Chevy Volt: Greatest auto marketing coup ever?
Pre production Volt one week ahead of scheduleI'm a big fan of the Chevy Volt. I've been talking about it for more than 2 years. Unfortunately, I'll be talking about if for more than another year before GM actually starts selling this innovative plug-in vehicle.
Anyway, today GM announced that it had started production on pre-production Volts, slightly ahead of schedule. Yet, what does this really mean?
Despite the long term potential of the Chevy Volt, the Volt offers GM very little in the next decade, other than positive press. In fact, it will almost certainly be at least a decade before GM is even producing 100,000 Volts per year. In the short term, Volt sales are meaningless. It's all about marketing.
Certainly, in another decade or so, the Volt could become GM's most important vehicle, or at least the first output of its most important platform. Unfortunately, however, it is far too early to tell. Every automaker has various plug-in plans, but the winners are many years away from being determined. Yet, no other plug-in vehicle receives near the attention of the Volt.
Regardless, there is no denying the marketing power of the Volt. Hence, is the Volt the greatest marketing coup ever in the automotive world?
posted by Dahcredyns at
12:56 PM
8 Comments:
OK. I'm going to answer my own question.
The greatest marketing coup ever was, and continues to be to some extent, the Big 3's ability to convince Americans that gas guzzling is patriotic, despite all of the wars and terrorism, etc. caused by foreign oil dependency.
I don't see how Volt's "marketing coup" is a negative thing. Americans need to know about this vehicle. Put the damn thing under the flag, say all the crap about the "American tradition"(building in South Korea...cough cough...) and make the thing patriotic. Because, sorry guys, but about 90 percent of our population thinks hybrids are for sissy little girls... GM needs to market the volt, and put it in a good light.
One might call the Volt an excuse not to do more today. Toyota is going to sell 1/2 million hybrid cars this year alone. GM is selling tens of thousands of hybrids, barely.
Combine that with the limited production of the Volt, and GM still seems far behind the hybrid and fuel efficiency curve. In fact it might be a decade before GM sells 1/2 million hybrids in total.
And most of our population does not think hybrids are for sissy girls. Most Americans believe hybrid technology is a strategic technology for fighting foreign oil dependency and saving US jobs. Unfortunately, most Americans, however, are not willing to pay extra for hybrid technology.
Nonetheless, if gas hits $3.50+, hordes of Americans are willing to pay extra for hybrids.
Yet, along those lines, GM will not ever produce a Prius fighter? GM is going to give up the cheap hybrid market to the Japanese the same way GM gave up the small market to the Japanese?
Isn't insanity doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results?
That's the harm of the Volt, and GM's hybrid efforts, being more about marketing instead of real world reality.
My question
Even with a big initial tax credit what middle class couple are going to plunk down around $35,000 for a basic Volt ???????
Not me.
i totally agree. the volt will find buyers. still, can a company like gm completely give up the cheap hybrid car segment to toyota, honda, etc.?
i don't think so.
Marketing Coup???? The longer it takes, the more it becomes a Marketing Flop, late for dinner. Although GM may no longer be a physical behemouth, unable to react quickly, but they are still a corporate behemouth, still unable to react quickly or change their mindset. At least that's my perception.
all the signs are -> FLOP
wrong car for the wrong market at the wrong price...and the hope is that gasoline will go to $5 to make it a success....
This could well become GM's Edsel.
who in the world is going to use a plug-in car with a range of what 50 miles max?
anyone know how soccer moms "work".
well.. they don't think about the car needing to be charged up or having only 10 miles left on the charge...
they hop in the car and they're off to their errands...
they want to swing by the refueling station when they are on fumes and get a recharge - pronto.
You take your brand new plug-in to work and the only two wall plugs are already in use?
Mom/Dad and the kids are heading to the beach for a weekend and they hop in the plug-in?
come on guys... wishful thinking is a noble but usually fruitless endeavor...
yes.. the single tech-support geek will fawn all over his plug-in. He'll even put a bike rack on top and figure out where all the plug-in receptacles are at.. he'll probably even develop a database of available locations and make it so it can be downloaded into GPS units...
but Uncle Bob and Aunt Sally in Toledo are not headed to the family reunion in Charlotte with their ONLY car.... which happens to be a plug-in.
People. People.
Paalleezzzeee - let's get the cheerleading under control here.
I agrre with Dach.
GM appears to be using the Volt as an excuse for not having to make hybrids in the same class as the Prius or Insight.
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