Few Of Us Just Buy A Car Just
To Get From 'A' To 'B'. For The Majority Of Drivers, Cars Have Meaning – Like
The Clothes We Wear, Cars Help Define Who We Are And Communicate To Others Our
Interests, Beliefs, Values And Status.
Just Consider The Extraordinary Effort Most Of Us Put Into Choosing The 'Right'
Model – One Which Not Only Meets Our Needs But Fits With Who We Are. Having Just
Bought A New Car, I Spent As Much Time Fretting Over The Colour As I Did Getting
The Best Fuel Economy.
For Those Of Us With A Green Persuasion, This Poses An Interesting Question –
Namely, What Does It Mean To Own A Green Car? What Messages Do We Convey To
Others By Choosing A Low-Emission Model Or Sporting A Fuel-Efficient Badge For
All To See? Research Suggests That Symbolism Is Particularly Strong For Vehicles
That Use New Types Of Technology. So What Are We Saying About Ourselves (Or Our
Company) If We Choose A Hybrid Or Plug-In Electric Car?
Well, We Know That For Conventional Cars, Benefits Such As Low Emissions Or High
Fuel Economy Are Often Traded Off Against Symbolic Values Such As 'Image' Or
'Style'. The Prius For Example Is A Bit Of A 'Marmite Car' In That Some Drivers
Love The Look Of It, Others Don't. In General, Conventional 'Low Carbon' Models
Tend To Be Associated With Small Cars; Ones That Are Low On Performance,
Comfort, Style, Gadgets And Status. Which Is Unfortunate As These Factors Are
Precisely The Ones That Marketers Use To Sell You A Motor.
Recent Research From The US Suggests That 30% Of Hybrid Owners Say That They
Purchased A Hybrid Because The Vehicle "Makes A Statement" About Who They Are.
Although 'Saving Money' And 'Preserving The Environment' Are Two Of The More
Obvious Statements, More Symbolic Meanings Also Include 'Reducing Support For
Oil Producers', 'Owning The Latest Technology', And Demonstrating
'Individuality'. While Hybrids Were First Adopted By US Liberals And
Environmentalists As 'Their Car', They Have Now Become More Associated With
Neo-Conservatives As A Symbol Of Combating US Dependence On Foreign Oil.
While A Recent UK Study Finds That Electric Car Drivers Are Currently Viewed As
Particularly 'Open', 'Conscientious' And 'Agreeable', It Will Be Interesting To
See How These Values Might Change As The New Wave Of Sporty, Stylish, And High
Status Evs Are Launched On The Market. Next Time You Find Yourself Next To An
Electric Car At The Lights, Think Twice About Smiling At The Driver, They May Be
About To Leave You In A Cloud Of Burning Rubber!