They're far more than a blip. They are easily outselling their Japanese and German competition in their segment. Luxury cars.
> Daimler took it seriously enough to invest in Tesla, and to use Tesla as a supplier in their own B-class EV sold in the US.
They did. However, they still do not have an EV sedan or SUV in the market.
> The BMW i series feature some pretty innovative thinking with respect to construction, materials, and design.
It does. However, they still do not have an EV sedan or SUV in the market.
> The payoff is that the BMW i3 is the most efficient EPA-certified vehicle, more efficient than any of Tesla's models
Because it's tiny. It's like a clown car.
The simple fact is that the Germans know if they put out an EV sedan or SUV, they will cannibalize their own market share and their investments in combustion engine manufacturing, which are massive, will be lost. They are trying to slowly transition to EV. Tesla is using that to their advantage and eroding their market share.
https://cleantechnica.com/files/2016/01/US-luxury-car-sales-...
That was last year. This year is going to be worse for them.