To fine-tune plans to distribute, sell and market its first electric vehicle, the GV60, Genesis Motor North America took the unusual step of partnering with a dealer.
And at the time, he wasn’t even a Hyundai dealer.
The GV60 EV launched last week in Los Angeles with its first shipment to Genesis Santa Monica, a store owned by Mike Sullivan, president of LAcarGuy dealership group.
Sullivan has been selling electrified vehicles in the L.A. market for 15 years, including battery-electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Genesis wanted that experience.
His LAcarGuy stores include a number of brands that moved into electrification ahead of Genesis — such as Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Toyota and Lexus. The dealership group learned the ways of EV retailing from selling the VW e-Golf and ID4, the Audi E-tron, Porsche Taycan and others. And Sullivan estimates that his Toyota store volumes made LAcarGuy the biggest seller of the Toyota Prius hybrid in the country for several years running. He was also one of the first dealers to take on Toyota’s hydrogen-powered Mirai.
But when Genesis approached him in 2020, Sullivan wasn’t even part of Hyundai’s dealership network, the pool from which luxury Genesis retailers were selected. Next month will mark his one-year anniversary as a Genesis dealer.
Claudia Marquez, Genesis COO, said Sullivan offered “so much experience” about selling electrified vehicles as the brand prepared to launch EVs. And Genesis knew that California was going to be central to its business plan of electrification and launching the GV60, Marquez told Automotive News.
Sullivan says Genesis invited him to help it piece together the complex puzzle of electrification because of his group’s experience talking to customers about EVs and educating them on the products and lifestyle changes required to drive one. He also has been on dealer councils for Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota and Subaru addressing electrification decisions.