Marketing
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Ford is studying up on electric-vehicle misconceptions as it prepares a new ad campaign to support plug-in products.
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How Nissan hopes to market its future electric cars
The Nissan Leaf with a roughly 60-kilowatt-hour battery was expected to make its public debut at the LA Auto Show earlier this month. It didn’t. That car is expected to appear “very soon,” perhaps at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show to be held in Las Vegas next month. DON'T...
John Voelcker -
Why aren't automakers advertising electric cars? Maybe they are
Sometimes you have to build a market when there's not one to cater to. How else would Ford have begun selling 300,000 Explorers a year when they were based on a rough-riding, antiquated (even then) Ranger pickup? Ford disseminated images in front of millions of American eyeballs of Explorers...
Eric C. Evarts -
Buyers in seven Northeast states urged to consider electric cars
When companies want to sell more of something, they market it. Now, at long last, electric cars are about to get the same treatment.
Eric C. Evarts -
Can Honda break through buyer confusion about plug-in hybrids?
With the launch of the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid sedan, the Chevrolet Volt now has its first serious competition among long-range plug-in hybrids. About 25,000 second-generation Volts were sold last year, and this year's number will be about 20,000. Honda says it may sell about the same...
John Voelcker -
Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid gets ad support from Sesame Street characters
The 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, the sole plug-in hybrid minivan offered for sale in North America. Its early months were plagued by a powertrain recall for a potentially faulty diode within the power inverter module. Now, the Pacifica Hybrid is back on sale in its...
Sean Szymkowski -
The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV isn't yet available in all states, but it's been on sale in California for six months now. While Chevy has said all along it will market the 238-mile electric car in a very targeted way, specifically trying to reach people similar to existing owners, it may have expanded its reach somewhat. This past Friday, a full-page ad for the Chevy Bolt EV appeared in at least two major national newspapers. DON'T MISS: Chevy Bolt EV: nationwide sales moved up to August for electric car Those were The Washington Post and The New York Times; the ad ran in the front section of...
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Chatbot for Kia Niro hybrid vs driving the actual car
A chatbot would never lie to you, right? That’s what I wanted to find out when I tested a Facebook Messenger chatbot for the 2017 Kia Niro crossover, which recently won the Guinness Book of World Records for the lowest fuel consumption for a hybrid vehicle. (It was an interesting competition...
VentureBeat's GreenBeat -
First TV ad for Karma Revero drops as sales to start next month
Everything old is new again, including the 2017 Karma Revero, a reborn 2012 Fisker Karma. Now its maker has released the first-ever television advertisement for the car, a spot that debuted during the 2017 U.S. Open Polo Championship, sponsored by Karma Automotive. Simply titled "Delivery," the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Toyota Mirai billboards scrub nitrogen oxides while touting hydrogen fuel-cell sedan
If green cars can reduce emissions, why shouldn't their advertising do the same? That's the theory behind a series of billboards in relevant California markets that advertise the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell sedan. But these billboards will do more than try to attract the eyes of potential...
Stephen Edelstein -
Honda Clarity Fuel Cell marketing theme: thinking about tomorrow
A 40-year-old Fleetwood Mac song, floating childrens' heads, and hydrogen molecules all kick off the marketing campaign for the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell hydrogen-powered vehicle. Like most marketing for hydrogen vehicles, the video ad above will likely be targeted only to California drivers...
John Voelcker -
Toyota shows Mirai Super Bowl ad, but only in California
As is the norm these days, the ads running during Super Bowl LI this past weekend drew almost as much attention as the game itself. Automakers are among the myriad companies that expend considerable creative and monetary resources on Super Bowl ads every year. And green cars make occasional...
Stephen Edelstein -
Despite steady increases over the past few years, electric cars still represent only a tiny fraction of new-car sales. There are no shortage of theories as to why that is the case. Some electric-car advocates blame manufacturers for not adequately promoting the vehicles, while many within the industry point to a lack of consumer demand. DON'T MISS: More than half of car buyers know little about electric cars, if anything But a new study claims that automakers can indeed do more to stimulate electric-car demand. Automakers must be prepared to sell electric cars to a wider range of customers...
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Toyota Mirai touted in ad on electric-car charging station
How do you advertise new and innovative zero-emission vehicles, whether they're electric or fuel-cell cars? It's a question that's bedeviled carmakers and their marketers, who continue to experiment with messaging, different audiences, and programs to get people into the cars. The challenge is...
John Voelcker -
Electric cars are on the market, so where are all the ads?
Automakers put relatively little effort into electric-car advertising, according to the Sierra Club.
Stephen Edelstein -
Hyundai Ioniq Electric: how maker plans to market 124-mile electric car
Hyundai will use some novel promotions to market its Ioniq Electric plug-in car.
Stephen Edelstein -
Hydrogen marketing campaign suggests, 'Let's clear the air'
Infrastructure company Air Liquide is launching a new marketing campaign to promote fuel cells.
Stephen Edelstein -
Lexus hybrids 'always charged,' says slogan (unlike electric cars)
Lexus once again takes aim at electric cars with a new slogan.
Stephen Edelstein -
A new Energy Department campaign promotes electric cars in a questionable way.
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Does the Chevy Bolt EV make the Chevrolet Volt irrelevant? Is that a problem?
Sometime during the last three months of this year, the first 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be delivered to its buyer in a blaze of flash photography and publicity. The 200-mile electric car, base-priced at $37,500 before incentives, will be the first car in the world with those specifications. And...
John Voelcker -
Federal funds to back Portland storefront for electric-car marketing, pop-up roadshows
The U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday that it would award almost $1 million to Drive Oregon over three years, to fund a regional marketing campaign that will promote the benefits of electric cars to regional consumers. The advocacy group plans to set up a permanent storefront in downtown...
John Voelcker -
Oil and gas fracking industry targets Millennials for support
A Texas fracking advocacy group uses social media to target Millennials.
Stephen Edelstein -
Plug-in hybrid problem: buyers don't understand them at all
What's an electric car? It's a car powered by a battery, like your cellphone. Doesn't use gasoline. What's a hybrid car? It's a car that runs on gasoline, but gets better fuel economy (whether or not you understand how). OK, so what's a plug-in hybrid? DON'T MISS: BMW 330e plug-in hybrid ads: no...
John Voelcker -
BMW 330e plug-in hybrid ads: no wait for Tesla Model 3 needed
The Tesla Model 3 electric car, which its maker says will launch late next year with 200 miles of range and a $35,000 price, has caused a few shock waves across the car industry. All the German luxury makers now have plans for their own 200-mile battery-electric vehicles coming in 2018 or later, at...
John Voelcker