General Motors has recently filed for a bizarre trademark in claiming the right to the term, “Range Anxiety.” Range anxiety, for those new to electric car discussions, is the term used to describe that some electric vehicle drivers might feel if they are low on battery power and not close to home or a charging station. It reflects the limited range of the electric car and is generally considered the primary negative aspect of owning an electric car.

Gm has applied for the rights to phrase in order to “promote public awareness of electric vehicle capabilities.” This seems unlikely however since GM has no current fully electric vehicles available, or even expected in the near future. What they do have is the Chevy Volt (image above) coming out this Fall with its range-extending engine.

So GM will be using fear-based marketing to scare potential Volt buyers away from pure electric competition like the Nissan Leaf.

We’re looking forward to the first Volt commercials where drivers are stranded on the road and eventually die of starvation thanks to range anxiety.