Suppose you went to the gas station, filled up your car or SUV, and then the pump said you had to go inside to pay.

And suppose that even though your total was $40 or $50 (maybe more), the cashier smiled and charged you ... $2.50.

What would the expression on your face be?

That's the premise of a cheerful new ad for the Holden Volt range-extended electric car, which is what the Chevy Volt is called when sold in Australia.

Or as the description says, "16 hidden cameras, 1 fake attendant, and a whole lot of surprises..."

The whole thing is a marketing pitch to give unsuspecting drivers a visceral understanding of what it costs to recharge the Volt's lithium-ion battery pack: about $2.50 in Oz, apparently.

That gets you about 40 miles, as the promotion makes clear--not the 300 miles or more that the $50 fillup might provide.

And of course, people buy plug-in electric cars for many reasons, only one of which is to save money on operating costs.

Still, we found the ad charming and wanted to share it with you. You can watch it above.

If nothing else, it's a more cheerful and brash way to promote the benefits of a plug-in electric car that the earnest, dour Volt owners shot with a car against a plain background in U.S. Volt ads.

What do you think of the Aussie ad? Do you think it would startle people enough to get them talking about the benefits of electric cars?

Leave us your thoughts in the Comments below.

[hat tip: Brian Henderson]

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