The electric vehicle revolution will lead to a wave of disruption for traditional dealership networks. In June, Craig Keeys, group vice president of Infiniti Americas, will inform its dealers of Infiniti's plans to navigate the shifts.
According to the automaker, an increasingly electrified fleet will require:
Different servicing requirements than internal-combustion-powered vehicles
Sales personnel familiar with more sophisticated technology than before
An array of new amenities representative of luxury high-end brands, such as Infiniti
“We will have an intimate conversation with our dealers and share details,” Keeys told Forbes in a recent interview. “We’re working toward the end of the current mid-term plan and will be talking about an evolution and iteration of another mid-term plan that will include electrification for Infiniti [vehicles], a healthy product portfolio, and deeper alignment with our dealers around the customer experience. We want to make sure dealers are looking out beyond just two or three vehicles with customers, making sure the relationship is a lifetime relationship with our consumers going forward.”
Keeys stressed in the interview that the automaker and its dealers will need to be “more deliberate about using the data we have today to understand and prioritize where and when we apply our resources. Those are going to be differentiators for all manufacturers. Resources such as loyalty incentives, such as support in the service lane, and access to new products [that will require a] membership.”
Keeys also emphasized that production stayed strong for the Infiniti brand during the global semiconductor chip shortages since the pandemic. The scenario benefited the automaker by attracting new customers.
“We were able to supply Infiniti because of our prioritization in [Nissan] manufacturing,” he told Forbes. “We were able to attract some consumers who didn’t have an alternative, and now, after spending time with Infiniti and our products, they hold us in high regard.”
