What The Heck Is 230? And What Does GM Have To Do With It?
Maybe you’ve seen some form of the 230 ads. If you haven’t, we’ve embedded it below. The ad – in its various forms – features a bouncing, smiling, and winking electrical outlet that ends up representing the number “zero” after numbers 2 and 3. All of these appear above the numbers “8-11.” So what the heck is it all about?
General Motors (GM)
What could be the relationship between an electrical outlet and the number 230? In the U.S., heavy-duty electrical outlets that run heavy appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines produce 230 volts. Also, we have figured out that GM is behind the campaign. Meghan Winger, a staffer at Chicago agency All Terrain, is the creator of the What Is 230 Facebook group. She is also the one who posted a teaser about the campaign to the “What is 230?” YouTube channel. All Terrain describes itself, among other things, as a “social-media expert” on its website and lists Chevrolet at the top of its client roster. So what can GM possibly mean with the number 230, and what’s supposed to happen on August 11?
2011 Chevy Volt
After some thinking, I narrowed the meaning of the viral campaign to two possibilities:
- Could the 230 campaign be related to the upcoming Chevrolet Volt – the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that the company has been developing? It will most likely plug into these types of heavy-duty outlets to achieve its charge. For anyone who’s not up to snuff on the latest car news, the Volt is a breakthrough product in that “unlike most current commercially available electric hybrids, the actual propulsion of the Volt is accomplished exclusively by the electric motor. The internal combustion engine is used as a range-extending electrical source, powering the on-board 53 kW generator (which sends power to the electric motor and charges the batteries simultaneously).” With fully charged batteries, the Volt will be able to achieve a range of 40 miles – enough for the daily commute of 75 percent of Americans. After the initial 40 miles, the car’s small 1.4 liter 4-cylinder internal combustion engine kicks in, extending the Volt’s potential range to 640 miles on a single tank of gas. On top of all that, the Volt simply looks cool – unlike other environmentally-conscious vehicles (read: Prius).
Since the Volt is scheduled to be available for purchase in the end of 2010, it appears too early to launch a promotional campaign for the vehicle. - Late last week, GM announced that Buick (a brand of GM) will release a five-passenger hybrid CUV that will be followed by a plug-in version in 2011. The General expects the soft-roader “to be the first commercially available plug-in hybrid SUV produced by a major automaker.” And it looks like the manufacturer is going full-out on this one: the gas-electric Buick will use LG Chem lithium-ion batteries powering a reworked version of GM’s 2-Mode hybrid drive train. The battery can be recharged in four to five hours. Interestingly enough, the supposed market leader in hybrids – Toyota – doesn’t have a hybrid vehicle in the same class, let alone a plug-in… period. Perhaps this is a sign of the new GM, post-bankruptcy, coming out in full force.
The Buick brand has also been repositioned in the GM product portfolio: it will now compete in the pure luxury segment with the likes of Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo; GM’s other luxury division, Cadillac, will take on the performance luxury segment of BMW, Audi, and Infiniti. Perhaps the 230 will be an ad campaign to launch this new Buick vehicle?
So which of these two possibilities is the right one? The Volt is too far out for an ad campaign. That makes the Buick plug-in hybrid CUV more likely… until we realize that the vehicle itself hasn’t even been unveiled! Behold another twist in the road! On Monday, it was revealed that GM hosted an event that involved the GM’s CEO, some members of its PR team, around 100 members of the public, and a few social media junkies. Some of the tech-savvy attendees have revealed a few exciting details about GM’s new product plans. Here’s straight from the Twittersphere (via Autoblog):
- GM unveiled a new Cadillac concept dubbed the ATS, a compact BMW 3 Series fighter that will be available in both coupe and sedan forms.
- The Cadillac DTS’ replacement – currently named the XTS – will be built atop the Buick LaCrosse’s underpinnings and will be available with all-wheel drive.
- The CTS Coupe is due to arrive this May, and there’s still talk of a V version (duh). Apparently GM has a working CTS-V SportWagon on premises and it could arrive as early as next year.
- New Chevrolet Malibu unveiled, but it supposedly won’t reach production until 2012.
- All-new midsize Buick model coming within the next 24 months.
Most of these news mean something only to a gear head. What is significant, however, is that details are leaking and GM appears to be firing away on all cylinders. And here’s the final straw: Tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM EST, General Motor’s President and CEO – Fritz Henderson – will be hosting a webcast to update the public and the media on the automaker’s turnaround efforts. During the event, Henderson is expected to make a new product announcement.
Now that’s real, juicy details! So perhaps this “new product announcement” will be related to the Buick CUV or any of the leaked details from Monday’s press conference? Time will only tell – and there are only a few hours remaining before the webcast kicks off. You can be sure TNR will be watching with eagle eyes and reporting on the developments (be sure to follow our Twitter feed for up-to-date news).
For now, we can commend GM and/or All Terrain for putting out the 230 campaign that made us wonder what the heck it’s all about. Even though the campaign might not have become the next true pop-culture phenomenon, great job on the social media marketing front!
Here is the full press release about the Buick CUV:
[Source: General Motors]
New Buick Crossover Will Feature Plug-In Hybrid System
* Five-passenger crossover arrives in 2010 with family of fuel-efficient direct-injected gas engines
* Plug-in hybrid model debuts in 2011
* Expected to be first commercially available plug-in hybrid SUV produced by a major automaker
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – General Motors’ plug-in hybrid technology will be introduced in a new Buick crossover vehicle in 2011, Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of product development, announced here today during the Management Briefing Seminars.
The yet-to-be-named Buick crossover will launch in late 2010 offering a family of fuel-efficient direct-injected gasoline engines, followed in 2011 by the plug-in hybrid model.
“Buick has always been at the forefront of new technology, so it is only fitting that the brand should debut our new plug-in hybrid technology in a beautiful new crossover,” said Stephens. “This will firmly put Buick, and GM, front and center in the advanced technology game.”
A new Buick for a new customer
The new five-passenger crossover will build on the success of the Buick Enclave, offering the brand’s finely crafted execution and premium driving experience in a fuel-efficient package.
“Some customers who have been drawn to the Enclave were looking for something a little smaller, but they didn’t want to give up craftsmanship or a quiet ride to get there,” said Susan Docherty, general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC. “We believe this new Buick will excite those customers, and will continue to broaden the appeal of the brand.”
The Buick crossover will be powered by an Ecotec 2.4L direct-injected four-cylinder engine with an optional 3.0L direct-injected V-6, and is expected to deliver 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway. Final fuel economy estimates, as well as additional vehicle details such as name and pricing, will be announced later.
Plug-in hybrid model
The Buick plug-in hybrid is expected to be the first commercially available plug-in hybrid SUV produced by a major automaker.
The Buick plug-in hybrid has the potential to achieve double the fuel economy of comparably-sized SUVs on short trips. This significant boost is achieved by combining a modified version of GM’s proven 2-Mode Hybrid system with advanced lithium-ion battery cells and charging technology developed for GM’s Voltec system, which will debut in the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle in late 2010.
“LG Chem – the supplier of our battery cells for the Volt – has also been selected to supply the lithium-ion cells for the new Buick plug-in hybrid, and its Troy, Mich.-based subsidiary Compact Power will supply the pack,” Stephens said.
The Buick plug-in hybrid will use the same manganese-spinel based chemistry and polymer battery cells as the Volt. The 8 kwh battery – containing half the energy of the Volt battery pack – will be packaged in a rectangular-shaped box under the cargo floor.
The lithium-ion battery can be fully recharged in four to five hours by simply connecting the vehicle to any standard 110V household electrical outlet. By recharging rather than refueling, the Buick plug-in hybrid significantly improves fuel economy and reduces petroleum use. In early testing, the plug-in hybrid is capable of electric-only propulsion for more than 10 miles at low speeds.
On the road, GM’s 2-Mode plug-in hybrid system can use any combination of electric or gasoline engine power to move the vehicle, depending on the driving conditions. This differs from GM’s Voltec technology, which provides the Volt with up to 40 miles of emissions- and petroleum-free electric-only propulsion, and an overall range of more than 300 miles with its flex-fuel engine-generator.
In addition to the lithium-ion battery pack, the Buick plug-in hybrid’s powertrain features two powerful electric motors, sophisticated electronic controls and battery management systems and an efficient direct-injected 3.6L V-6 flex-fuel engine.
About General Motors: General Motors Company, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 235,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors Company acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors Company can be found at www.gm.com.
Posted in Advertising, Automotive, GM, Marketing, Predictions, Speculation
11. August 2009 at 2:18 am :
What The Heck Is 230? And What Does GM Have To Do With It? http://bit.ly/10JCts
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11. August 2009 at 3:30 am :
TechNest Report – What The Heck Is 230? And What Does GM Have To Do With It? http://ow.ly/15KA4b
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11. August 2009 at 8:18 am :
[...] Just one month after GM emerged from bankruptcy, the automaker has made some big news. We speculated about what the company will announce during today’s presentation by CEO Fritz Henderson as [...]