WHAT CAN I DO TO INCREASE SALES OF THE CAR?

[benswing]

I'm afraid I haven't read the entire thread, but here are my 2 cents.

To help sales, get out there and go to events and talk with people about the car. A few of us in northern NJ go to Cars & Croissants events and park next to Lamborghini, Maserati, and other supercars. Almost all the gearheads are interested in this new technology and want to get their facts straight. A few of them have read a lot of information, and some have heard some things they are skeptical about.

Getting out to Earth day events and contacting organizers to participate is a good way to talk to a lot of interested folks.

If you are really extroverted, put some graphics on the car that let others know that your car is 100% electric. Every time I get out of my car, I now have a 2-minute conversation with interested New Yorkers who are never shy and always ready to talk.

 

[Archsteve]

We just bought a MIEV this weekend. We live in a small-medium size college town, but bought in a bigger city. I think small-medium sized cities are very practical markets for the MIEV. The average commute is very low, so the fear of running low on charge is not there.

The problem is getting it serviced, since the local dealer is not trained. One solution would be to send the trained technicians to the smaller locations to maintain cars. Although not sure they would have all the infrastructure they need. Or negotiate helping customers send the car to the larger location for service.

Anyhow, trying to market to people with smaller commutes who have money---professors in college towns, for example might help you sell a bunch more.

 

[JoeS]

Archsteve, congratulations on your new iMiEV.
So far, servicing the iMiEV has been a total non-issue, as there is almost nothing needing to be done, and nothing specific to the electric drivetrain (see the manual and discussions on battery management).
With a US-average daily miles-driven of around 30, the iMiEV is suitable for not only small towns but cities as well.
I'm beginning to think that, even though Mitsubishi is not promoting it, I'm quite content driving one of the better-kept best transportation secrets in this country.

 

[jray3]

I'm quite content driving one of the better-kept best transportation secrets in this country.

But Joe (judging from your fleet inventory), what have you driven other than the Trooper that wasn't a well-kept transportation secret?! ;-p

 

[JoeS]

But Joe (judging from your fleet inventory), what have you driven ... that wasn't a well-kept transportation secret?! ;-p

Ah, but these are the ones I presently own. Should I include my past AH3000, Lancia Fulvia Zagato and Lancia Flavia Vignale convertible, or perhaps the collection of Saab Sonetts (that I kept saving for years as I consider it the ideal EV conversion car - aerodynamic and ultra-lightweight)? Strongly resisted the 2CV and DS21 and SM, but the iMiEV wonderfully fulfills my present needs.

Back on topic, I have my iMiEV festooned with "100% Electric" and invariably every day get engaged in conversations about electric cars which I hope open some eyes. Offer rides whenever I have the time...

 

[Vike]

I think small-medium sized cities are very practical markets for the MIEV. The average commute is very low, so the fear of running low on charge is not there.

The problem is getting it serviced, since the local dealer is not trained. One solution would be to send the trained technicians to the smaller locations to maintain cars.

Both good points, and I think overlooked in EV marketing generally. Service is an especially interesting problem for smaller markets without a Mitsubishi dealership. I realize our EVs don't need much service, but anything that requires towing/flat-bedding or lengthy stays at waystations is going to be a showstopper for many buyers (myself included). At that point, if Mitsu won't set up remote service centers, heck, buy a Leaf.

I remain convinced that, for most of the country, EV marketing efforts targeting medium-to-large cities are misdirected. Sure, EVs are "city" cars in the sense that they're ill-suited to the life of long-haul commuters in the exurbs. But large urban areas can sprawl for many miles in all directions, so even people who generally do all their work and errands within their own neighborhood often need to travel to other parts of town that would at minimum push uncomfortably close to range limits (which, as we all know, only decline with battery age). The big cities of the west coast may have begun to address this with a network of public chargers, but they are the exception; for cities in most other places, public chargers range from few to pitifully few, and DC fast chargers (the most practical option for grabbing significant power "on the way" as opposed to at the destination) are thin on the ground indeed (last I checked, 57 east of the Mississippi, 57 total in AZ & TX, and 126 in the left coast states).

On the other hand, EVs are perfect for life in a city like Albuquerque, a middle-sized town with a mild climate that's quite far from everywhere else (and yes, with its own Mitsubishi dealership, locations on each side of town). Living anywhere in the city, everything one needs is in easy range from the charger at home - range and public charging infrastructure are just not issues. EVs should be much more heavily marketed in such places for their practical benefits, rather than giving in to the bias toward targeting fashionable "urban sophisticates" with appeals to green wonkery.

 

[iMiEVNZ7]

maybe by having EV racing !

lots of people buy a car with a spoiler to make it look fast and cool, even though they usually only drive to work at 70 Km / Hr .

http://video.ft.com/v/2368759754001/Racing-s-future-track

 

[RobertC]

I've let lots of people drive my i-MiEV.
If someone I know asks me a question about the car I ask them if they want to take it for a drive.
Almost everyone says yes.
I sit in the passenger seat and answer questions.
I always make sure that at some point during the drive they push the accelerator to the floor. The car is fun to drive.
The only other alternative for people to drive an electric car is to go to a dealer, and dealer's put a lot of pressure on potential customers and a dealer test drive is usually not a fun experience.
I tell them that the i-MiEV costs about 5 cents a mile to run using electricity, compared to about 25 cents a mile for my pickup truck to run on gasoline.
I let people know about the limited range, but I've put 15,000 miles on my i-MiEV in just under a year.
I tell them about the DC Fast Charge where you can potentially get 50 miles range in 15 minutes.
I also tell them that there are very few charging stations here in Southern New Jersey, but once a charging network is in place electric cars like the i-MiEV would be great for everything except long trips.