‘Future looks really good’ at Harwood Cars

This story first appeared in the October issue of EvTalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

xHarwood Cars owner Martin Harwood has been at his Point Chevalier caryard for more than three years and, although at retirement age, there’s no slowing him down.

“I’m just getting into it and I’m 70,” Harwood says.

Originally starting with ICE cars, Harwood credits himself and his friend and then business partner Henry Schmidt as one of the first to bring EVs to New Zealand.

Schmidt now owns Autolink Cars in Grey Lynn, one of Harwood’s EV competitors.

Harwood has been selling pure electric Nissan Leafs for two and a half years, and believes he is the only solely EV dealership with just Leafs.

After 51 years in the automotive industry, Harwood knows one or two things about being a good car salesperson.

And he says finding good salespeople is very difficult, especially for selling EVs.

“Once you’ve learnt to sell cars, it is very hard to change over to sell electric cars,” Harwood says.
He runs his dealership with just himself and wife Lorna Harwood.

Harwood imports his Nissan Leafs from Japan and has plenty of experience importing cars from there.

Now, everything is online, and he doesn’t need to return to Japan, even though he can speak the language.

“I have a broad range of vehicles that would suit most budgets,” Harwood says, in response to a recent AA Insurance survey revealing Kiwis are put off buying EVs due to the price.

“My EVs start off at $10,000,” Harwood says.

“New cars, the answer is yes, they are expensive.Pre-owned cars, no.”

Harwood says the government’s proposed boost for EVs through its clean car plans are great but are taking too long to get up and running.

He reckons it’s better to buy an EV now and get the savings in fuel and maintenance costs to put towards an EV upgrade in two years when the incentives are expected to kick in around 2021.

“Once it’s been two years you’ve had your two years of petrol savings,” Harwood says.

“Which can work out roughly to about $400 a month.Get your savings now.

“I always instil in people that when you’ve got petrol, you’ve already paid tax.Then you pay tax again to buy petrol.With electric cars, the saving is going back into your pocket.”

Harwood notes some workplaces are installing EV charging stations for their workers; therefore if it’s free it doesn’t cost them anything to run their EV.

Harwood says EVs are an exciting future, particularly as it can now cost about $120 to fill an ICE car with petrol.

“For many with EVs it doesn’t cost them a cent for power.For instance, one lady from Kumeu bought an EV from me and charges her car when she drives to see her horse.She charges her car and goes home, and it costs her nothing to run it.”

He sells his EVs not only through his Pt Chevalier dealership but also on Trade Me and runs Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Neighbourly accounts, running his business as harwoodcars.
com on such sites.

“Trade Me Motors is the best place to sell cars,” he says.

Once old school, Harwood has learned to “grasp the nettle” and go with social media.

“Media is the way to go. I concentrate on that.I enjoy social media – I’m a researcher.”

Harwood runs his dealership on Great North Road, and believes he is one of the top three EV dealerships in Auckland in terms of the quantity of vehicles available in his yard.

While the government’s clean car discount or feebate scheme is expected to help boost EV interest when introduced, usually it’s a world event affecting petrol prices which has the most impact on EV sales.

When the drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities happened, Harwood sold three EVs and received five phone enquiries the day after.

“There was a massive interest towards EVs,” Harwood says.

“People are finding that they are generating savings.

“There was one woman that was thinking about buying an EV for three weeks.This helped her make the decision to get one.”

Harwood says if oil shocks continue then EV sales will soar.

Generally, the types of people that come into his caryard can be categorised as “greenies”, “pensioners” and “tech geeks”, he laughs.

The greenies are interested in EVs because they’re environmentally friendly and they care about saving the planet, Harwood says.

Pensioners are the elderly buying possibly their last car and who can afford a $10,000 run-around EV with lower range.

“This group has paid tax their whole life and are giving it [tax] the middle finger,” Harwood says.

“I’ve found that rest homes are putting in charging stations.EVs are easy to drive and there’s no worrying about servicing and all that carry on.”

Tech geeks are the ones that have researched all things EV, Harwood adds.

“Some want to see how much you know.”

More than 50 years of experience has given Harwood the ability to read body language well and gauge whether a person wants to be left alone to look around the caryard or wants help.

“I’m not that tough a car dealer,” Harwood says.

“I like to make people laugh, relax and have them enjoy the buying of a car.

Then they tell their friends they had a good time, and that’s what we look for.”

People like all sorts of colours for their EV, but red is a favourite.

Companies tend to go for white EVs, and many people like black, grey and orange cars, Harwood finds.

When Nissan released its 80th anniversary models, purple, orange and dark blue were available on the Nissan Leafs.

“I can’t get enough of them,” Harwood says, admitting he’d prefer some brighter Leafs in his yard which is dominated by white, black, grey and blue.

Leather interiors are also very popular but rare in Japanese imports due to Japanese people not liking to sit on dead animals’ skins, Harwood reckons.

Wife Lorna does 90% of the sales, while Harwood is in charge of the buying and advertising.

He says this works, as he has found many car buying decisions are made by women.

“Mrs Harwood has the ability to communicate with the ladies,” Harwood says, adding she has an ability to help men and women determine what EVs are best suited to their wants and needs.

Harwood Cars believes in the future of EVs, which is why he made the switch many years ago from selling ICE cars to strictly pure electric vehicles and no hybrids – not even plug-in hybrids.