Boulder Nissan’s ‘EVangelist’ devotes his career to promoting EV ownership
Nigel Zeid is a member of the sales team from Boulder Nissan in Boulder, CO, and he specializes in electric vehicles, specifically the Nissan LEAF.
When LEAF first launched 10 years ago, Zeid was enamored by the swift acceleration of an electric vehicle, paired with the benefits of zero-emissions1. Both a car enthusiast and someone who cares about the environment, he was onboard right away.
"I was hooked after my first time behind the wheel," said Zeid. "It was exciting to see a company like Nissan go all-in on EVs and it's something I wanted to be an active participant in promoting far and wide."
He set out to become an EV evangelist and educator, and has since sold more than 1,000 Nissan LEAF vehicles to customers across the U.S.
In the early LEAF days, Zeid attended dozens of local events – from environmental conferences to sporting events – to help spread the message about the benefits of EV ownership. At these events, he even spent time with those who were unlikely to buy an electric vehicle to help understand their reservations.
Many of Zeid's early-adopter LEAF customers worked at local tech companies and came prepared with highly technical questions. Zeid immersed himself in the technology in order to confidently answer their questions, recognizing that the LEAF was like no other vehicle in the showroom and required him to have a deeper knowledge. He made many calls to Nissan engineers and spent hours on LEAF forums to improve his understanding of customer viewpoints.
"I quickly discovered that I would need to deeply understand the Nissan LEAF, the EV lifestyle, and would also need to spend a lot more time with each customer," said Zeid. "Before they even asked, I was ready to show them every single benefit and difference in the LEAF compared to a gas-powered vehicle."
Through the years, Zeid has continued to work to increase his knowledge and understanding of electric vehicles and also who EV customers are and what they need. He takes the time to get to know them and their daily routine, helping to determine whether the LEAF is in fact the right vehicle for them. One of the worst things he says that can happen is for a customer to buy an EV and later find out that it doesn't work for their lifestyle. If that happens, Zeid fears that will ultimately work against the goodwill he's spread for EVs.
"The only way this works is if each LEAF customer is happy and spreading positive EV sentiment in their circle," said Zeid. "The more satisfied customers, the more people who will ultimately switch to an EV."
With 10 years behind him, Zeid is looking forward to the future now, and is excited for some of the new products coming from Nissan, such as the all-new Nissan Ariya, Nissan's first all-electric crossover.
"I've come to realize that I'm having so much fun doing this and educating people, it just doesn't feel like work at all," Zeid said. "EVs are so much fun to drive, and I can't wait for my customers to experience this with the LEAF and the new Nissan Ariya as well."
1. Zero tailpipe emissions