GM launches EV marketing war with move to trademark "range anxiety"

General Motors has reportedly filed papers with the US Patent and Trademark Office requesting a trademark for the term "range anxiety" in a move that suggests it will use fears around electric vehicle range to market its rival plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt.

Speaking to the Jalopnik auto industry blog, which first reported the story, GM head of US marketing Joel Ewanik confirmed that concerns over the availability of recharging points would play a central role in the marketing campaign for the Volt as the company seeks to differentiate the car from other pure electric vehicles, such as Nissan's Leaf and Tesla's planned Roadster.

"It's something we call 'range anxiety', and it's real," he said. "That's something we need to be very aware of when we market this car. We're going to position this as a car first and electric second... people do not want to be stranded on the way home from work."

Surveys have shown that range anxiety is one of the main barriers to adoption of electric vehicles among motorists and GM and other plug-in hybrid manufacturers are hoping that their ability to use both electricity and conventional fuel will help address those concerns.

However, a spokeswoman for Tesla told the Wall Street Journal that the company was prepared for the marketing war that it is bound to ignite between manufacturers of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

"By all means, GM can have 'range anxiety'," she said. "To Roadster owners, the term is as irrelevant as 'gas stop' or 'smog check'. We are, however, looking into trademarking 'Tesla grin'."

In related news, rival electric car manufacturer Coda Automotive announced last week that it plans to roll out its all-electric sedan from the third quarter of next year, starting in Hawaii.

The state is fast emerging as a hotbed for electric car trials, with Nissan also singling out Hawaii as a target market as a result of its short driving distances and high fuel prices.

The state government has also inked an agreement with recharging network provider Better Place which is expected to trial its battery-swap stations in the state.