By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The newly-launched electric vehicle dealership headed by Sebas Bastian yesterday pledged to deliver “innovation, choice and fair pricing” while blasting a rival’s “fear-mongering smear campaign” against it.

EV Motors, in a statement hitting back at concerns voiced by Easy Car Sales in Wednesday’s Tribune Business, rejected the latter’s accusation that it was holding itself out as the Bahamian authorised dealer for two electric vehicle brands - BYD and Geely - that its rival has exclusive representation rights for on new autos.

Slamming this as “untrue, baseless, unfounded and designed to mislead the Bahamian public”, EV Motors also sought to answer Easy Car Sales’ charges that it is not offering manufacturer-supplied warranties on the vehicles it sales and that consumers will struggle to install their apps because they are not compatible with autos intended only for the Chinese domestic market.

EV Motors, which is based on Tonique Williams Highway and chaired by the Island Luck chief, countered that “warranties are local by nature” regardless of who is providing them while asserting that it s fully-equipped to meet all consumers’ post-sale needs. And it described the app concerns as “exaggerated and misleading” in branding any compatibility issues as “minor differences”.

However, Pia Farmer, the Easy Car Sales partner, yesterday retorted that EV Motors “doth protest too much”. Arguing that its statement was more notable for what it did not say, she said her rival had both confirmed it is not an authorised dealer for the two vehicle brands Easy Car Sales has exclusive rights for and that it does not provide manufacturer warranties (see other article on Page 1B).

Still, EV Motors alleged that its rival - which has been in the electric vehicle business since 2016 - was motivated by a desire to blunt the competitive threat that its upstart dealership poses. This, though, was categorically rejected by Ms Farmer who had repeatedly said Easy Car Sales welcomes competition as a means to grow the market and electric vehicle use provided it is done in the right way.

Mr Bastian’s dealership, though, also promised to invest $750,000 in developing a “world class” electric vehicle charging infrastructure “to serve all Bahamians” and not just its own customers, while adding that the latter will receive “the highest after-sales care and support standards in the industry”.

Launching an aggressive and vigorous defence of its business, EV Motors blasted Easy Car Sales’ concerns as “baseless and desperate”. It added: “These accusations falsely claim that EV Motors is holding itself out as an authorised dealer for BYD and Geely. We categorically reject these claims as untrue, baseless, unfounded and designed to mislead the Bahamian public.”

It then accused Easy Car Sales of writing to Bahamian banks and insurance companies with similar allegations in a bid to discourage them providing vehicle buyer financing and coverage. Ms Farmer, though, said the letter was written by BYD to merely inform persons that her dealership was the exclusive Bahamas representative for the brand.

“We are writing to inform you that we have found that there are persons importing BYD brand vehicles and parts into The Bahamas who are not authorised distributors of BYD Auto Industry Company. These vehicles and parts that are imported and sold by persons who are not authorised distributors are not covered by BYD’s manufacturing warranties and may not be suitable for the local market,” the letter added.

Ms Farmer said Easy Car Sales had distributed the letter to all those it thought needed to see it, but EV Motors yesterday asserted it has managed to counter any negative fall-out.

“We have met with the leading insurance companies to explain our mission and warranties, and we are gratified that the Bahamian banks and insurance companies have seen through this ugly, fear-mongering smear campaign and dismissed these bogus claims. The banks and insurance companies continue to finance and insure vehicles purchased through EV Motors,” it added.

Turning to the warranty concerns, EV Motors said: “Our competitor suggests that their warranty is ‘superior’ to those of EV Motors. Here are the facts: Warranties are local by nature. Whether a car is sold by EV Motors or an authorised dealer, warranty claims are handled locally - not by shipping vehicles back to the country of origin.

“The core process involves diagnosing the issue, sourcing the required parts and conducting repairs at a local service facility. At EV Motors, we are fully equipped with OEM-certified diagnostic tools, factory-grade parts and globally trained technicians to provide after-sales service that meets and exceeds the highest industry standards.

“EV Motors offers a transparent and efficient warranty programme. We ensure that parts are in stock or swiftly sourced from our suppliers, reducing downtime and maximising customer convenience. Our investment in our state-of-the-art repair facilities on Independence Drive underscores our commitment to providing best-in-class service to every EV Motors customer.”

As for the incompatibility of apps desired by Bahamians, EV Motors added: “Our competitor’s claim that third-party apps are unavailable on cars sold by EV Motors is exaggerated and misleading. Every EV Motors customer enjoys access to an impressive and wide selection of third-party apps. The infotainment system is world class.

“While our competitor may seek to engage in fear-mongering by exaggerating minor differences in third-party app compatibility, EV Motors focuses on empowering consumers to make informed choices. Informed choices mean the consumer can choose whether or not to spend an additional $20,000 for a specific third-party app on the same car.”

Pledging to provide electric vehicles at “the best possible price” to Bahamians, EV Motors instead argued that Easy Car Sales was engaging in anti-competitive practices by seeking to undermine its business prospects through the concerns it is spreading. It added that “the days of monopolies are over”.

“We call on the public to recognise this campaign for what it is - a malicious anti-competitive attempt to stifle innovation, choice and fair pricing in the auto industry and protect the big fat profits of a... few,” EV Motors added. 

“At EV Motors, we refuse to be distracted by these baseless attacks. We remain steadfast in our mission: To offer Bahamian consumers the best eco-friendly vehicles at the best possible prices, paired with exceptional after-sales care and support....

“EV Motors will sponsor educational symposiums and seminars on ‘green technology’ and support a technical academy to up-skill and train the next generation of Bahamian EV technicians to enable the servicing of cars sold by EV Motors or any other dealer.”