The new normal: Electrify America expands its EV ad campaign

Electrify America Is it normal to drive an electric car? Is it normal to plug in your cell phone? A new ad campaign from Electrify America says it is. In the face of new surveys that show American carbuyers still voicing the same objections to electric cars that they have for a decade—range anxiety, higher prices, lack of charging stations—Electrify...

Commentary: Toyota Corolla Hybrid ad brags about not plugging in

2017 Toyota Prius Prime, Catskill Mountains, NY, Nov 2016In Toyota's latest ad for its new Corolla Hybrid in Britain, it's 2002 all over again. The ad shows the new Corolla Hybrid (in non-U.S. hatchback form) bypassing all kinds of road transportation alternatives from different eras—from a stagecoach and an early brass-era car to 1950s hot rods and, finally—an electric car plugged in and...

How Nissan hopes to market its future electric cars

2018 Nissan LeafThe Nissan Leaf with a roughly 60-kilowatt-hour battery was expected to make its public debut at the LA Auto Show earlier this month. It didn’t. That car is expected to appear “very soon,” perhaps at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show to be held in Las Vegas a month hence. DON'T MISS: Long-range Nissan Leaf missing from LA Auto...

Can Honda break through buyer confusion about plug-in hybrids?

Frame from 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid With the launch of the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid sedan, the Chevrolet Volt now has its first serious competition among long-range plug-in hybrids. About 25,000 second-generation Volts were sold last year, and this year's number will be about 20,000. Honda says it may sell about the same number of plug-in Claritys. On a media drive last...

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid gets ad support from Sesame Street characters

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Sesame Street advertisementThe 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, the sole plug-in hybrid minivan offered for sale in North America. Its early months were plagued by a powertrain recall for a potentially faulty diode within the power inverter module. Now, the Pacifica Hybrid is back on sale in its second model year, and the minivan with 33 miles of...

Yes, ads for the Chevy Bolt EV electric car do actually exist; here’s one

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV newspaper ad, The Washington Post, June 16, 2017The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV isn't yet available in all states, but it's been on sale in California for six months now. While Chevy has said all along it will market the 238-mile electric car in a very targeted way, specifically trying to reach people similar to existing owners, it may have expanded its reach somewhat. This past Friday, a full-page...

Video shoot shows Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV in production form

Production-ready Jaguar I-Pace spotted in MonacoThe British luxury brand Jaguar, far smaller than any of its three German competitors, may be looking to steal a march on all of them. While Audi revealed a concept version of its forthcoming e-tron all-electric SUV 18 months ago, and Mercedes-Benz followed with its EQ Concept last September, the Jaguar I-Pace concept was the surprise hit of...

Low-budget Chevy Bolt EV dealer ad normalizes electric cars

Image from 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric-car ad by Ourisman Chevrolet, Rockville, MarylandAh, local car-dealer ads on television. You've likely seen them, usually during the local ad minute on national shows, often late at night or in the cheaper slots. They're mostly formulaic, but each one mixes several elements for its own unique blend of attention-grabbing pitch. DON'T MISS: This family has 2 Chevy Bolt EV electric cars, uses no...

First TV ad for Karma Revero drops as sales to start next month

Karma Revero 'Delivery' as spotEverything old is new again, including the 2017 Karma Revero, a reborn 2012 Fisker Karma. Now its maker has released the first-ever television advertisement for the car, a spot that debuted during the 2017 U.S. Open Polo Championship, sponsored by Karma Automotive. Simply titled "Delivery," the advertisement is full of graceful, flashing scenes of...