In the long term, will electric cars take over the diesel role

Upplands Motor is one of the country's largest retailer, with ten facilities in Stockholm and Uppsalaområdet. In märkesportföljen are Volvo, Ford, Renault, Dacia, and then the 2017 Mercedes-Benz. last year, the company sold around 13,000 cars, of which about 5,000 second-hand.

the Plant next to the E4 motorway in Kista is the largest and has steadily grown in extent since the construction began just over ten years ago, in the midst of the financial crisis. Anders Lindström, who is the principal owner, bought the Upplands Motor in 1989, but the family's involvement in the Swedish motor vehicle trade goes to the back all the way to the 1930s.

”We sell mostly to businesses, but also the private market is very important for us”, says ceo Kent Jonsson. Photo: Lasse Swärd

Kent Jonsson was recruited as ceo for just over six years ago. He had behind him a long career in telecom, including as managing director at Halebop.

– Pending with a lot of uncertainty, mainly in the household segment. We have about 70% of our sales to the business and the part is much more stable. The state of the economy remains good, so the companies continue to buy cars.

- No, there is great interest in rechargeable cars, but where is the supply is still thin and the prices high. This applies in particular for pure electric cars, which, moreover, are very difficult to put residual. We don't know what that will be about two-three years, which may affect the value, " he says and takes the electric car Renault Zoe as an example.

Suddenly came a version with a range of 40 miles instead of 20 miles.

– It is easier for us to count on conventional cars.

" Companies are looking at the TCO, the total cost of car ownership, and where will the diesel out very good. In addition, running many companies with CO2-linked environmental policy and also fall, the diesel is good.

" But if you look at some term, the increase of electric vehicles to be at the expense of diesel.

What are the issues facing you from the customers?

– Difficult to navigate in the debate on the regulations that apply in the future. What is really best for the environment and that fills my needs? We usually go through the customer's transportation needs and on the basis of the reasoning us to the best solution.

" We are seeing a clear shift to gasoline in the smaller cars are mainly purchased by retail customers.

How do you see privatleasing?

– It is important and will become more important in this transition, we are in the middle of where the customer feels a sense of insecurity about the future value of the car. For our part, have stabilized at just over 50 per cent of the retail market. The percentage may increase slightly during the year depending on the speed of the technology shift to rechargeable cars.

How do you see Volvo's ambitions with his own subscription Care by Volvo - do not take a part the cake away from you as a reseller?

I think that Volvo's ambitions are absolutely right. Care by Volvo is an offer to take care of a larger part of the customer mobility needs of the population, and there are many customers who want it easy and hassle-free.

" You have to look at the whole picture. It has longer been pressure on the nybilsmarginalerna, it is nothing new for us. Now it is pressure even on the workshop. It is the background that we're expanding our services to also, for example, däckhotell and glass.

Yet another car sold! Upplands Motor sold 13.000 cars in the last year. Photo: Lasse Swärd

– We offer to take care of everything the customer wants, at one and the same place. It should be as simple as possible and the time the customer spends it must never feel wasted. Therefore, we offer breakfast, lunch, the opportunity to work and similar services.

" We have good competition and everyone is getting better and better. But I want to say that we have been driving in the helhetsfokus on the customer. A proof of this is that the Lexus (Toyota lyxbilsmärke, DN:s note) sent delegations from Japan and their headquarters in Europe in order to study our approach.