sure customers get top-notch service across your dealer network, boosting your brand’s reputation for quality and innovation.
NetFlows360: Developed in India for OEM Market Leaders in EV Revolution
NetFlows360 was designed for OEMs so that your dealer network would be equipped to face all the intricacies of EV dealerships. Built in India, this Electric Vehicle DMS software is equipped with cutting-edge AI and evolving EV-relevant features to accelerate service, minimise delay in claims, and give your dealer groups full visibility from anywhere.
What You Get with NetFlows360
Pre-Sales & Sales Management: Get your dealer teams to streamline customer tracking and customer interactions using tools built for EV sales to address queries regarding range, charge time, and discounts.
Service Management: Handle EV-specific tasks like diagnostics, battery health checks, and other updates to keep service bays running smoothly and customers happy.
Inventory & Spare Parts Management: Keep track of electric vehicles’ inventory along with capturing appropriate details like battery specs etc. in the variant master, so your dealer teams always have the right info.
Accounting & Financial Management: Enable relevant tax updates on vehicles during invoicing and making reconciliation with dealers on outstanding balances, faster.
Dashboards & Reports: Provide your dealer groups with sales, maintenance, and inventory data in real-time so they can make decisions instantly.
Add-Ons to Supercharge Your Dealer Network
AI-Augmented Business Insights: Leverage AI to dig deeper into telematics, customer patterns, and operating metrics, keeping your dealer groups one step ahead and operating effectively.
Build Your Team (BYT): Workforce on Demand: Recruit extra staff when it’s time for picking, so your network of dealerships is ever ready for peak.
Call Centre Integration: Make customers more satisfied and quicker to respond with streamlined call centre integration.
E-Catalogue Management: Make digital catalogues available to enable your dealer teams to promote your EV lineups in an easier manner, to educate customers, and make sales.
If OEMs use EV battery management systems to enhance car diagnosis, it would also be relevant to outfit their workshops with such tools as NetFlows360 to effectively handle EV inventory, warranty claims, and service planning with ease.
Wrapping Up
Electrified vehicles are transforming how your network of dealers operates—from how they manage electric vehicle inventory through to new service needs and customer inquiries. Existing DMS platforms are not equipped to handle it, making your dealer groups one step closer to not keeping pace.
With NetFlows360, your network of dealers has an EV Dealer Management System designed for tomorrow. With EV-readiness, plug-and-play integration capabilities, and artificial-intelligence tools, your dealer groups are freed to deal with inventory, customers, and service.
While segments like India will be won by EVs, NetFlows360 enables your distributor network to deliver best-of-class experiences and build your brand to excel in the era of electric vehicles. Ready to electrify your EV dealer network with AI-first products?
Book a demo of NetFlows360 and see how it addresses your EV growth model.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
EV dealerships pose another set of operations. You need to track subsidies, handle compliance, and assist in a different type of buyer’s journey. A specialised EV Dealer Management System manages these operations through tools built for how EV retail really operates.
Yes. With the right system, your team won’t just respond faster to leads, assist buyers with relevant responses, through government incentives, and process documentation with fewer back-and-forths. It also removes buying friction for customers who are new to EVs.
It keeps everyone aligned. Whether checking model availability, spec, or delivery schedule, EV inventory software provides your personnel with real-time information. That equates to fewer lost sales and improved customer communications.
That’s normal these days. An intelligent Electric Vehicle DMS Software will take care of both without ambiguity. You can alternate between EV and ICE workflows from one platform without having to waste time switching systems.
If you’re planning to grow your EV segment, yes. EV-focused platforms come with AI-readiness of application that can support digital journeys, simplify service, and keep you compliant. It’s not just about switching software. It’s about getting your team ready for what’s next in auto retail.