Ten Things We'd Like To Tell Automakers About EV Publicity Page 2

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Contributing Writer BIO

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield is a self-confessed petrol head. She grew up in a carless family but was able at a very early age to name cars passing her on... More

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2011 Chevrolet Volt dance, Los Angeles Auto Show, December 2009

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•   Gimmicks, Dances And Songs Are So Last Century

    Remember the Volt Dance? A result of a large budget creative push, the 2011 Chevrolet Volt launched with what must be the most uninspired dance in the whole of advertising history. While Chevrolet certainly got publicity it hardly did much to improve the public’s impression of it’s first extended range electric car.

• Press Releases Need To Contain Something New

    Some electric car companies seem more interested in offering press releases at every point in a car’s journey to production than they are at actually bringing a car to market.

Companies that constantly offer press release after press release, but have very little to offer for it tend to loose credibility among the media, and loose fans quickly.

• It’s Better To Underestimate Than Overestimate

    Companies which underestimate an electric car’s range or initially give a highly conservative price before dropping it when the car goes on sale are more likely to get custom than those which exaggerate performance, range and provide an unrealistic early price quote.

• Blaming Compromises On The Fuel Doesn’t Work

    We’ve had so many press releases and interviews in the past few years with car companies which utter the terrible words “Well, it IS an electric car”.

While enthusiasts may be happy making compromises on low-end electric vehicles most consumers want AC, a decent stereo and quality trim.  Since most EVs are offered at premium prices, it is expected that such a price pays for at least moderate quality

Elon Musk on The Colbert Report

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• Mud-slinging Doesn’t Impress The Customer    

    We’ve seen mud-slinging from Elon Musk at Tesla as well as other EV companies in recent years. A little bit of competitive talk between companies is acceptable, but openly dismissing the competition in such a nasty way only damages the company making the attack.


In Conclusion

The best publicity for any EV is a solid product, backed up by great service and support. We think automakers need to spend less time trying to be different and more time producing a great product.