When selling a pure electric heavy truck, dealers usually do not start discussions with brand and quotation. Instead, they first ask about the transport route: how many kilometers the truck travels each day, whether charging facilities are available at both ends of the route, how long the cargo supply can last, and if the revenue can cover the monthly loan payments.
Brand, battery capacity and price still matter, yet they generally take a back seat to route conditions and cash flow.
During visits to multiple heavy-duty truck dealerships in Jining and surrounding areas, several interviewees noted that fewer customers walk into stores on their own. Phone inquiries, referrals from acquaintances, transportation companies and affiliated fleets have become major sources of potential leads.
With fewer customers visiting showrooms voluntarily, sales staff have to take the initiative to tap into the market. Identifying potential clients is only the first step; whether a truck suits their cargo sources, transport routes and energy refueling/recharging conditions determines if a deal can move forward.
Customer Acquisition Shift Forward: Customers Have Compared Prices Before Entering the Store
Some transportation companies have branched out into automobile trading and vehicle exhibitions, while vehicle affiliation firms and long-term clients also refer customers to stores. Traditional showrooms are no longer the sole channels for closing deals, so sales staff have to visit logistics parks, transport enterprises and existing clients to tap into potential demands.
Customer acquisition now relies increasingly on long-term relationships and in-depth knowledge of local cargo resources.
As customer sources shift, negotiation tactics have changed accordingly. Phone-in customers usually have enquired at multiple dealerships beforehand, leaving sales representatives with far less time to introduce products.
Sales staff stated that price negotiations previously mostly involved discounts of around a thousand yuan, but nowadays some customers immediately demand discounts of 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, alongside complimentary vehicle maintenance services.
While the actual transaction discount margins vary across dealerships, brands and car models, multiple interviewees shared the same observation: quoted prices have become far more transparent, and profit per vehicle has been squeezed thin.
Sales performance varies widely across different stores. Some report slumping transaction volumes, while others see flat sales or growth in certain segments. As such, this field visit cannot be used to gauge the overall ups and downs of Jining's heavy-duty truck market.
One definite trend is that competition is shifting earlier to phone inquiries, customer referrals and transportation operation scenarios.
With freight rates under strain, customers no longer focus solely on the base vehicle price. Multiple interviewees cited oversupply of trucks relative to cargo volumes, open bidding on logistics platforms and shrinking traditional freight sources as major sources of pressure.
Profit margins have narrowed, prompting buyers to closely inquire about curb weight, fuel consumption per 100 kilometers, monthly installments and actual vehicle operating hours. If dealers fail to provide clear answers to these questions, they will struggle to secure consistent sales even with more competitive pricing.
Route Screening: Stable cargo sources are a prerequisite for low electricity costs
Compared with oil and gas trucks, battery-electric heavy-duty trucks require an additional working condition screening process before a deal is closed. Dealers usually first verify the stability of cargo sources and transport routes, then calculate one-way and daily average mileage, empty/loaded round trips, load capacity, road gradients, ambient temperatures and delivery timelines.
Next, they inspect energy replenishment facilities at both endpoints and along the route. Only after finishing all these assessments will they discuss battery capacity, vehicle brands and financial packages.
Dealers are more inclined to offer battery-electric truck solutions for fixed A-to-B routes with predictable daily travel distances and available charging infrastructure at both ends. If customers face volatile cargo supplies, undefined destinations, or operations involving frigid climates, mountainous terrain and tight delivery deadlines, sales outlets tend to recommend electric trucks cautiously.
While large-capacity batteries expand route flexibility, they also drive up vehicle prices and curb payload capacity. Higher battery capacity does not necessarily translate to higher deal closure rates.
Based on estimates from two sales representatives based on the routes they each cover and local energy prices, the energy cost of a battery-electric heavy truck ranges from 0.9 to 1.2 yuan per kilometer, compared with 2.5 to 2.7 yuan for diesel vehicles.
Payload weight, empty/loaded round trips, seasonal fluctuations, fuel and electricity prices, and driving habits all affect these figures. This set of numbers cannot serve as a universal cost reference; it only indicates that under certain operating conditions, the cost gap between electricity and fuel is substantial enough to sway customers' purchasing decisions.
However, low electricity costs only deliver value when vehicles operate continuously. Without steady cargo supplies, the energy cost advantage cannot be spread across sufficient effective mileage. If recharging disrupts delivery schedules, the savings on electricity may be offset by waiting time and reduced delivery trips.
For this reason, some experienced fleet operators first secure cargo supply contracts or test-run rented trucks before deciding whether to make a purchase.
Cash Flow Screening: Electricity savings must cover monthly mortgage payments
Stores surveyed generally noted that car loans are a common practice for vehicle purchases. When dealers recommend all-electric heavy-duty trucks, they not only assess how much a customer can borrow but also determine whether the revenue from the transport route can cover fixed expenses such as monthly loan repayments.
If freight supplies dry up or vehicle utilization drops, energy costs will fall along with reduced mileage, yet monthly loan payments will not be suspended.
Stores must calculate whether the difference in per-kilometer energy costs multiplied by effective monthly mileage can offset the additional monthly loan payments, as well as losses stemming from charging waiting times, fewer delivery trips and vehicle downtime.
Customers with unsuitable transport routes, volatile income or uncertain charging conditions should not rush into a purchase even if they qualify for financing.
Selling a vehicle is merely a one-time transaction. A customer's ability to sustain ongoing operations also impacts repeat purchases, referrals and the store's reputation. At times, what dealers need to do is not cut prices further, but turn down inappropriate orders.
Channel Changes: Distributors Begin to Participate in Customer Operations
Falling customer foot traffic has not lightened the sales workload. Stores must proactively source clients, determine which routes are suitable for all-electric vehicles, and then integrate battery capacity, load capacity, energy replenishment and payment affordability into a single solution.
Relying solely on price wars may secure a one-off order, yet it rarely fosters long-term partnerships.
Even customers who do not complete purchases can deliver valuable insights. Some hesitate due to vehicle prices, others worry about load limits and energy recharging, while some meet the purchase requirements but lack consistent cargo sources.
Sharing these reasons for lost deals with vehicle manufacturers stands a better chance of optimizing future products, financing packages and service setups than simply boosting inventory or slashing prices further.
All-electric heavy-duty trucks are shifting dealers' focus away from quoting prices and vehicle handovers toward front-end customer relationship management. The initial screening process identifies which clients are viable buyers of all-electric trucks.
Now that batteries have reached the 600-kilowatt-hour tier, whether vehicles can expand from fixed short-distance haulage to longer trunk line transport still hinges on curb weight, energy replenishment efficiency and delivery timeliness.
