The Chevy Volt was supposed to usher in the age of the electric car. How many have you seen on the road in the months that it has been available?
The sad thing about innovative products that are supposed to open new markets is that for every iPod there are 20 failures. It’s not for no reason that the auto industry is very conservative with rolling out new changes. Their cost of failure is significant and we’re seeing that now with the Volt.
It’s important to look at market efficiencies to understand what’s available. Ignore the cost, ignore the sales sizzle. Does the product make people’s lives easier compared to how people do things today. The iPod made the ability to listen to music far easier. The Volt does not make it easier to complete a commute – and actually makes it a bit more difficult.
Question: why is a 40 mile radius electric engine better than the existing hybrid engines? How many people are really going to remember to charge it everyday – because let’s be honest, 40 miles isn’t much. If you don’t charge it daily or drive more than 40 miles a day then you’re just driving an expensive car with a good standard engine. How is that improvement? Focus on the use case. Do what’s right for the market. That’s how you succeed.