For the average motorist, the leap of faith required to go full electric remains substantial, hindered by the triumvirate of terror: crippling price tags, the dreaded range anxiety, and the inherent tether of a charging infrastructure that rarely seems to be where you need it. But for a certain, highly vocal segment of the population the issue is far more existential. They aren’t worried about practicalities; they’re suffering from a profound lack of soul.
Enter Kia, the Korean automaker, riding in on a metaphorical white horse with a masterstroke of cynical genius. To accompany the launch of its new electric model, the Kia EV4, the company has unleashed an accessory so utterly preposterous, so audaciously self-aware, it must be hailed as the most intelligent piece of automotive marketing this year: a petrol-scented air freshener.
For the discerning EV driver who secretly mourns the aroma of high-octane fuel and heavy oil, Kia is offering the olfactory equivalent of a comfort blanket. It’s an object lesson in playing to the worst kind of nostalgia.
This brilliant piece of performance art is, for now, exclusive to Finland, a country rapidly embracing electrification, but where evidently a significant number of drivers are experiencing “olfactory loss” upon ditching their internal combustion engines. Developed in collaboration with Finnish perfumer Max Perttula, the fragrance is a crude, almost sensual blend: a cocktail of motor oil, metal, jasmine, and birch tar. It’s less “new car smell,” more “forgotten, dimly lit garage from 1985”.
By gently mocking the sentimental attachment to the combustion engine, Kia’s campaign manages a stunning one-two punch. First, it acknowledges the deep, emotional gap of the energy transition, offering a bizarre, tongue-in-cheek bridge. Second, it generates an immense amount of buzz for the Kia EV4 by daring to be utterly absurd.
This operation creates a tangible connection with motorists, proving that going electric doesn’t require a total denial of the past. It simply requires a tiny, petrol-can-shaped reminder dangling from your rearview mirror that, yes, you used to smell much worse.
