I was cruising around Hybridcars.com late last week when I came across a story on the record number of Prius (Prii?) sold in February 2007. Additionally, the article lists the top cities for hybrid car registrations during the year 2006. The site offers two rankings of cities — those with the most hybrid registrations and those where hybrids are most popular (hybrids per 1,000 households). Many of the cities with the most creative class members match with the hybrid lists; ie NY, LA, Chicago,Boston, San Francisco/San Jose. (photos are of Toyota’s Hybrid X — perhaps the next iteration of the Prius)
From the article on Prius sales in Feb 2007,
"It remains to be seen whether Toyota can continue this sales pace, but
those who still view the Prius as a niche vehicle with limited appeal
may want to reconsider. Ditto for those who insist that fuel savings or
government incentives are the only reasons people buy hybrids. Last
month’s record Prius sales occurred in a period of moderate gas prices,
and after the reduction in federal tax credits for Toyota hybrid
vehicles as well as elimination of HOV privileges for new hybrids in
California."
That analysis is seems pretty spot on. Just as creative class members expect certain values and characteristics from their locations and their careers; they also expect much of what they consume to do more than just meet a need. While the creative class is by no means monolithic, the ideas outlined in Rise will continued to be reflected in product design and marketing and consumer expectations.
posted by David
