Why is it so hard to believe?

[Computerizer]

"I think the reason for the questions is they are NEVER advertised, at least not here in Kansas City.

I don't watch TV at home, but when I'm at my parents house (where the TV is always on), I have seen commercials for the LEAF a number of times. I have seen this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn__9hLJKAk and another one that I can't find off the bat.

 

[eclecticflower]

Yep, that's an old one that was shown here before we were ever able to get one in KC. It's one of my favorites, along with the polar-bear-hug one. Since online ordering opened up here in March 2012 and we got actual demos on the lots, I haven't seen one, other than the commercial with all the Nissan cars and the dancers jumping around & on them to a version of that Grease song (Summer Lovin'?) and you barely get a peek at a LEAF in the version they showed here. That commercial has been clipped and edited various ways for other markets, but KC hasn't done a LEAF-specific ad here since before actual cars became available (I watch for them).

 

[TRONZ]

Why is it so hard to believe?

Well "believing" and "thinking" are two very different things. In this regard, believing is what makes people feel like they are NOT pawns trapped in the grip of oil companies. But thinking is what allows one to see the nature of this trap and how to escape it. People also much prefer to "believe" that they have been lied to (the victim) than finding out they have been tricked (are the fool). Therefore, some of this is just human ego and resistance to admitting ignorance... almost an impossible task for people who "believe" they are smart.

Beyond that I just see Institutionalized regiment. Pumping gas is what people have always done, even if it smells and $uck$, its all they know how to do. It's like lifers that wake up to find all the prison doors are unlocked and wide open. Many will be afraid and not want to leave.

 

[rdhauser]

My wife and I decided to use the LEAF as the only family car.

Yesterday, I happened to have the "it's all electric?" with a 30 something. As we got to the "how far does it go" section of the conversation, I stuck in my usual script about our choice to go single car. Part of that script is "so we decided that when we go to the ocean or what ever, we just rent a car". She replied something like "oh ya, it doesn't have to be all your car all the time, does it." I thought that was a much more enlightened response than I get from my peers (who are seniors)

I think the paradigm is shifting, it's just glacial.

 

[eclecticflower]

Pumping gas is what people have always done, even if it smells and $uck$, its all they know how to do.

I think that pretty much sums up the situation. It's all they've ever known, unless they purposefully look for something else.

 

[KillaWhat]

My favorites are:

I was discussing the car with a man in a parking lot, and we had the hood up.
His wife walked up, spent a minute listening to our conversation, and then as they walked away I heard her say "THAT car has an ENGINE in it. It's right THERE; you can SEE it. And that little battery would never run that car either".

And the one I get ALL the time is;
"Is it on? Man, you can't hear it running at all. Wow!"

 

[jcan]

I usually tell people that little battery is what makes it go I do let them know later on after gauging their reaction. It really gets the questions going

 

[RegGuheert]

I was discussing the car with a man in a parking lot, and we had the hood up.
His wife walked up, spent a minute listening to our conversation, and then as they walked away I heard her say "THAT car has an ENGINE in it. It's right THERE; you can SEE it. And that little battery would never run that car either".

That's great!

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to open the hood on the LEAF. Why they felt compelled to put a VALVE COVER on top of the inverter is completely beyond me. At least the 2013s and beyond shouldn't look like an engine!

 

[EdmondLeaf]

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to open the hood on the LEAF. Why they felt compelled to put a VALVE COVER on top of the inverter is completely beyond me. At least the 2013s and beyond shouldn't look like an engine!

I was explained at drive event in Dallas this was done to make impression that is just normal, regular car, however is funny to explain that this is not a valve cover, this is not an engine. Advertising ideas are not great all the time.

 

[ERG4ALL]

In one small way we've have tried to light one candle instead of curse the darkness. I created a three ring binder with several pages from various sources. In there is a picture of Phoenix with the mountains almost totally obscured by smog. On another I have a picture of our PV array that is tied to the grid so no matter where I am, I am putting more energy into the grid than I'm using to charge my car. There is another page with quotes from John Hofmeister, former President of Shell Oil, from his book, Why We Hate the Oil Companies. He really is for renewables in the long run. There is are several other pages that just support what I tell the people that are interested.

We have displayed our LEAF at several gatherings. Last April we displayed it and handed out reprints of some of the pages at the Phoenix Earth Day Festival. When a new General Store opened up near our summer home outside of Show Low, AZ, we displayed it there twice. One of the times the Humane Society was there looking for people to donate to help keep their shelter open. I made arrangements with the people that for anyone who would donate to their cause, I would give them a ride in our LEAF to experience the quiet ride.

The point is that anyone who has had a LEAF for any period of time and is willing to do a little internet work can do something similar. Yes, there are some close-minded people, but the majority have appreciated knowing about this new vehicle and EVs in general. Thus, I've probably enlightened a couple hundred people and what I hope is that those people when they get into a discussion about EVs that they will think that they are the expert and can relay their experience and knowledge to others. Word of mouth does work.

 

[ERG4ALL]

In one small way we've have tried to light one candle instead of curse the darkness. I created a three ring binder with several pages from various sources. In there is a picture of Phoenix with the mountains almost totally obscured by smog. On another I have a picture of our PV array that is tied to the grid so no matter where I am, I am putting more energy into the grid than I'm using to charge my car. There is another page with quotes from John Hofmeister, former President of Shell Oil, from his book, Why We Hate the Oil Companies. He really is for renewables in the long run. There is are several other pages that just support what I tell the people that are interested.

We have displayed our LEAF at several gatherings. Last April we displayed it and handed out reprints of some of the pages at the Phoenix Earth Day Festival. When a new General Store opened up near our summer home outside of Show Low, AZ, we displayed it there twice. One of the times the Humane Society was there looking for people to donate to help keep their shelter open. I made arrangements with the people that for anyone who would donate to their cause, I would give them a ride in our LEAF to experience the quiet ride.

The point is that anyone who has had a LEAF for any period of time and is willing to do a little internet work can do something similar. Yes, there are some close-minded people, but the majority have appreciated knowing about this new vehicle and EVs in general. Thus, I've probably enlightened a couple hundred people and what I hope is that those people when they get into a discussion about EVs that they will think that they are the expert and can relay their experience and knowledge to others. Word of mouth does work.

 

[greengate]

Great writing as well as good deeds EGR4ALL.

I hope to be in the same place someday soon, but will have to wait 'til the supply chain of the 13's coming out of TN hits the Chicago land area.

Nissan should give one to President Obama since he said he wanted "one of these" as he was shown the Volt!!

 

[Benjenn]

Thanks for the idea that my next company car should be a Leaf but that's a no-go. Since we have members that are hundreds of miles away, they want me to be able to drive to them easily when I need to. I might convince him on a Volt but I'm not too impressed with those. As it is, I get to walk my professional talk personally instead.

And I love explaining to people that our average electric bill (in our geothermal home) averaged out last year to $108.25 per month INCLUDING charging the Leaf every night since getting it in May. Plus I keep the house cold in the summer (and we had a hellacious summer!) because I get mean when I'm hot. I don't think the car added $20 a month to our bill.

 

[ksnogas2112]

@benjenn....Westar Electric out here has company policy of only buying Chevrolet. So they deliberately bought Volt's and put free public access charging stations at all their offices, even down at Wolf Creek Nuclear where you have to drive another 100 miles to get to a different charging station.

http://www.westarelectrogo.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[EatsShootsandLeafs]

I've had the same conversation countless times.

Yep, the "So it doesn't use any gas?" is a common follow-up when told it's entirely electric, even by smart people. In their defense, if somebody went back in time 10 years with a current iphone and showed it to any person at all they'd be called a witch and burned at the stake for heresy and satanism, because it is so different than what was around back then.. We're just not used to certain technologies.

I ALWAYS get the range question. Also some surprise over the roominess of it. Also the question about what I do for a long trip. Obvious answer is: nothing, it doesn't go on any.

I have seen an RC plane shirt before that answers common questions that people flying RC planes are always asked by strangers in parks, like what's its range, flying time, etc. this way a person can just fly and let the shirt answer for them (tongue in cheek). Maybe we need flyers we can pass out for the Leaf.

Truth is it's going to be very, very slow watching the uptake of electric by the general public.

 

[greengate]

There are those who "love the smell of diesel," like my friends on the VW Clean Diesel site, (me too I'm afraid.) And there are those who feel like the world is about to end when the gas gage is below 3/4 full. It's obviously a learning curve and short of having a Leaf in one's stable, asking annoying questions and being on this site is about the only way for now to open up that curve!!

I consider it my "civic duty" for now..

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

I don't think most people even notice it, it's just another car to them.

I love to tell the curious that it gets zero miles per gallon, that always gets them to shift neural gears.

We're the only ones to think in mles per kWh. Hell, most folk don't even know what kWhs are.

People still talk about "horse power"! Paradigms die hard.

Sometimes I tell them it's powered by the little solar panel on the roof. And, honestly, some of them go "Wow!"

Is that wrong? It does kinda get a little power from that, for the 12v, which, hey, also powers the car!

Yeah, that's the ticket!

 

[Computerizer]

I love to tell the curious that it gets zero miles per gallon, that always gets them to shift neural gears.

Well, "zero miles per gallon" isn't nearly correct either. In fact that makes it sound horrible (lower mpg is worse, remember!). It's more like infinite miles per gallon. You can't divide by zero!

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

Yeah, I've tried infinite miles per gallon too, but I don't really like it, just sounds wrong.

Plus, I don't use ANY gallons.

That's why ZPG rings true to me, 'cause there is no G.

 

[thankyouOB]

i prefer to tell them that "I never go to the gas station."

Somewhere in the conversation, i usually ask, do you like buying gasoline?