Or was it the Toyota supply shortage? Something else?
Don’t laugh. Just because GM, for instance, has only sold a few thousand Chevy Volts after almost a year on the market doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes perception is more important than reality. The Volt, in many respects, is about direction, not sales. At least for now.
More important, however, it seems clear that the Chevy Volt has helped drive Chevy Cruze sales. If GM can build the Volt, obviously GM can build a quality compact, right? And they can. The Cruze proves it, but the PR from the Volt sure didn’t hurt.
Besides, the Toyota Prius had a similar halo effect. Instead of buying a Prius, for more than a decade, many potential Prius buyers instead bought a Camry, Corrola or some other Toyota vehicle.
So why can’t the Volt or the Nissan Leaf have the same sort of effect?
OK. Hybrid, EV? Whatever. It’s all the same. Expensive hippie cars, right? I mean, with the launch of the Volt and the Leaf many mainstream consumers are only just realizing that you didn’t actually have to always plug in the Prius.
“I never knew there was a difference.”
You can say, wow!!!!….seriously???……, but even in the last few weeks I’ve had such a conversation. Years ago such lack of knowledge surprised me. Not today.
Nevertheless, for many the Volt and Leaf are simply the new Prius. And that’s all that matters. Most aren’t going to buy. They’re interested, or at least intrigued. But, just as they didn’t buy a Prius, they’re not going to buy a Leaf or a Volt.
A Cruze or an Altima? Maybe.
Years before the Chevy Volt was even a concept, Bob Lutz — THE Volt figure in my opinion — seemed literally obsessed with the halo effect of the Prius, and I know it helped drive the development of both the Volt and the Cruze.
And, it was a trend that most in the auto industry knew could resonate. But, does the halo effect explain the resurgence of GM and Nissan?
