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271 : THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING STRONG IDEAS

core-benefit proposition was that it was silent, pollution-free, economic
and safer than a moped. A number of alternative models of the C5 were
created.

The first consumer exposure to the C5 occurred when an early
prototype vehicle was presented to 63 families in suburban and town
environments in order to research where the controls should be
positioned.

The C5’s designers were unable to produce radically new battery
technology to optimise the trade-off between battery power and weight.
This compromised the C5’s performance, forcing the driver (when not
pedalling) to ‘push and coast’ – giving a burst of power and then coasting
to conserve battery power. The pedals were required when driving up
steep hills. The C5 had a published range of 20 miles and a top speed of
15 mph. The battery suffered a significant loss of battery power in
freezing weather. It took about eight hours to recharge on the domestic
mains.

The C5’s boot had a capacity of one cubic foot. The C5 safety booklet
commissioned from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
warned of the danger caused by the low height of the machine, which
made it difficult for lorry drivers and less alert car drivers to spot the C5.
The basic C5 model excluded wing mirrors, horn or indicators, which
could be purchased as additional items, as could a high-visibility mast to
attach to the car. The fully ‘rebundled’ cost of the C5, including safety
extras, spare battery and delivery, was around £600 rather than the
advertised headline price of £399.

The secrecy surrounding the launch limited the tests conducted on
public roads to night-time when traffic was light. Private tests included a
test-track and accident simulation at the Motor Industry Research
Association.

The product launched nationally in 1985 rather than via a rolling
launch. A number of the test models failed on hills during the product
launch, which was held in January. Distribution in the early stages of the
product’s life was intended to be by mail order, with delivery from one of
the distribution centres direct to the customer’s door.

The visuals used in the advertising campaign stressed the leisure
component of the C5, featuring women in C5s on a deserted road and
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