Chevy didn't get the memo...

I think you guys are being too hard on this ad, and Chevy.

As I said, in a previous thread with this ad in it, I don't think Prius/Volt is an apples to apples comparison. Even PiP and Volt is not an apples to apples comparison.

IMO, this ad isn't aimed at people who already own a Prius, nor people that already own a Volt, it's aimed at first time buyers considering a "hybrid" or alternative option.

I think it's a little long. And is like a joke that stretches out a meager punchline. BUT... whether you agree with it or not, it does get it's message across in an entertaining and very comprehensive way. The validity of the message is very debatable BUT the idea is to get someone into a Chevy Dealership to look at The Volt, it's to plant "positive" ideas about owning a Volt, while simultaneously planting a negative perception about The Prius. From that standpoint, if we are talking about potential buyers with little experience with either, which I believe we are,- then it's a effective ad.

To an extent, I hope it's Toyota that is getting the memo. Because there IS some truth to the ad.

While Ford Fusion Hybrids, and Chevy Volt, have had colorful digital dash displays for a while now, it's taken until Gen 4 with the Standard Prius for Toyota to FINALLY start adding some color. Even with the addition, I do think Toyota is behind.

I love my Gen 3 Prius, but the dash display looks like something out of a vacuum tube 70's. Barely any color, it reminds me of a 70's Texas Instruments calculator. This is an area I think Toyota could/should improve considerably.
I think they are moving in the right direction with the Gen 4 Prius, but I'm NOT sure they still aren't doing enough.

In any case, surely I'm a Prius supporter. As I said in the other thread, I couldn't really consider a Volt if I wanted to do so. BUT...
Just because Chevy takes a obvious and comedic shot at Prius with their ad, I'm not going to bother to be so insulted that I don't recognize that the shot wouldn't be possible, if there wasn't at least some truth to it.

And there is. Which is a big part of the reason why Toyota is pushing the Gen 4 Prius as being so "Good Looking". I think Toyota HAS gotten the memo, and they realize going forward that the bar has been raised . You can no longer sell The Prius as ONLY being a hybrid tool. It's got to also look modern, refined and beautiful.

 

The advertisement pushed the idea "outdated".

Many posts we've seen mention the need to be "modern".

Both are just vague references though. Neither has a clear definition or clear benefit. What is truly being asked for?

That's starts with understanding goals... Who is the target? How many do they intend to sell? When will this happen?

 

that would be redundant.

 

isn't it funny how vw and gm feel the need to denigrate the prius? i hope gm doesn't get caught with their pants down like vdub, similar mentality.

 

The 2016 Volt is available to order in Canada and 11 CARB states and those regions probably account for about 70% of their past sales. The first cars are in transit to be in customer hands in the next week or so. I don't think that counts as "so limited in availability".

Why is it not compared with the PiP? Maybe because it's no longer in production or available and the new one hasn't even been announced yet.

 

What about the people who don't live in those states? It sends a strange message to them about older tech. What about the gen-1 Volt? And buyers in those 11 CARB states are fairly well informed. They likely know Prius isn't as outdated as represented and are aware that a next-gen Prius is on the way.

Funny part is, the negative publicity could really backfire. Enthusiasts have been doing everything they can to distance Volt from Prius. Then here comes GM, highlighting Prius as the closest competitive hybrid. Interest in Prius could be stirred simply from people taking a closer look to figure out why.

 

So it's okay for Chevy to use the Volt 2.0 that one can't drive today, never mind most Americans for many months. But it's ok to use a model year 2015 Prius liftback because the 2016 isn't here yet. Makes perfect sense.

But that angle doesn't work for GM either. If they insist on comparing the Volt 2.0 to Prius Liftback 3.0, cost of access to the Volt is $33,170 (MSRP) and $19,399 for that generation Prius (Dianne's 2015 model year Prius deals for fall 2015 | PriusChat). How many people who can afford that Prius can afford the Volt?

And before someone says that's not the real price for the Volt as there are federal credits...There's a really good chance the guy who can afford that Prius won't qualify for most or all of the tax credit.

Entertaining or not, they crossed the line of validity and frankly lied about the "technology". They stated that the Volt "uses state of the art battery technology...the Prius hybrid uses battery technology developed 15 years ago..." Wrong and wrong.

GM may consider this skillful or effective marketing to win customers, but shame on them to lack such integrity.

 

These are dumb car ads just like most car ads. These are the Internet versions just shown to the media last week and subsequently released for a brief flurry of free advertising. The shorter TV versions of these ads, the ads that most people will actually see, aren't released yet. Those ads will probably play primarily in the regional markets where is car is being rolled out.

The angle about battery tech is kind of pointless. Is Lithium-ion better? Probably, which is why Toyota and other non-plugin hybrid makers are slowly shifting over to it. Does anyone use NiMH for plugin hybrids? No. Does this belong as a focal point of a TV ad? Probably not. Should anyone care? Probably not.

These ads will quickly be forgotten. Others have pointed out that Toyota's Prius ads have been weird and generally awful as well. The people writing these ads and the marketing people writing the checks for them just haven't yet figured out how to sell alternatives to conventional gas cars yet.

The points they ought to be hitting for the new Volt are:

1. Fun to drive. Quiet yet sporty. Much better commuting experience. Plays well with the latest Apple and Android phone tech.

2. Many fewer hassles to maintain or refuel it -- just plug it in overnight and drive it. Just as easy and fast to refuel on longer drives as conventional cars. Win win.

3. This is the future. Move away from oil dependency. Be the cool kid on your street.

Those are positive messages and they're all completely true. I think it's fine to do a little compare and contrast on those items versus the existing Toyota Prius models because I think a lot of the customer base is familiar with Prius but the real competitors the Volt is being cross-shopped against are smaller range BEVs like the LEAF.

GM is under no moral obligation to compare their newly available car to future models from other car makers.

 

i'm still trying to figure out who the competition is.

 

You have to look at where people are coming from and where they are going to.

Volt buyers are largely coming from a Prius or Prius-like hybrid or they have a conventional car but are familiar with hybrids. They are going toward electric cars. People not shopping for a plugin car largely won't be paying attention to a Volt ad.


There's a progression here:

Conventional car -> hybrid
Hybrid -> plugin hybrid
Plugin hybrid -> electric

Of course, some people will skip directly from conventional to electric but I suspect most folks will transition through a hybrid or plugin hybrid first. They will want the comfort and reassurance of hybrid training wheels before they drive all electric. The Volt wants to be the training wheels for those future all-electric car owners.

 

Good point however, the only reason most people will choose a hybrid over a PHEV or EV is the plug. We can talk marketing, save the planet and all, but until the infrastructure and technology exists that allows one to just plug and go anywhere anytime...Ice and hybrid will remain the bread and butter.

 

I'd put it':

Conventional car -> hybrid
Hybrid -> plugin hybrid
Plugin hybrid -> Plugin series hybrid
Plugin series hybrid -> Plugin series hybrid that doesn't run on fossil fuels

Pure battery-electric cars are non-starters for mainstream use until batteries are WAY better than they are today. Even ~50 mile plugins are not really economical for the same reason.

 

If you have a 53-mile hybrid plugin, the only plug you really need in order to drive mostly electric is the one at home.

 

Battery prices are plunging and energy density is on a steady path of improvement.

Just ~7 years ago battery cells for plugin cars were $300-400 per kWh of storage. GM just disclosed that they are paying $145 per kWh next year for Chevy Bolt cells and are on track to pay $100 per kWh by 2022. Tesla has also said they are aiming for $100 per kWh or better by 2020. After then we may well be switching to "solid state" Lithium cells that have even better energy and volumetric density.

By the time most people make it through this progression the economics and practicality of all-electric will be ready for mainstream use.

It's not like everyone is going to instantly switch away from conventional cars. This process is going to take several decades to completely play out. Individuals will make the switch when it makes sense for the totality of their circumstances. Many families may go with both a plugin hybrid and an all-electric car for quite some time going forward.

The important thing is to transition people out of conventional cars that use lots of oil and spew lots of CO2 and into plugins that easily and efficiently leverage the global transition from fossil to renewable grid electricity.

 

You're trying too hard for GM. Still that angle doesn't work for them either. PiP is still available. Volt 2.0, still not yet. I haven't looked outside of my local dealership 3 miles away, but they still have new 2015 PiPs as of today:
New Vehicles at Roseville Toyota-Scion, California

Bingo. Sure, they could have compared it to a Model T. However, their battery technology statement does carry a moral obligation. In reality, one could make a better argument that it is the Prius hybrid/PHEV line that "uses state of the art battery technology" which is in significant part why it is so impressive that with each generation it is able to maintain it's mpg mark by a wide margin.

 

Nope. Battery prices are a factor of 10 too high. Elon wants his gigafactory to decrease prices by maybe 30-40% when we've got to get a reduction of 90%. And energy density has to increase beyond the theoretical limits of lithium ion. So we need a new technology, maybe something like Lithium Sulfur or one of the air-consuming batteries if battery electric vehicle are to make mainstream.

 

Actually at present the Volt could work for me, the cost however does not. I ran the numbers on everything I could buy in TX a few months ago and the price premium alone for PHEVs (including the PIP) didn't make up the savings in gas over 5 years with a 2015 Prius...so that's what I bought.

 

Many of us here at PC are rather fortunate to be in a priviliged income demographic and can afford a new PHEV or BEV. We are not, however, mainstream. The Prius Liftback entry level trims belong in that category.

Someday, PHEVs and BEVs should be affordable to the masses, but just not yet.