Tesla dealerships were ranked highest in the newly released 2019 Pied Piper “PSI for EVs” U.S. Auto Industry Benchmarking Study, which measured treatment of electric vehicle (EV) shoppers.

BMW and Nissan dealerships were ranked second and third respectively. For 13 years Pied Piper has used the Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI) process, which ties “mystery shopping” measurement and scoring to industry sales success, to measure how effectively dealerships help shoppers become buyers. For 2019 Pied Piper applied the same fact-based PSI approach to create PSI for EVs to measure how effectively each EV brand’s retailers help customers who visit a dealership.

Compared to the salespeople for other brands, Tesla salespeople were more likely on average to help customers understand garage charging options, or to describe how to use national charging networks. BMW salespeople were more likely to explain EV incentives and rebates, or to mention how vehicle range changes based upon driving conditions. Nissan salespeople were more likely to ask how the vehicle would be used to determine whether the battery range would be adequate, or to describe one-pedal driving convenience.

Included in the study were brands selling battery electric vehicles (BEVs): Tesla, BMW, Nissan, Jaguar, Chevrolet, Honda, Audi, Hyundai and Kia, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs): Volvo, Mitsubishi, Mini, Chrysler, Toyota, Cadillac, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Subaru. Models were chosen from vehicles promoted on manufacturer websites.

Two brands, Audi and Subaru, showed EV models online that were not yet present at their dealerships, so dealerships selling those vehicles were only able to accept orders.