Volt and Leaf attract new customers

10/21/2011

Electric vehicles may not be surging ahead in sales, but they are having a magnetic effect on potential car buyers. According to the Los Angeles Times, these vehicles are attracting customers who may not have normally checked out a particular brand.

The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are both drawing in customers to showrooms, many dealers are reporting. Even if those buyers don't leave with one of the electric cars, they often go for one of the other models that the brand sells.

"There is such a halo effect," Oliver Hazimeh, an automotive industry consultant at PRTM Management Consulting, told the news source. "These cars appeal to the cool tech-savvy consumer segment."

The vehicles are also drawing shoppers to brands that they haven't considered. The new source reports that 90 percent of Nissan Leaf owners never had a car from the Japanese brand before, while 78 percent of Volt buyers said it was their first Chevy.

No matter what type of car you end up buying, you'll need to stick to a regular auto maintenance schedule if you hope to own it for a long time. Things like brake service and radiator flush & fills can prolong the life of a vehicle.