Mistakes: Many Prius drivers would rather drive a Volt
Did Toyota blow a big opportunity?
When the Chevy Volt finally went on sale after years of marketing, the folks over at LeaseTrader.com expected a number of Toyota Prius lessees to inquire about turning in their Prius leases in order to pursue a Chevy Volt purchase or lease.
Well, that early Volt marketing worked better than LeaseTrader expected, as the volume of calls they have received has far exceeded expectations according to the company.
“No doubt about it, the Chevy Volt has been the star of the auto world as we head into 2011 and this has not been lost on the average driver,” said Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com. “GM has done a fantastic turnaround job with the company and the excitement about the Volt continues to grow headlined by many naming it the 2011 ‘Car of the Year.’”
Obviously, this is a trend that many expected as many Toyota Prius buyers are early adopters of green technologies, especially the latest green technologies. Likewise, with some pretty sweet Volt leases available thanks to government tax incentives, now might be the best time to ever to lease a Volt, assuming you can find one.
And, while it doesn’t surprise me that a number of Prius drivers would love to plug-in, I wonder what percent of Prius drivers are ready to pay extra to plug-in? Moreover, if current Prius drivers had a choice between a plug-in Prius or a Chevy Volt, which would they favor?
Most important, however, did Toyota miss an opportunity by not launching a Prius to coincide with both the Volt and Leaf launches?
Considering that the third generation Toyota Prius was only recently launched, would the knowledge that a plug-in Prius was soon coming have affected the launch of the 3G Prius? Could both have been launched at the same time? Ultimately, did Toyota make a mistake, or will this be a moot point if Toyota matches Volt production with plug-in Prius production next year?
This story posted by LeaseTrader.com, the automotive service company that lets people transfer out of their Car Leases early. If you're looking to swap a lease or transfer out of your car lease, please visit www.leasetrader.com