Finally, A Prius Commercial I like

So this evening I was listening to the local news that comes on just before the national broadcasts. In that half hour, I briefly saw:

• Prius c commercial that said 'save $56 per month over a Honda Civic'
• Prius hatchback lease at ~$240/mo.

I have been so pissed at Toyota commercials that look like high school musicals. I don't need dancing flowers or other performance art. I want to see ads that take our Prius club, outstanding mileage, and whack the gassers and oil burners. And it can be done now!

The annual gasoline price hikes have arrived and it is time to compare and contrast our gasoline savings over everybody else. Better still, mock those faux "hybrid premium" studies:

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Two guys are filling up with one standing by a POS, cheap (any subcontract brand) and the other by a Prius.​

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POS driver,"Hi Bob, it sure is good to get good mileage and I saved $5,000 with this little puppy."​

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Prius driver,"I know, Tom. My wife and I are going out for a steak dinner on the gas savings. So what did you do with the $5,000?"​

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POS driver,"My wife's divorce lawyer took it."​

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<FADE TO> "Prius 52 MPG on the highway and 52 MPG in the city."​

Here is a second script:

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A <brand> diesel and a Prius are stopped at a red light. The diesel driver revs the engine and shouts out,"Hey Prius driver, wanna race?"​

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The Prius driver shouts back,"Sure, let's race to the next gas station. The winner buys a tank for the other guy."​

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The <brand> diesel driver yells out,"Deal!"​

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The light changes and the Prius jumps ahead and the <brand> diesel catches up and passes and pulls into a gas station. The driver gets out, smiling at the pump and the Prius driver drives past the station and yells out,"I meant the one on the other side of town."​

I'm tried to seeing 'cute' Prius commercials. It is past time to show we have a hard, sharp edge.

Bob Wilson

 

I thought the anti-EV ads were something in the past, 2014. Then I noticed an October 2016 article about Lexus: Lexus hybrids 'always charged,' says slogan (unlike electric cars)

"Always Charged
Always Ready"​

Understand I don't have a problem with this slogan but suggests a focus on EV owners and not other gassers. For example, let's take the HybridCars, September Dashboard as a 'good month' for Plug-In and EVs:

• 0.42% - plug-in hybrid take rate
• 0.70% - EV take rate
• 1.12% - combined plug-in and EV take rate
• 98.88% - ignored by "Always Charged Always Ready"

Although I find it hard to believe Lexus sales were lost to a Tesla, we know many high-end, European luxury cars have been whacked by Tesla. I just don't see this slogan doing much to pull a sale from Tesla.

Perhaps a better solution is to put a J1772 plug on their Lexus hybrids to peak-charge and precondition the car:

It melts snow and ice in winter so no more scraping when plugged in.

Bob Wilson

 

Or finally force the plug-in Lexus. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson