EV dealer to the stars
Meet the go-to guy for celebrities and motion picture executives when it comes to electric vehicles.
Salesman Bob Greene at Community Chevrolet in Burbank
Not too many auto salespeople have to sign an NDA with their clients, but something close to that is no stranger to Community Chevrolet's Bob Greene, an eight-year veteran with the Burbank dealership.
“It’s usually the agent or the manager who makes it clear that these celebrities want to keep their car purchasing confidential,” Greene said of his electric vehicle clientele. “These are household names you’d recognize. That’s all I can say.”
Greene sells and leases Chevrolet Bolts to a long list of actors, directors, producers, writers, editors, cameramen, make up artists… everyone. He is also the go-to guy for film and TV executives at the studios in Burbank, including Warner Bros., Disney, NBC and ABC.
“This is the car they drive. It’s not a second car or a third car,” Greene explained. “I check-up on them a week or two after delivery, and they all say they love these EV’s.” In an industry known for grumbling about just about anything, “I haven’t had a single complaint, not one,” he said.
Greene personally delivers electric vehicles to many of his entertainment clients, a number of whom are repeat customers recently making what has generally been a smooth transition from a Volt to a Bolt. “I haven’t had to convince anyone,” he explained. ‘“Once they drive the Bolt, they’re good with it. The car just sells itself.”
Over 60% of Greene’s car sales and leases are electric vehicles, and 80% of his business dealings are with entertainment industry clients. This includes the studio drivers’ union in North Hollywood, Teamsters Local 399, which leases EV’s for use by leadership.
“The entertainment people like these cars because it enhances their green lifestyle, and it cuts down on energy costs,” Greene said, explaining that he’s looking forward to introducing his clients to the next version of the Bolt. Slated for a summer of 2021 launch, the 2022 Bolt electric utility vehicle will be the first vehicle outside of Cadillac to offer GM’s hands-free driving Super Cruise technology.
“I’m hopeful it will be another big hit with my customers,” Greene said. “Once you go EV, you stay EV, and these entertainment folks are no different from anyone else.”