Men Are From Volt, Women Are From Leaf

When General Motors (MTLQQ) began advertising its extended-range electric car, the Chevy Volt, earlier this year, it probably expected comparisons to the well-established Toyota Prius. This made sense because while the Prius uses a parallel-hybrid technology, with the gas engine and the electric motor working together at all times, the Volt employs a serial-hybrid design, with the gas motor kicking in to generate electricity only when the electric battery exhausts its charge. From GM’s perspective, this is an evolution in hybrid design, a step beyond the Prius into a realm of all-electric propulsion, however limited.

When it does arrive in 2010, the Volt will compete with potential Prius buyers, although the Volt will likely cost more (upward of $40,000, as opposed to the mid-$20,000s for the Prius). However, I’m increasingly seeing the Volt pitted against a different competitor: Nissan’s all-electric Leaf, which will also arrive next year. Nissan hasn’t priced the Leaf yet, but media speculation has put it in the mid-$30,000s. It’s an all-electric ride, of course, with an alleged range of 100 miles per charge. That’s 60 more than the Volt’s 40, but without a range-extending backup system.

The Volt appears to be winning the early hearts-and-minds contest. According to Automotive News (via Autoblog), GM has a list of more than 50,000 prospective Volt buyers, while Nissan has managed less than 30,000. To a degree, this is an apples-and-oranges comparison: The Leaf, based on a compact design, should appeal more to people who consistently drive short distances, such as city dwellers, while the Volt, a bigger vehicle, is aimed at drivers who might want to take longer trips. However, a big part of the Volt’s aggressive advance marketing is the argument that if you are like most people, you rarely drive more than 40 miles a day anyhow, so you can use the Volt as if it were an all-electric car.

Mindshare combat is going to be a factor when both vehicles appear, but it’s already underway. Just look at the names. The Volt is all about gee-whiz, slightly sci-fi American engineering know-how. The focus is on the fact that this is an electric machine, a masterpiece of design, something cool, in the same way that American cars of the past have been cool. Volt! Shazam! It’s a hero car.

The Leaf is a green machine. It’s about saving the environment by eliminating gas consumption and carbon emissions altogether. The name is organic, crunchy, food co-op-ish. It’s also cool. But in an emo, Euro kind of way. It’s also, predictably, far less masculine than the Volt. GM does cars for men. You can imagine some guys backslapping over Volt ownership. The Leaf could be a tad awkward on that front. “Ooooo, nice Leaf, Charlie. Have you seen my VOLT!” Cue lightning. Cue thunder. Cue beer.

In the end, the two cars represent shared values but diverging bets about where the future of personal transportation is headed. Nissan wants to make itself the main player in full electrification, ahead of widespread fast-charging infrastructure. It could be a few decades ahead of itself. GM is placing a bet that oil will remain an important fuel source for decades to come and that the kind of battery tech that will deliver the range that we’ve become used to is a long way off. Apart from involving a plug, these two concepts don’t have that much to do with each other. But when the Volt and Leaf hit the streets in 2010, they’ll be duking it out, anyway.