Tesla booster

Really interesting video.
However, as I watched it, I felt more and more like it wasn't really trying to answer it's own supposed question which is " Is Tesla's Success Holding Back EV Competition? ".
As I watched it, it just seemed more and more like a Tesla success story infomercial, really focusing on illuminating the gap between Tesla's current success and where the rest of the automotive industry is at this time.

If I'm going to attempt an answer to the question, even after watching that video, I'm going to say I don't think Tesla's success is "Holding Back" the competition. The gap between Tesla and everyone else in the world of automotive EV's is not really a yardstick as to whether that success is holding back competition, it's only indicative of Tesla's current success and the gap itself.
If I'm going to JJ. Abrams "Alternate Universe" the scenario, I imagine a world where Tesla simply doesn't exist, and I don't see the legacy automakers being farther ahead in EV development. But alternate universes are works of speculative fiction. So who really knows? I suspect that the hesitancy for automakers to take a full sized plunge into marketing Tesla like EV vehicles is probably based on the feeling that they simply do not need to compete in that arena at this time. They can still survive and make profit off selling ICE vehicles. Until that playing field starts to tilt, I would think the urgency or the desire/need to compete with Tesla....maybe underrated or mistakenly undervalued. But again, I'm trying to look into a very murky crystal ball.

You can debate the "Why" of the gap. But at this point I think you can keep it pretty simple. Tesla is a leading pioneer. By definition Pioneers take the lead, and are followed.
I think you can applaud the success of Tesla, and the lead they seem to be creating. But I also think when we are talking about major cultural and technological evolution in any arena? It's hard to predict what the reality will be for Tesla, and today's automakers 5-10 years out. It doesn't take much to totally change the playing field.

 

agreed. couldn't really get where he was coming from

 

i would put it in order of importance:

1) most don't have a clue

2) most of those with a clue don't care

3) most of those who care think government should do it, whatever it is

4) cost

5) the rest are driving or inclined to by a bev

 

About 60-65% of households in the US are single family homes owner occupied. For those that own cars the percentage is higher. For those that own 2 or more cars the percentage is higher. IOW, 2+ car families have about a 70-80% chance of living in a home with a garage, in the US.
So you seem to have missed the point I was making -- namely that that is a much much larger potential market than the current ~1% of EV sales. Yes, there are some people that don;t have cars or a second car or a place to park or charge a car. But about half probably do and have 2+ cars.

Agreed

True, but see above. We car-owning garage-owning group are a very large portion of the US. Thus we can (and should) "lead" the move to EVs to help get the volumes up and prices lower. We can't expect poor people to do this.

But we do live where this isn't true and we do use more energy per capita. We should stop making excuses and do the right thing, IMO.

Mike

 

They can't afford bread?! Let them eat cake!

Doing the right thing depends on what one's priorities are. I for one do not buy new cars any more. So for me to go EV will take a while. I consider car expenditure a necessary evil, not a pleasure. I am not alone in this. Car is transportation for many and not a hobby (as it is for some). So BEV adoption will take time for all the reasons discussed. They are not excuses, they are reasons and trying to shame people into buying an EV will get you nowhere but a corner.