Coda Automotive adds former MINI, VW exec as marketing officer
Code EV sedan - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Coda electric sedan just got a new advocate. Kerri Martin, who used to work for Harley-Davidson, BMW Motorcycles, MINI and Volkswagen "launching, building and reinvigorating some of the world's most iconic pop culture brands" over the past 15 years, has been hired as Coda Automotive's new chief marketing officer. Her first official statement as CMO: "I'm thrilled to be part of the electric vehicle movement, especially with Coda, a company that is intent on disrupting the category conventions and has the vision to reinvent the car buying and ownership experience."
The Coda EV is due next year. sedan has a range of between 90 and 120 miles, depending on driving conditions. Cost? $45,000 before incentives.
[Source: Coda Automotive]
PRESS RELEASE:
Coda Automotive Appoints Former Volkswagen and MINI USA Head of Marketing as CMO
Santa Monica, Calif., August 13, 2009 – Coda Automotive, a California-based electric car and battery company, has hired Kerri Martin as Chief Marketing Officer in preparation for the launch of its four-door, five-passenger, all-electric sedan in 2010. Prior to joining Coda, Martin was Director of Brand Innovation and Marketing Communications at Volkswagen of America.
"Kerri is a welcome addition to the Coda team and will be instrumental in architecting a fully integrated, customer-centric Coda brand experience," said Kevin Czinger, President and CEO, Coda Automotive. "With a history of taking an innovative approach to automotive marketing and not settling for industry standards, Kerri's leadership style aligns perfectly with our entrepreneurial business model."
Martin has more than 15 years of experience as a creative marketing executive, launching, building and reinvigorating some of the world's most iconic pop culture brands including Harley-Davidson, BMW Motorcycles, MINI and Volkswagen.
"I'm thrilled to be part of the electric vehicle movement, especially with Coda, a company that is intent on disrupting the category conventions and has the vision to reinvent the car buying and ownership experience," said Martin.
Martin, 39, held various executive marketing positions at MINI USA and Volkswagen from 2000 to 2007. From 1997 to 2000, she led the repositioning of the BMW Motorcycles brand and managed the Harley-Davidson MotorClothes marketing programs from 1993-1997. Martin graduated cum laude with a BA in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was the first client ever elected to the Board of Directors of The One Club. She began her career with advertising and public relations agency Laughlin Constable.
About Coda Automotive: Headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., Coda Automotive is a manufacturer and distributor of all-electric cars and transportation battery systems. Launched in June 2009, the company designs, brands, markets and distributes electric vehicles utilizing a manufacturing partnership strategy which allows Coda Automotive to develop vehicles rapidly in a flexible manner – avoiding the traditionally capital-intensive nature of the automobile business. Coda Automotive's first vehicle, the Coda sedan, will be delivered in 2010.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Reality Hurts 3:55PM (8/16/2009)
The Ford Focus vs. The Coda Ev
Range:
- Focus: 300-350 Miles
- Coda: 90-120 Miles
Recharge/Refill on Standard Gas Station/ 120v Household Outlet
- Focus: 2-5 Minutes
- Coda: 5-10 Hours
Cost of Driving:
Not worth the math, Coda wins here
Cost of Purchase:
Focus: $15,000 US
Coda: $35,000-45,000 US
I hope these marketers are good at what they do, because they have an uphill battle here. Many Americans can't afford to use global warming as an excuse to pay $20,000 more for an inferior product....
Hydrogen all the way!
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Ray 5:44PM (8/16/2009)
I agree, it is much easier to send ones son off to fight for oil. I mean how easy is breeding? Much easier than say having to come up with $20,000. How intelligent you are. Short sight. Long sight, it cost $250,000 to raise a offspring to the age of 18.
Reality will really hurt a short sighted highly intelligent person like yourself when oil hits 300/barrel. For those who refuse to think ahead (Ford and super IQ above) you deserve what you get.
With this train of thought you better hope the economy never recovers. You will not be able to afford to fill your pie hole and that is good as less will come out of the other end like above.
Hydrogen... lol
Reality Hurts 5:56PM (8/16/2009)
Who said anything about oil? I want to switch away just like anyone else, but a 45,000 car will not do it, use your brain, read the entire comment BEFORE getting your BS political opinions in there... moron.
Ray 11:05PM (8/16/2009)
Relity, you may want to switch but until the government makes it so you can do it for free you will come up with reasons why you can't and support the car and oil companies as is. I bring up oil because how are you going to go down the road in your Focus, magic?
If we could actually reverse global warming the cost of not doing it are way more expensive than the difference between these cars for a billion people. Insurance premiums will go through the roof and all the expense of relocating displaced victims of flooding will be astronomical. Gas refineries will be disrupted, flooded. If we could reverse GW and we didn't it's like saying we can't breath the air because of pollution but refuse to do anything about it because it is to expensive. I don't think we can effect GW. It could reverse it self. What we can effect is oil consumption. Unfortunately it will take the government to force people off oil. Get rid of the subsidies and make people pay the true cost at the pumps. More oil for China and India.
The Coda is not my favorite EV especially with the model s coming out from Tesla. If money is your only motivation, until the governments get heavily involved it is obvious they loose as they are not mass produced and not entrenched with lobbying powers and not aligned with the oil companies. Every one says they want to switch, no one wants to sacrifice money or convenience to do so. As a result I question, do you really want to switch.
Rick, perhaps your right, but I do like owning my own batteries.
Spence, good point the Leaf or the model S Tesla make this thing look not so good.
Evftw, gas is 10/gal now if they removed subsidies and charged for every time the military secured oil sources. In ten years it will be much more. You may have a point of the quality issues with this particular vehicle. Lastly I want my money to stay here and create jobs, not send seven hundred billion dollars overseas each year. I want to stop paying the car companies that refuse to be innovative and not produce inexpensive EV's. But instead they lobby and sue our government every chance they get to produce the same old oil burning cars. Which in turn supports the oil companies so they can then stifle innovation with lobbying and other tactics that allow you no choice but to keep burning oil. Big government is the only thing that will change this as the short sighted consumer never will. Most people in China don't want democracy, they look at the US and say that our government is influenced by lobbying money to much, corrupted by the corporations. They certainly do have a point.
ShaunneyCakes 6:24AM (8/17/2009)
@Ray
Despite what the leader or your little government hate club may say, only 14-18% of american oil comes from the middle east at all, and most of that 18% does not come from any country we have EVER been at war with. Where does most america get most of it's oil... Canada. This war for oil nonsense will never die.
Comments like yours makes be laugh out loud...
Serge 11:47AM (8/17/2009)
You are pretty spot on in your financial analysis. Current and upcoming generation of EVs will not compete with the economy gas cars. That's why the CMO they hired has experience in a different market segment (from Harley Davidson, not Kawasaki).
As far as your "hydrogen all the way comment"
Honda Clarity FCX cost of purchase: $500K. Yeah, that makes a lot of [financial] sense.
evftw 12:11PM (8/17/2009)
At the end of the day it doesn't matter who they hire, everything I read says this is a garbage car. Marketing may get an initial buzz but once consumers get these things and they start to fall apart or, god forbid, someone is killed in a crash, the company will fail...
The $10 per gallon thing is bunk. As pointed out most of our gasoline actually comes from friendly countries. The lies about gasoline are made to keep defence contractors supplied with work... You don't think that there won't be another iraq when we switch to electricity? think again... We will go to war somewhere else - It's big business...
NeilBlanchard 12:59PM (8/17/2009)
Hello Reality Hurts,
Where are you getting the 300 mile range for the Ford Focus EV? I just checked their web page and it says 100 miles...
http://www.ford.com/about-ford/news-announcements/press-releases/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-planning-new-electric-hybrid-29683
Sincerely, Neil
Rick 6:27PM (8/16/2009)
Reality is right about 1 thing $45k. is a lot of money to lay out there when there are so many cheaper options. If I was the marketer I would seriously be thinking about whether this car could be sold for $10,000. without batteries and work out a 5 year battery lease where the payments are $200./month. max
I think this is crucial for the ev industry - separate batteries from the car. The batteries will have to be turned in and recycled at the end of a lease which will relieve the car owner from anxiety over battery replacement.
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Spence 7:09PM (8/16/2009)
Unless the Nissan Leaf costs twice as much as they have been hinting, this baby is DOA.
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Serge 11:38AM (8/17/2009)
Leaf is much better looking car as well. Being a five-door, more useful too.
EVFTW 8:10PM (8/16/2009)
1. EW! I would take a focus over that ugly thing any day....
2. Even with gasoline at $6 per gallon at 15,000 miles a year, that's only $3k per year. Over ten years the focus still costs less...
The focus will have higher residual value because it's initial quality and reliability are higher. The Coda will depreciate to almost zero very quickly because of the poor initial quality.
And lastly where do you want your money to go? Want your money to stay in the US? Buy the focus... Want to help crush freedoms in China? buy a Coda...
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