Zapp names head of aftersales to implement bike delivery strategy
Zapp Electric Vehicles, a UK-based high-performance two-wheel electric vehicle company, has appointed Graham Lusby as its new head of aftersales, Europe. Lusby joins Zapp after eight years at McLaren Automotive Ltd, where he held various senior positions including, most recently, Regional Aftersales Manager United Kingdom.
Lusby’s focus will be to implement Zapp’s innovative drop-ship-direct-to-customer (DSDTC) sales model which kicks off with Zapp’s debut vehicle, the i300 electric performance city bike. The DSDTC platform focuses on customer convenience. Once a customer has ordered their i300, the bike will be delivered to an address of their choice by a “Zapper”, a franchised and trained technician, in a Zapper van.
A trained “Zapper” will introduce the bike to the customer to make vehicle handover as simple, efficient and convenient as possible. A Zapper will also come to the customer’s chosen address – whether at home, work or elsewhere – to perform routine servicing on-site, so the bike does not have to leave the customer’s location. For more time-consuming servicing requirements, a Zapper will pick the bike up from the customer, then return it directly after the service has been completed. All Zapper vans will carry a full toolkit and spare parts inventory.
“I am incredibly excited to be joining a forward-thinking and innovative company like Zapp,” said Lusby. “My immediate focus is to roll out the drop-ship-direct-to-customer service, which is part of Zapp’s commitment to make buying, receiving and owning an i300 as fuss-free and enjoyable as possible. The days of booking appointments at dealerships and then being left without a vehicle while the work is carried out are over. This is just one way in which Zapp thinks out of the box, I’m honored to be part of the team on this exciting journey.”
During his eight years at McLaren Automotive, Lusby held a number of senior positions, including Regional Aftersales Manager (Middle East and Latin America), Regional Aftersales Manager (Western Europe) and Regional Aftersales Manager (United Kingdom). Graham was integral to the operational improvement and development of 29 McLaren retailers across multiple regions. Graham joined McLaren as Global Technical Support Specialist in 2014 and supported the global launch of the McLaren P1.
“We are very pleased to welcome someone of Graham’s talent and ability to the Zapp family,” said David McIntyre, chief commercial officer at Zapp. “Graham shares our values and perspectives and, crucially, understands that in today’s busy world customers expect ease of ownership and convenience, especially from a premium company such as Zapp.”