Oil is a finite resource. A while ago, it was said that we only had around 50 years of reserves, which showed we needed to find alternative energy sources. Despite that, some people still find it strange to drive electric cars. What if everything was powered by combustion engines on fossil fuels? The absurd situation was a way Nissan found to present the Leaf in this brilliant 2012 commercial.
The day starts with an alarm clock going off. Ironically, the small engine only runs when that happens, stopping immediately after that. For the video to be more realistic, the alarm clock should run on fuel all the time, which would make it hard for people to sleep right next to it – not to mention they would probably die at night from carbon monoxide intoxication in the winter.
The coffee machine uses a pull-start engine, while the microwave oven seems to have an electric starter: the lady using it just closes the door and pushes a button for it to start running. After breakfast, she uses a hairdryer that also smokes her hair and her husband, who is brushing his teeth right on her left.
When the man leaves home, he starts talking on his mobile, also powered by an internal combustion engine – a tiny one. A young woman jogging in the neighborhood turns on her iPod, powered in the same fashion. When he arrives at the office, he starts his computer with a key on the ignition. There is even a gas pedal for the machine, but we wonder what it does: accelerates calculations?
The printer technician does not check the toner: he verifies the oil level. Instead of a water dispenser, the office has a gas dispenser in which the main character in this commercial refuels his laptop. As you may imagine, no smoking is allowed in the area, which was probably still common in some offices in 2012. In an environment filled with fumes, the concern is with flammable vapors, not health issues.
The cherry on top of the cake was a visit to the dentist. If people are already terrified by the drill in its traditional shape, you can imagine what one that looks like a chainsaw provokes in any patient. Our main character does a good job of pretending to be at ease.
The commercial ends with poking fun at the Chevrolet Volt: Nissan makes sure that people unfamiliar with the competitor learn that it is a “gas-electric hybrid” with a small disclaimer on the left top of the video. While the man tops off his car, he sees another one unplugging his Nissan Leaf. We hear the narrator ask: “What if everything ran on gas? Then again, what if everything didn’t? The 100% electric, zero-gas Nissan Leaf. Innovation for the planet. Innovation for all.” The Leaf then leaves in complete silence, a first in the entire video.
The world is still debating whether all vehicles should use large battery packs, leading to high mining needs and other environmental concerns. What is indisputable is that electric motors are much more efficient than combustion engines, regardless of where they draw the electricity they need. They are also more silent, not polluting, lighter, and easier to repair. They were even considered for cars at the very beginning of the automotive era, but their batteries were not good enough for the task. To be honest, they still have a long way to improve.
What this video demonstrates is that people are so resistant to change that some still think cars should stick to combustion engines. In fact, what they really want is not to be pushed out of their comfort zones. As much as that may be hard to admit, they may be pretty uncomfortable. Just imagine a world in which everything was powered by gas: you’d beg for silence or would be forced into it by getting deaf around your thirties. Why not change, right?
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