Consumers Show High Interest in Buying Electric Cars, But …
Earlier today, I stumbled upon a lovely article by Nielsen Wire, posted three days ago, over on Nielsen Wire entitled Consumers Show High Interest in Buying Electric Cars, But … that I would suggest all of you read! Here are some extracts in the hope of piquing your interest!
“Although electric cars have been around for a while, big car manufacturers like Chevrolet and Nissan have been ramping up their advertising efforts recently as they get ready to introduce their new offerings – the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf,” said Sallie Hirsch, SVP of Research for Nielsen’s automotive unit. “There are some obvious challenges, such as the higher cost of electric cars, that advertisers will need to navigate as they develop their marketing campaigns, but the overall interest shown by consumers in this survey is promising. As electric vehicles are brought further into the mainstream and begin gaining in popularity, the cost will likely come down and many of the other challenges will be addressed as well.” Through its advertising effectiveness and engagement tools, Nielsen has begun measuring the new national TV ads that debuted last month for the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf ads are part of Nissan’s new “Innovation for All” campaign, which has been gaining traction across Nielsen’s key resonance metrics for recall and likeability. The increase in advertising is a sign of a rebound in the auto industry, which has struggled amidst the prolonged recession and weak consumer confidence. Of the top 20 product categories in U.S.
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advertising the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf brands. Overall, $3.5 billion was spent on auto advertising in the first half of 2010, up 27% over a year ago. The increased automotive advertising was driven largely by spending by Chevrolet parent company, General Motors, which was up 95% over last year. Despite modest improvements in consumer confidence and a resulting boost in car sales, Nielsen’s survey on electric cars, which was conducted in September among more than 2,300 people in the U.S.
Now then, reading Nielsen Wire’s post started me off thinking so I had a quick search around for some more posts on the subject and found some more gems. i.e. Green Car Insurance- Playing Your Own Part in Eco-protection … by admin, posted earlier today, on a blog called Confused Today:
One way this awareness is being created is through providing green car insurance which is cheap and also prompts people to buy green cars. The rationale behind purchasing green cars is that they have lower emission levels and also is cost-effective compared to gasoline. With lower emission levels, indirectly the rate of global warming can be slowed down due to presence of less green-house gases. As some versions of the green cars which are of hybrid nature are expensive companies providing green car insurance are giving discounts to the people who are buying the green cars. These insurance companies are also providing discounts for cars that give a higher mileage. Research has revealed the fact that the drivers of these hybrid categories of cars are less reckless and hence are less prone to accidents.
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The concept of 3R was the basic building block behind green car insurance. They stand for reduce, reuse and recycle. People driving low emission cars are naturally playing a part in eco-friendly movement and hence they are incentivized by these companies who provide green car insurance. Some of these programs have supporting of recycled projects, plantation of trees, and other projects in their agenda. They also provide additional incentives for using cart parts which are recycled in repairing and if it is irrecoverable recycling the entire car. Some green car insurance companies even compensate for hundred percent of a vehicle’s emission. Gradually the number of these insurance companies is increasing and also with it, the number of people who are buying the insurance policies. Simply visit www.
Another fantastic article came from Paul Lucas over on Green cars: latest news posted earlier today and entitled Peugeot-Citroen to introduce new start-stop system … which is also certainly worth reading.
PSA Peugeot Citroen will introduce a second generation e-HDi start-stop system which should slash fuel consumption. From Maxwell Technologies and supplied by Continental AG, the ultracapacitor-based booster system is expected to feature in around one million vehicles over the next three years. The supercapacitor energy storage unit of the E-Booster. Known as E-Booster micro-hybrid technology, it takes advantage of every opportunity to turn off the engine, even when rolling at speeds below 12mph. Under normal driving conditions this system can increase mileage by around five per cent; and that figure jumps to 15 per cent in city driving situations with CO2 emissions also dropping by 15 per cent.
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It works by using a micro-hybrid e-HDi technology with a new 2.2kW starter-generator that provides a 70 per cent increase over first generation systems. The powerful booster module delivers the power surge needed to ensure the diesel engine starts even at below freezing temperatures; with the module also needed to get the engine to idling speed quickly and make engine noises practically unnoticeable. The engine restarting will not drain power away from other devices such as the radio, headlights or windshield wipers – instead the power electronics in the E-booster control recharging during the recuperative phase. PSA Peugeot Citroen now hopes to equip around 30 per cent of its diesel cars with the new start-stop system by 2012.