How Audi, BMW & Mercedes plan to compete with Tesla

I don't think mazda is anti-hybrid, it simply is a small company, and doesn't have huge resources to invest in hybrid R&D. The image of hybrid certainly is not mazda's image of zoom zoom. Almost all of the important hybrid patents will be off for mazda to do a hsd type hybrid in 2020 if that looks like it will help them, Plug-ins are anouther option for mazda to work with a partner like nissan or tesla or etc.

 

Smaller companies will be able to jump into the EV market.

When a company invests in hybrid tech, they get vehicles that save fuel.
They have gone down two paths. Save more fuel than a comparable car. These typically had low performance, handling, etc. Many were small, although the Prius has more cargo capacity than many other cars and is the epitome of hybrids.
Or, they could keep fuel efficiency the same and slightly increase performance. Many of the larger vehicles that went with the "hybrid" badge did this.

Governments like the fuel savings, most people like it, but many aren't willing to give up ride quality, performance, style, or some other aspect they feel they would have to give up.

With EVs, you give up nothing, and actually gain many things an equivalent ICE can't deliver.
They appeal to those that want to save gas, want better performance, want a better drive quality, want more convenience, HOWEVER all of the above apply to those for who the range works.

As the range improves, the market will grow, as the price gets lower, the market improves.

I see a lot more room for both of those factors to improve for EVs than hybrids (other than plugin hybrids).

 

Audi, BMW and Mercedes really don't have the heart for BEVs. It's just a box ticking exercise to them and thus will only be a compromise or expensive, millionaires plaything.

Tesla want BEVs to succeed. It's their reason to be. Just wish they'd throw a little more effort in over here. The S is a fantastic product yet I've never seen an advert for one and never seen one in product placement. It's almost like they're scared off after the Top Gear debacle. Shame.

 

Tesla doesn't advertise anywhere.
The growth has been completely word of mouth and news stories so far.
Other than the Detroit Auto Show they don't even go to car shows. They would rather put the money into new superchargers, service centers and stores.

Oh, and lawers to battle the Auto Dealers Association here in the states.

 

I think the BMW i3 is the first step. It has high power-to-weight ratio in a rear-wheel drive. They are going after a pocket-rocket. Now build a light-weight body with front and rear drive motors along with computer augmented, drive wheel steering and voila, an awesome track car.

Bob Wilson

 

i agree with grumpy, until someone proves us wrong. maybe it's just our positive personalities.

 

They don't have that problem here in the UK. Pretty much anyone can sell a new car. Wish I could see more Teslas here.

 

you will if they ever come out with a 25,000 pound model.

 

Disagree. Every other car in my areas is an E or S class Merc, BMW 5 or 7 series, X5, Range Rover or RR Sport, Audi A6, Q8, Ferrari, Lambo or Bentley. Some of that is badge driven but I just think people don't realise the Tesla exists, let alone for sale here at is what a pretty competitive price.

Most of the cars I quoted above are well over £50,000 and many bordering on £100k+. A car that does 0-60 in 4 or 5 seconds, 250+ range, all the latest equipment for £50,000 should sell in droves. Barely anyone knows it exists. In the US Tesla go lots of press for the government loans and in CA it sells because the area is full of techies. Here it's as unknown as a Buick model.

What's the commission for selling them? I know for a fact I could sell some. Actually the car would sell itself if people could just see it.

 

There is no commission for selling them, their sales folks work on salary.
I think the slow rollout is not due to lack of awareness as much as it is lack of production capability.
This year, Tesla is making about 35,000 Model S cars worldwide.

Once they ramp up their production I suspect you will start seeing more.

 

You mean they're selling more than they can keep up with production wise, so why try and push delays further?

 

Yes. Why spend money to get more customers when you already have a wait list of orders.

 

i feel the same way, but if you look at registrations, i think you'll find that there are many more cars on the road in the lower price ranges. the fancy ones just stand out, and around here, they're suv's like range rovers and cayenne's. those people don't want a sports car. it really makes little difference what tesla sells now, they're engineering and learning for the future. if they come out with a utilitarian model, that's when we'll find out if we're in the game.

 

Being the Lexus of the company, Audi can just snipe the BEV tech from VW when market demand gets higher. They were also working on E-tron models nearly, um..wow, a decade ago. I know the A1 phv made it to small test fleet before the recession. The A3 one was a BEV and may be the basis for much of the VW tech.

The i series wasn't a half hearted attempt, but I admit BMW may have more focused on the carbon fiber aspect. Anything they do build will be mostly focused on performance. They, and Mercedes, are luxury only here, so anything they offer will be for just the well to do.

Mercedes seems to be following the fuel cell path.

 

Absolutely! There is a much larger market for less expensive cars than more expensive ones.
What I am saying is that EVs have a lot of room to grow today in the luxury market than they currently have.
One thing that is almost a universally desired quality in that market is drive quality. And that is something EVs deliver in spades.

And as prices come down, that drive quality is easy to get an an EV where it costs much more to implement in an ICE.

 

plus europe has a more consistent charging infrastructure in place already, yes?

 

Depends where. In the UK, Holland and Norway they're all over and generally free to use. In Germany, Poland or Italy you'd be hard pushed to find one.

 

germany surprises me with they're pv proliferation, but i suppose it doesn't translate to transportation.

 

Big diesel lobby from the VW group, BMW and Mercedes. France is similar but they are encouraging BEVs mainly in the Government owned areas; French Post Office etc.

France also seem to have a small market for weird BEVs in that way only the French could;



You'd have to be kidding right?

 

now that, will be a collectors item some day! btw, reneault has a couple plug in's in the top 10 worldwide sales.