Extra, Extra....Read All About It!

[maynard]

boxy is best

Can’t really remember the name of the movie - maybe crazy people; but one of the ad campaigns they came up with for Volvo was “boxy but nice”!

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

Can’t really remember the name of the movie - maybe crazy people; but one of the ad campaigns they came up with for Volvo was “boxy but nice”!

That was it. The one I remember is the ad for Metamucil…

 

[robothero]

 

[strider]

I'd love to see industry research showing the math for higher volume/lower profit margin vs lower volume/higher profit margin, and how the latter takes into account pissing off potential customers and them going elsewhere. I think the low conversion rate on preorders is a direct result. Maybe my brain is off, but it says when you're launching a new model, you want as many on the roads as possible at the most affordable pricing possible because that exposure and word of mouth drives sales for upcoming years. I've often been an early-model adopter and have people asking about my vehicles all the time when I'm at work, the store, a gas station or just stopped at a light. What is it, and what does it cost are the top two questions. In my relatively-affluent area, I guarantee that driving a new Scout and being able to say $63k instead of $75k will net at least ten new vehicles being sold by Scout.
The more vehicles Scout produces, the better terms they get from suppliers, the lower prices go, and the more they sell. I just don't understand the fundamentals of selling few high-profit vehicles, aside from short-term greed.

There is a reason that every carmaker launches with a loaded vehicle. You're missing the impact of initial media and influencer reports, including the all-important real-world range reports. If Scout launches with a base model, all of the initial media will be about how it is slow, doesn't have enough range, the interior is cheap, etc, etc. That would be the kiss of death.

It's the same for legacy automakers. When they give vehicles to magazines like car and driver, they give them well-optioned models. They do not want the article to say things like the seats are uncomfortable, the screen is too slow/small, etc. All of those articles list the base price and as-tested price and people don't pay that much attention or will at least go to the website and configure one for themselves. But if the magazine says the seats suck, people will remove it from their shopping list completely.

 

[robothero]

It's also selling the immediate feature FOMO.

 

[speedrye]

There is a reason that every carmaker launches with a loaded vehicle. You're missing the impact of initial media and influencer reports, including the all-important real-world range reports. If Scout launches with a base model, all of the initial media will be about how it is slow, doesn't have enough range, the interior is cheap, etc, etc. That would be the kiss of death.

It's the same for legacy automakers. When they give vehicles to magazines like car and driver, they give them well-optioned models. They do not want the article to say things like the seats are uncomfortable, the screen is too slow/small, etc. All of those articles list the base price and as-tested price and people don't pay that much attention or will at least go to the website and configure one for themselves. But if the magazine says the seats suck, people will remove it from their shopping list completely.

I'm not sure I buy that. I keep reading car reviews where influencers and traditional outlets are trashing vehicles for bugs, defects, fitment issues, etc that are unbecoming whatever price point the vehicle is at, implying they might be more acceptable at lower price points.
I wonder if early-adopters of a new model are more forgiving of being beta testers on a new model? Work out the bugs on them before mass-market production hits?

 

[cyure]

Telo

https://insideevs.com/news/803579/telo-tiny-ev-pickup-tow-capacity-update/

 

[cyure]

Start/stop button

https://insideevs.com/features/803439/ev-start-stop-button-why/

 

[cyure]

This is the guy who posted about how his R2 didn’t get as much range. Now he just posted an article about how that doesn’t matter. Ha!

Stop Buying EVs for the Trip You Take Twice a Year

Federal data says the average driver covers 31 miles a day. The R2 is rated at 330. Most of that number exists for a trip you take twice a year.

riviantrackr.com

 

[strider]

Start/stop button

https://insideevs.com/features/803439/ev-start-stop-button-why/

Completely agree.