Posted by At Davos, Gita Gopinath of world bank warned that pollution is hurting India’s economy in a big way. EVs and rooftop solar are two of the most practical solutions we have right now.
But there is a big gap:
People are not adopting fast enough. If we want to catch up with China and reach real scale, EV and solar companies must talk to many more customers, not just a few hundred from tradeshows.
The Reality: Conversion Rates Are Low, So Volume Matters
In solar, even good companies close only a small part of their leads.
- Average solar conversion rate is less than 10%.
- A “good” range is often 10–15% in competitive markets.
This means:
- If you get 100 leads and convert 15%, you only get 15 customers.
- If you get 1,000 leads at the same 15%, you get 150 customers.
- If you get 10,000 leads, you get 1,500 customers.
The math is simple:
Low conversion = you must play the volume game.
For EV and solar OEMs or dealers, relying on slow, expensive channels (like 2–3 tradeshows a year) is not enough. You need continuous, high-volume, low-cost digital outreach.
How Many Leads Should You Target?
Let’s take a simple target and work backwards.
Suppose you want 300 sales per month.
- Assume a realistic conversion rate of 15% (within the industry’s 13–17% range).
- Leads required = Sales / Conversion rate.
So:
- 300 sales / 0.15 = 2,000 leads per month.
If your current setup (tradeshows, referrals, walk-ins) is giving you only 200–300 leads per month, you are underusing your capacity by 5–10x.
A practical thumb rule for ambitious EV/solar sellers:
- Small team: 500–1,000 leads per month.
- Growing regional player: 2,000–5,000 leads per month.
- Large OEM / national dealer network: 10,000+ leads per month, distributed across partners.
These numbers become realistic only if you use automation and AI, not manual calls and spreadsheets.
Global Examples: AI + Automation = More Leads, Better Conversions
Around the world, companies are already using AI to reach the masses and convert better.
- Harley-Davidson (New York dealership)
Used AI-driven predictive analytics for digital ads.
Result: 2,930% increase in leads in 3 months – from almost no leads to a constant stream every day.
AI helped them find lookalike audiences and shift budget to the best-performing channels automatically. - U.S. Bank
Used AI for lead scoring and deal prioritization.
Result: 260% increase in conversions and 25% faster deal closure.
Same team, more focused effort – because AI told them who to call first. - Global tech firm (B2B)
Implemented AI-powered sales engagement tools.
Result: 67% increase in meeting conversion, 35% more positive responses, and 25% shorter sales cycles.
The pattern is clear:
When you combine mass outreach with AI-driven targeting and follow-ups, you get both more leads and better conversion from the same team.
What This Means for EV & Solar Sellers in India
To compete with China’s scale in EVs and solar, Indian OEMs and installers need three things:
- Mass top-of-funnel
- Run always-on campaigns on WhatsApp, Meta, Google, OTT, and LinkedIn.
- Collect leads from every channel into one CRM instead of scattered Excel sheets.
- Fast and automated follow-up
- Auto-respond to every enquiry in seconds (not hours or days).
- Use AI to chat, qualify, share brochures, EMI options, test-ride/inspection slots automatically.
- AI-powered prioritization
- Let AI rank leads based on intent (who clicked, replied, visited pricing pages).
- Your human sales team focuses only on the top 10–20% of high-intent leads.
In simple words:
You talk to everyone at scale, but your people spend time only where it matters.
A Simple Number Plan You Can Use
You can even frame it like this for your team:
- Target: 300 installations or vehicle sales per month.
- Assumed conversion: 15%.
- Required leads: 2,000 per month.
Then ask:
- How many can we get from tradeshows and offline? Maybe 200.
- How many from referrals? Maybe 100.
- Gap: We still need 1,700+ leads – this is where digital + AI must fill the pipeline.
Then design campaigns and AI workflows to chase that gap.
Closing Thought
India needs EVs and solar not just for business growth, but to protect health, productivity, and long-term GDP – exactly what Gita Gopinath warned about. Mass outreach is not “nice to have”; it is the only way to unlock adoption at the speed the country needs.
If you are an EV or solar OEM, distributor, or installer:
- How many leads are you targeting every month?
- What conversion rate are you actually seeing?
- How are you using AI and automation to reach more people without burning out your team?
If you are an industry expert, we would love your views:
What is working for you to reach the masses? What tools, playbooks, or channels are giving you the best results?