An employee at Tom Ahl Family of Dealerships polishes a new vehicle display. The dealership is installing rapid electric charging stations to meet demand from the automotive industry, which is producing more all-electric and hybrid-electric models.
LIMA — Tom Ahl remembers the days when a brand-new car sold for $1,799.
A new Jeep Wrangler? That would cost just shy of $5,000, Ahl said, reminiscing about the early days of his career.
“Now if you can get a new (Jeep Wrangler) for under $50,000, you’re doing pretty good,” Ahl said.
Ahl started working for the Bob Daniels Buick dealership alongside his father when he was 14 years old, eventually taking ownership of what would become the Tom Ahl Family of Dealerships.
In the decades since, Ahl has watched the industry adapt to everything from the Internet to the pandemic, which caused a sudden shortage of new vehicles that pushed demand for used vehicles — not to mention used-vehicle prices — to unprecedented heights.
“There was a time when we would look at books and see what other cars were being sold for in the market to be able to figure out what we can ask for and try to make a little bit along the way,” Ahl said.
To stay in business, Ahl said, his team strives for small margins but high volumes of sales.
Now at 71, Ahl is getting ready for the next revolution in the automotive industry: electrification.
“The manufacturers are demanding more (electric vehicles),” Ahl said.
It’s an expensive bet for small and regional dealerships, many of which are waiting to see how popular the all-electric models will be in their markets. But Ahl is taking that bet.
Already, Ahl has spent $135,000 to install a rapid battery charger to carry the new all-electric Buick line. He’ll need three more chargers for the Hyundai store soon too, he said.
While dealerships across the region have sold hybrid-electric vehicles for years, their inventories are starting to include more hybrid and all-electric options, as automakers from Ford to Toyota switch to electric models.
At Reineke Famiy Dealerships in Lima, for example, buyers looking for electric vehicles can choose between models like the 2022 Ford F-150 4×4 King Ranch pick-up truck or the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning pickup, with more options coming soon.
The Ford-Lincoln dealership recently showcased its incoming electric inventory, including the F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford E-Transit, to introduce the electric models to the public in February.
Charging stations are popping up around town too, from dealership and gas station parking lots to employee car charging stations at Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center, to accommodate the increased demand for electric or hybrid-electric vehicles.
“It’s an exciting business,” Ahl said. “The opportunities are big, and I think it’ll be big as we go forward with these electric (vehicles). People will want to change.”
CELEBRATING OUR SPIRIT
Plenty of foods, items and ideas are created right here in the Lima region. Celebrating Our Spirit looks at those organizations that make the area such a vibrant place to live, work and play.
Read more stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/spirit.
