As a car dealership, you don’t need to be a carbon emissions expert, but having the right tools and information to help eco-conscious customers understand their savings and make informed decisions is becoming essential.

Lectrium’s CO2 Savings Badge helps dealerships showcase the true environmental benefits of driving electric in a relatable, and impactful way. Let’s take a closer look at this tool.

Even though price remains the main concern for an EV shopper when purchasing a vehicle, other factors such as range, access to charging, and environmental benefits remain important to many potential buyers. Dealerships should be ready to not only explain the savings and best deals on their electric inventory, but also be able to provide EV shoppers with useful information that helps them understand the true value of owning an electric car.

While range and charging can be easier to comprehend and visualize for customers, explaining the environmental benefits of driving an EV is a greater challenge. Additionally, a car salesperson’s main priority should be to sell cars and help customers find the best option for them; it should not be to calculate the tons of CO2 emitted by local electricity producers. That’s why Lectrium has built the CO2 Savings Badge—a tool designed to simplify CO2 emissions calculations for you and your customers, making them easy to understand and relate to.

What are the environmental benefits of owning an EV?

An EV does not have tailpipe emissions. Therefore, there are no COx, NOx, SOx, PM, or other poisonous gases or materials emitted at a street level, where we walk and breathe.

Instead, the energy needed for an EV to drive is produced in remote areas, at large power plants with carbon capture filters, nuclear or hydro, solar, wind, etc. We actually only inhale a fraction of it. Additionally, EVs are more efficient and require less energy to go the same distance as a gas car.

How can dealers highlight the environmental benefits of owning an EV? Lectrium calculates the difference between an EV and its gas alternative at the state level, and showcases that number to an EV shopper on your website in an understandable and relatable format.

We call this tool the CO2 Savings Badge!

What is the CO2 Savings Badge?

The CO2 Savings Badge is a simple yet impactful feature that helps dealerships showcase two things:

1. How much more environmentally friendly is a specific EV compared to its gas alternative?
2. What do these numbers mean in relatable metrics, such as trees planted or flights avoided?

In a nutshell, the CO2 Savings Badge:

• Displays how much carbon dioxide emissions are saved annually when switching to an EV compared to a traditional gas car.
• Breaks down savings into familiar equivalents like trees planted, flights avoided, and plastic water bottles not bought.
• Allows customers to input their annual driving range for customized results.

By making these savings relatable and easy to understand, the CO2 Badge not only helps educate EV shoppers, but connect emotionally with their purchase as well, while positioning your dealership as a leader in sustainable transportation.

How does the CO2 Savings Badge work?

The CO2 Savings Badge integrates seamlessly into your VDPs, delivering a clean and engaging visual that customers can interact with. Here’s how it works:

1. Automatically Integrated Data: Pulls real-world emissions data for each EV in your inventory.
2. Real-Time Customization: Adjusts savings calculations instantly based on customer input, such as annual driving range.
3. Locally adjusted information: Checks the CO2 footprint of energy production on a state-level basis.
4. Seamless Design: Fits into your website’s branding, creating a consistent look.

The power of offsetting: What does this mean?

Offsetting refers to reducing or compensating for carbon emissions by taking actions that remove or avoid the release of greenhouse gases. Driving an EV is one of the most effective ways to offset carbon emissions from transportation.

A gas vehicle will emit much more CO2 in comparison to an EV. If a person decides not to buy a gas car, and buys an EV instead, a huge amount of CO2 will be avoided from being emitted into the atmosphere. The CO2 Savings Badge captures this number, and shows it in a clear way.

Here are a couple ways EV ownership translates into relatable offsets:

• Trees planted: EVs save emissions equivalent to planting dozens of trees each year.
• Flights avoided: A year of EV driving can offset emissions equivalent to several short-haul flights.

Other facts about CO2 emissions and EVs

• On average, a gas-powered vehicle emits about 5 metric tons of CO2 annually.
• EVs can reduce emissions by up to 50% or more, depending on your energy source.
• Switching to an EV and driving 15,000 miles per year can save approximately 4 metric tons of CO2, enough to offset 10,000+ plastic water bottles or 150+ trees planted annually.

Examples: CO2 savings by EV model

Here’s how much CO2 emissions can be saved annually by driving some of today’s most popular EVs instead of a gas car:

1. Tesla Model 3: Saves approximately 3.8 metric tons of CO2 per year
2. Hyundai Ioniq 5: Saves approximately 4.1 metric tons of CO2 per year
3. Chevrolet Blazer EV: Saves approximately 3.7 metric tons of CO2 per year
4. GMC Hummer EV: Saves approximately 3.3 metric tons of CO2 per year

Why sustainability sells

Environmental consciousness is on the rise, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z. These buyers are motivated by the chance to make a tangible impact, and they expect dealerships to offer tools and data that align with their values.

By incorporating the CO2 Savings Badge into your website’s vehicle display pages:

• Attract and engage environmentally conscious shoppers who care about their carbon footprint.
• Differentiate your dealership as a forward-thinking, eco-friendly business.
• Convert more leads by showcasing compelling environmental benefits alongside vehicle features and specs.

Making sustainability your selling point

The CO2 Savings Badge isn’t just a tool—it’s a bridge that cater’s to today’s environmentally conscious EV buyers. By showing customers the tangible impact of switching to an EV, you not only educate and engage them but also position your dealership as a trusted partner in sustainability.

Want to get started? Let’s discuss how the CO2 Savings Badge can help you stand out and turn more EV shoppers into lifelong customers.