7 in 10 EV Shoppers Choose Car Dealers with Better Data

The research team at Recurrent surveyed 250 in-market EV shoppers to understand how dealership vehicle pages impact their trust and purchase intent. We found that including consistent, reliable EV data on dealer vehicle pages significantly improves the shopping experience, especially during final purchase decisions.

1. Shoppers need EV-specific data but most dealer websites don’t provide it.

Roughly 70% of EV shoppers said they would prefer to buy from a dealer that provides EV-specific information on its vehicle pages, nearly 2.3× higher than those who preferred a generic vehicle listing.

• 69.6% prefer a dealer page with EV-specific data
• 30.4% prefer a generic vehicle listing

That preference is clear. Yet most dealerships struggle to deliver it.

Many out-of-the-box dealership website templates were designed for gas vehicles and lack dedicated fields for EV details like battery, range, or charging speeds.

Even when dealers want to educate shoppers, it’s difficult to find consistent, model-specific EV data, especially across multiple makes, model years, and trims.

As a result, most EV listings look identical to gas listings, missing the chance to answer key buyer questions such as:

• How much real-world range does this EV have?
• What’s the current range of pre-owned vehicles?
• How long will it take to charge at home vs on roadtrips?

Takeaway: Shoppers want transparency and details tailored to their purchase. Dealers who provide details like battery insights, range confidence, and charging info stand out as more transparent and ready for the next wave of car buyers.

2. EV-specific data increases trust and readiness to buy.

When shown EV-specific information, shoppers report:

• 46% more trust in the dealership
• 41% more trust in the manufacturer or car
• 46% feel more confident about EVs overall
• 40% feel more ready to buy this particular vehicle

Takeaway: Providing clear, EV-focused information doesn’t just educate — it builds confidence and purchase intent. The more shoppers understand, the more they trust your dealership.

What This Means for Car Dealers

Adding Recurrent’s EV retailing products to vehicle listings helps dealerships:

• Build credibility and stand apart from competitors
• Turn education into engagement — and trust into sales
• Convert curious shoppers into confident EV buyers

Recurrent’s data and buyer education tools are powered by real-world data from over 30,000 electric cars across 1 billion miles. Add EV-specific information to your website here.