If you were to ask any electric vehicle (EV) driver what one of the biggest benefits of driving an EV is, one of the top responses would be no longer having to deal with the awful smell of fuel at gas stations.
Ford apparently disagrees as they have released a new “premium fragrance” that smells just like gas. And no, this isn’t a late April Fool’s joke akin to Volkswagen’s failed Voltwagen name change stunt earlier this year.
Called Mach-Eau, the automaker says the idea for the new fragrance came from a recent surveys that found 1 in 5 gas car drivers would miss the smell of petrol if they were to switch to electric. If that wasn’t crazy enough, almost 70% said they would miss the smell of petrol to some degree.
“Judging by our survey findings, the sensory appeal of petrol cars is still something drivers are reluctant to give up. The Mach Eau fragrance is designed to give them a hint of that fuel-fragrance they still crave. It should linger long enough for the GT’s performance to make any other doubts vaporise too,” said Jay Ward, director, Ford of Europe Product Communications
It appears those toxic fumes have had an impact on their mental thought processes as the smell of gas was also ranked higher than wine and cheese, and the same as the smell of new books.
Fortunately the fragrance is not actually available for purchase, and is being used more as a gimmick to “help dispel myths around electric cars and convince traditional car enthusiasts of the potential of electric vehicles.”
But they did actually spend what was likely a considerable amount of money on it, employing the renowned fragrance consultancy, Olfiction, to create the scent.
Who knows what is next from Ford…maybe a skin moisturizer that looks and smells like motor oil?
