I think a better comparison is to the Italians.
Stellantis bought up a bunch of iconic brands when they got Chrysler and then integrated a bunch of new technology from Fiat. Since then, they’ve focused on creature comforts and margin expansion, but neglected everything else.
They recently realized their sales projections are headed for a cliff and unceremoniously fired their CEO.
VDA is pressuring for HVO100 bs. Mercedes just pulled back on the electric only strategy. I guess they figured that most of the added value is with the batteries and being deeply integrated there and thats not really their cup of tea, so far at least.
There where Taycans for 30k$ which was a real great deal if your the second buyer and not the first.
On the other hand the id family looks ok, facelift good. The a6 is pricey at 100k but is the first really capable german highway ev, not as premature as the eqs…
The technology (e.g. heat pump, carbon fiber/aluminum body), user interface and fuel economy (not range) of my old i3 are all competitive with the 2022-2024 EVs I’ve driven.
Unless they somehow regressed 10 years, the only obvious problem with the new BMW EVs is that none offer a third row.
The i8 was also a special snowflake (hybrid supercar with wing doors and questionable transmission), but what about the i4, i7 and iX?
They all look extremely competitive.
My main gripe is no 800V, it would be a sane travel car with that.
No frunk to store the possibly wet and dirty ac cable. Yes they exist on the aftermarket but the car is a premium product, one shouldn't have to deal with this.
My personal EV tech goal/dream is 400km range in between 20-80% SOC, chargeable in <20 minutes. Ideally as a worst case ie cold outside -5C, 140kmh avg. And the whole package affordable: <50k new, ideally even <30k. Let's hope we'll see this kind of volume model sooner rather than later. My hope is that it could significantly improve the QOL for many people in cities worldwide and help further build out renewables by offering grid stabilization while not in use (this dream unfortunately requires ~100kwh, which will result in a >2t vehicle so tire rub will probably increase slightly, though i think its a worthwile trade off). So i guess my last gripe is price, yes its a premium product but the production complexity and price should go down vs BEVs...