General Motors (GM) announced that nearly half of all its Buick dealers have taken buyouts this year instead of investing in selling and servicing electric vehicles (EVs). This move comes as GM’s brands transition to all-electric by 2030. As a result, GM will end 2023 with just 1,000 Buick stores nationwide, down 47% from the beginning of the year when it had about 1,890 stores.

Last year, Buick had asked dealers to commit a minimum investment of $300,000 to $400,000 to prepare their stores for selling and servicing EVs. However, given the significant drop in the number of dealerships, GM might need to adopt a more aggressive strategy to encourage investments in EV infrastructure. …

GM’s Buick brand, known for its luxury sedans and SUVs, has faced declining sales in recent years. With the shift to EVs, the company aims to revive the brand’s image and appeal to a younger, more environmentally conscious demographic.

[The appeal of that approach can be measured in how appealing it is to the dealers. If they’re not enthused about this new direction, how enthused do we think their customers are? The dealers are a lot closer to the customers than marketers and corporate execs are, after all. If these dealers are changing brands, imagine what GM’s customers will be doing. — Ed]