VW to Build €20k EVs on Its Own, Forgoing Partnerships
bloomberg.com
bloomberg.com
If that article is correct, it is insane that the established Western companies are going to take 3 YEARS(!) to even UNVEIL their new low-cost EV efforts.
Three levels of weaseling. The chance of this being real seems pretty remote at this point.
The alternative is Tesla announcing new models this year or the next year, and then "delays" for multiple years, ending up effectively about the same.
It's probably about time for "affordable". I thought "affordable" would be the name of the game right from the start. But unfortunately, EVs even with tax cuts and credits are still just as expensive if not more so than regular vehicles. They are not even cheaper to insure either.
So it's good they aim for affordability, but I am not sure in US $22k as quite low enough, at least not for me. As it stands with current number of chargers and gas prices I'd rather pay $24k for a basic Honda Civic. Maybe in some years, they'll make even more affordable models, we'd have longer lasting batteries, or there will be a lot more chargers around.
Certainly, driving down new EV prices is invaluable, but these vehicles can be had today at affordable prices in the used auto market.
A smaller battery with a range of 40-100 miles would allow most people to do their daily driving strictly on battery. Beyond that, a gas/diesel generator should kick in for range extension (or for towing).
Realistically, I think it makes a lot more sense to have a dedicated BEV with whatever range you feel appropriate, and a dedicated gas vehicle (if needed) for road trips and longer jaunts. For the vast majority of people, renting a vehicle makes a lot more sense for those occasions.
Generally, I think the populous seems to highly overvalue the ability to take a road trip on a moments notice and undervalue the ease of just being able to rent a vehicle.
Would you believe that on three separate occasions I turned up to collect my (reserved and paid for) vehicle on a Friday, ready to go on a road trip, and they simply didn't have a vehicle for me?
This is because smaller batteries take a long time to charge (usually AC only), and small capacity means they need to be charged frequently (often daily).
BEVs can have batteries 10x larger, which also allows them to charge at a 10x faster rate. The larger battery can last a whole week on a single charge. Quick infrequent charging makes them tolerable even without having a charger at home.
BEVs also don't cycle whole batteries that much, because driving 30 miles daily will use 10% of the battery, not 100%.
But it has a range extender. That transforms it from essentially a dedicated grocery-getter to a daily driver that can commute all over Socal. Barely over 2 gallons of gas will give you an extra 70mi (at about 65mph)
Granted, it's more a technology demonstrator than a blueprint for an affordable mass-market EV, but it's a huge step in the right direction if you ask me. Much more similar to what the average person in a city needs in a car than, say, the 600hp model 3 I was driving around for awhile.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_ID.2all
[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/electricvehicles/comments/18zbn0v/v...
Why I don’t trust VW? I look at Cariad, the software company and think, that group has too many internal conflicts. Every brand has its own interests and needs at the end. I am not sure, that cheap e vehicle is a common need for them. VW is happy having Golf as most popular new car again right now.
Five EV's that lease for under $300/month including deposit: https://electrek.co/2024/05/28/five-evs-that-lease-for-under...
Can't beat the Chinese work ethic with German socialism and work/life balance 35 hours per week.
There will be steep tariffs to keep them afloat, but the hungry chinese competitors would beat the legacy lazy ones.