![]() In the car world, the existence of conspicuous conservation came to light in research studies from 2007, including one by CNW Marketing Research and revealed in the New York Times article, “ Say ‘Hybrid’ and Many People Will Hear ‘Prius. In fact, there is an economic term for this green signaling behavior called “ conspicuous conservation, ” which refers to consumers “engaging in activities that are environmentally friendly in order to obtain or signal a higher social status.” The term grew out of the phrase “ conspicuous consumption, ” which is “the spending of money on and the acquiring of luxury goods and services to publicly display economic power - of the income or of the accumulated wealth of the buyer.” For me, however, these factors are simply behavioral economics at work. The Bolt is simply not distinctive enough and doesn’t (yet) scream “EV greenness,” despite it being an award-winning and breakthrough electric car with its combination of range (238 miles) and relative affordability (~$40,000).Ī few commenters thought I was off base on several of my points and others thought I was describing buyer attributes of shallow-minded consumers. In my article “ 12 Factors That Will Limit Chevy Bolt Sales In The US (Part 2) ,” I outlined a number of image and perception problems - including design, brand, and positioning issues - that would limit Bolt sales among early adopters, especially in key green-leaning West Coast and East Coast markets of the US.
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