Not only is there a lower margin, but the fact that EVs are lower maintenance means they will get less money from a customer coming into their service department. Not that it even needs to get to anything as farsighted as that when a sales guy gets a larger commission for an ICE vehicle. They aren't going to spend time learning about a product that gets them paid less, they are going to say whatever it takes to steer a customer towards whatever gets them the biggest payday.

One of my favorite examples of ignorant dealers saying stupid shit was a dealer telling a would be customer that they weren't able to bring EVs into their service dept because they have to be kept in a bomb proof shelter in case the battery explodes. This wasn't even a sales guy, it was a manager in a service dept, at a dealer that (supposedly) sells and services EVs.