Skip to main content

Chevy turns Volt into a commercial on wheels with bite-sized QR code sticker

2013 Chevrolet VoltVolt QR Sticker

QR codes by and large are pretty lame. By the time you whip out your phone, open the app, and snap your pic, the desire to learn what’s hidden beneath those cryptic squares and dots has all but escaped you. Nevertheless, there are occasions when the oft-ignored technology actually comes in handy, like, say, stickered to your nifty new Chevrolet Volt.

But don’t just take my word for it, 2013 Chevrolet Volt owner and Gigaom journalist Kevin Tofel thinks Chevy’s use for those dust-ridden QR codes is a smart move, too. While Tofel recently explained he doesn’t mind touting the merits of his eco-conscious set of wheels, stating that the QR codes help address people’s misconceptions about the car, its large battery, and gas generator. What’s more, he doesn’t have to be around to explain it; people can just walk up to the vehicle and scan the code.

Recommended Videos

EPA mandates have already made QR codes commonplace for 2013 car stickers, but in an effort to educate new owners further — and to spread the Volt love to people they communicate with on a daily basis — Chevy has taken to using the bite-sized billboards as a mobile source of promotion, sending drivers of the plug-in hybrid Owners Kits, consisting of among many things  a hardcover book chronicling the Volt from concept to production, 10 small ‘Volt business cards’  to give out when people ask about the car, and of course a QR sticker for your Volt.

It might not seem like a stroke of marketing genius, but Chevy’s move is nonetheless brilliant. During my recent review of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt I was often asked by friends, family members, and random strangers about the politically charged plug-in hybrid. Is it electric? Does it run on gas? How much range does it have? Does it enjoy long drives on the beach? All great questions and ones I was happy to answer. But as much as I loved hearing the sound of my own voice surely there is a better way?

Turns out, there is. Instead of simply scanning the code and being sent directly to Chevy’s website, the QR code sticker being mailed out sends curious onlookers directly to a YouTube video that explains many of the Volt’s features; everything from how the powertrain works (a combination of both all-electric and gasoline); how far the range is on a single charge of its battery; and how long it takes to charge. The video also points out that the Volt is incredibly fun to drive, a sentiment I agree with wholeheartedly.

Chevy’s Volt video is only available in 360p resolution, meaning it might not overwhelm the visual senses, but it won’t sap your data plan either. 

[Volt QR Sticker Image Source: Gigaom]

Amir Iliaifar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Associate Automotive Section Editor for Digital Trends, Amir Iliaifar covers the ever increasing cross-section between tech…
Honda unveils sleek electric sedan and SUV prototypes at CES 2025
Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV prototypes.

Honda’s next-generation electric vehicles are a step closer to production. At CES 2025, the automaker unveiled prototypes of the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV, the first two of its 0 Series EVs that will start rolling off assembly lines in Ohio next year.

The two EVs follow 0 Series concept cars Honda unveiled at CES 2024. These are closer to what buyers can expect to see in showrooms, hence the label of “prototype” rather than “concept.” How close exactly? When Honda unveils a prototype, that vehicle generally makes the transition to production with minimal changes. But that would be particularly remarkable here.
They still look like concept cars

Read more
Digital Trends’ Top Tech of CES 2025 Awards
Top Tech of CES

Las Vegas is overrun. Every billboard in town is shouting about AI, hotel bar tops now sport a sea of laptops, and after hours The Strip is elbow to elbow with engineers toting yard-long beers.

That means CES, the year’s biggest tech bacchanalia, has come to town, and Digital Trends editors have spent the last four days frolicking among next year’s crop of incredible TVs, computers, tablets, and EVs. We’re in heaven.

Read more
Sony and Honda’s Afeela 1 EV makes more sense at CES than in the real world
Afeela 1 front quarter view.

The Sony car is almost here. After its creation via a joint venture with Honda in 2022 and two years’ worth of prototypes, the electronics giant’s Afeela brand is finally taking reservations for its first electric vehicle, with deliveries scheduled to start in 2026.

But will it be worth the wait? Coinciding with the opening of reservations, Sony Honda Mobility brought updated prototypes of the Afeela 1 (as it’s now officially known) to CES 2025, representing what California customers (Afeela is only taking reservations in that state) who put down a $200 refundable deposit can expect when they take delivery.

Read more