Turning the electric cow into an electric dream

The news was out yesterday that the government is proposing to offer incentives of up to £5,000 to consumers purchasing an electric car as part of a £250m transport strategy aimed at reducing CO2 emissions. To judge from the media reaction, as far as the general public is concerned, they might as well be asked to ride around on a cow, such is the image problem of electric vehicles. There is a major automotive marketing task here to be undertaken.

The scheme is due to become operational in 2011, and I’d say the government is going to need that full two years to get anywhere near changing perceptions of electric cars in the minds of the great British public. For the vast majority, the car has become embedded in the consciousness as an absolute right. Higher petrol prices combined with declining public transport services have done something to raise the profile of more economical vehicles, but electric cars are absolutely not taken seriously at the moment, despite advances in the technology.

An integrated automotive marketing onslaught will be critical. In part, a higher take up of electric vehicles will be dependent on changing perception of what a car is for and how it is used. Smaller, and with lower mileage ranges, it’s unlikely that these will replace the family work horse car at present – but it’s an entirely viable option for a household’s second car.

The public mood is right; there is more of a sense of collective responsibility to ‘do your bit’ but the government need to market this into a reality; in this case a £5K sweetener, when two-door models retail at £15K will not be enough on its own.