2016 Chevy Volt Will Get New Marketing Campaign

When Chevrolet unveils the redesigned 2016 Chevy Volt at the Detroit Auto Show next January, it will raise the curtain on an entirely new marketing campaign for it extended range electric vehicle. Chevrolet global marketing chief Tim Mahoney told Automotive News recently that Chevrolet will invite current Volt owners to use their social networks to tell others how satisfied they are with their cars. O

Over 90% of Volt owners say they would buy another one, and many came from brands like Toyota and had never even owned a Chevrolet before. That’s a major bragging point for GM, though the 2016 VOlt’s marketing efforts will go beyond just a few “evangelists” spreading the good word.

Mahoney said marketing efforts for the next generation Volt will be regionally focused, in areas where populations are denser. Previously, the Volt had no customer base, but now sales records will help the company target locations where the Volt is already popular. Mahoney points out that “there are clearly pieces of geography where (the Volt) makes sense. So you’ll see a focus on fishing where the fish are.” 

Volt sales were up 13% over July, 2013 last month and it is outselling the Nissan LEAF in some markets. Clearly Chevrolet hopes the redesigned car and revamped marketing strategy will propel the Volt to even greater sales success.

Source: GM

2016 Chevy Volt To Debut In January

Today GM released the first teaser image of the 2016 Chevy Volt, which will bring a litany of changes to the popular plug-in hybrid. GM also set the debut date for the Detroit Auto Show in January, with the new Volt to go on sale sometime in 2015.

Since it went on sale at the end of 2010, GM says it has sold more than 65,000 Chevy Volts in the US alone…though its European cousin, the Opel Ampera, has seen sales plummet, and will soon be discontinued. As for the teaser shot itself, it doesn’t reveal much about the new Volt, except that it will have a more-rounded rear decklid.

But the Volt will live on, and rumor has it that it will bring with it many improvements and asked-for features. Among the most-requested features among Volt owners was more range, more room, (five seats instead of the current four), and a lower price. GM could offer a Volt with as much as 200 miles of electric range if certain rumors are true, though more likely GM will offer different battery pack sizes to placate the masses who want to either pay less, or go farther between charges.

Not that the current Volt is all that bad, as 92% of current owners say they’d buy another one given the chance. It’s also one of the highest-scoring cars on the Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey. Another key point GM likes to drive home is that more than 70% of Volt buyers are new to the Chevy brand, making it a powerful “conquest” car. Hopefully the 2016 model proves just as successful for GM, a company plagued by recall woes and questions about its corporate structure the past few months.

Perhaps the 2016 Chevy VOlt can change the conversation towards more positive vibes.

Source: GM

Chevy Volt Tops Nissan LEAF In Safety Tests

In the latest round of IIHS safety tests, the Chevy Volt earned top scores, while the Nissan LEAF was one of the worst performers on the new safety tests. The tale of two plug-in cars continues…

The IIHS praised the Volt’s safety and named it the safest of the dozen small cars they put through the paces. Only half of those cars earned and “Acceptable” rating in the 40 MPH small overlap front crash test, and only the MINI Cooper Countryman earned a “Good” rating. The Volt took top honors, however, thanks to its collision warning system, which the MINI and most of the other competitors lacked.

Meanwhile the Mazda5, Kia Forte, Nissan Versa and Nissan LEAF (which is based on the Versa) were singled out as the worst performers in the battery of safety tests. The IIHS was especially critical of the LEAF;
“The instrument panel, parking brake pedal and steering column were all pushed back toward the driver. Injuries to the left knee and left lower leg would be likely in a crash of this severity, and injuries to the left thigh would be possible.” The LEAF, along with the Mazda5, Forte, and Versa, were all rated “Poor”, with the Mazda5 also receiving a less-than-acceptable rating in the side-impact test.

Don’t take their word for it though; watch the cringe-worthy crash test video below, and then compare that to the Volt’s crash test. Which car would you rather be in?

Source: Gas 2.