Volkswagon Has A Clue

D

DwightFrye

Joined
Jul 14, 2020
Messages
1,326
Location
California
Volkswagon sees the writing on the wall regarding the EV market. They want to have a truly competitive EV on the market by 2026.They realize that to be competitive with Tesla, they are going to have to spend billions to modernize their factories for EV production and that may even include demolishing some existing factories and starting over.

This is probably a sound plan. However, 2026 is a long way away. Tesla has proven to be able to go from groundbreaking for a new factory to having the first vehicles rolling off the assembly line in just one year. Will VW or any other automaker be able to do that ? By 2026 how many more factories will Tesla have operational around the world ? 3 or 4 I can imagine. And they will likely have several sub- $30k vehicles in their lineup.

Volkswagon is rightfully concerned about where the market will be in just a few years and is getting ready to make major commitments of resources to be a major player. I hope they succeed as competition is good for the consumer. Toyota may be in trouble, it doesn't look like their solid state batteries are going to be viable, at least not for many years and millions of dollars of development.

The big question is will the US automakers have the capitol to go whole hog like VW plans on doing ? Or by 2026 will they still be living in the 1980's and producing some mediocre EV's and hoping for brand loyalty and government (i.e taxpayer) bailouts to keep them in business ?
 
Despite the huge investment, if they can't do batteries the same way Tesla does in it's higher end models, it's going to fall short. Tesla's battery tech is second to none. It's my belief that soon, Tesla will have the 4680 in their new models, and everyone else will be struggling to make lesser battery tech work as well.
 
Volkswagen has a 2 percent market share in the United States. They can go knock themselves out, good luck to them. They are coping with EU mandates but the US has no such mandates.
 
wdn said:
Volkswagen has a 2 percent market share in the United States. They can go knock themselves out, good luck to them. They are coping with EU mandates but the US has no such mandates.
Click to expand...


True but to add, Volkswagen Auto Group has ranked either #1 or #2 in global sales for the past three years. They run neck and neck with Toyota.
 
DwightFrye said:
Volkswagon sees the writing on the wall regarding the EV market. They want to have a truly competitive EV on the market by 2026.They realize that to be competitive with Tesla, they are going to have to spend billions to modernize their factories for EV production and that may even include demolishing some existing factories and starting over.

This is probably a sound plan. However, 2026 is a long way away. Tesla has proven to be able to go from groundbreaking for a new factory to having the first vehicles rolling off the assembly line in just one year. Will VW or any other automaker be able to do that ? By 2026 how many more factories will Tesla have operational around the world ? 3 or 4 I can imagine. And they will likely have several sub- $30k vehicles in their lineup.

Volkswagon is rightfully concerned about where the market will be in just a few years and is getting ready to make major commitments of resources to be a major player. I hope they succeed as competition is good for the consumer. Toyota may be in trouble, it doesn't look like their solid state batteries are going to be viable, at least not for many years and millions of dollars of development.

The big question is will the US automakers have the capitol to go whole hog like VW plans on doing ? Or by 2026 will they still be living in the 1980's and producing some mediocre EV's and hoping for brand loyalty and government (i.e taxpayer) bailouts to keep them in business ?
Click to expand...
I just hope somebody retains the ability(factory tools etc) to make ICE's for when the electric fad starts to fade.
 
I know it isn't the future but to me anyway the gas electric hybrids with better technology is what I want for now.
I just did a straight 900 mile run and I need great mpg and comfort but the electric cars can't give me that.
(Range)

Later when they can i will be all in.
We need a usable 60-70 mpg hybrid.
This 40 mpg doesn't cut it.

A old school Passat can give 40 plus mpg now on the Interstate.
 
wdn said:
Volkswagen has a 2 percent market share in the United States. They can go knock themselves out, good luck to them. They are coping with EU mandates but the US has no such mandates.
Click to expand...
Hmm, do you actually know how big VW is? What mandates are you talking about?
 
Zee09 said:
I know it isn't the future but to me anyway the gas electric hybrids with better technology is what I want for now.
I just did a straight 900 mile run and I need great mpg and comfort but the electric cars can't give me that.
(Range)

Later when they can i will be all in.
We need a usable 60-70 mpg hybrid.
This 40 mpg doesn't cut it.

A old school Passat can give 40 plus mpg now on the Interstate.
Click to expand...
Tesla is betting on all EV and customer base that has Tesla and usually gas guzzler or two in the garage. No one in my neighborhood has only Tesla.
Hybrid is definitely mid term solution. If i cannot drop kids in the morning to school, go ski 2hrs away, and go back to pick them up without thinking whether I have a juice or “fill up” in 5-10min, it ain’t gonna cut it. Can I get to Chicago in 12hrs of actual driving with full EV minivan, running AC constantly etc. etc.?
If I was on the market for a minivan again I would probably go new Sienna bcs. hybrid. But full EV? Probably my kids will eventually use them.
 
Zee09 said:
I know it isn't the future but to me anyway the gas electric hybrids with better technology is what I want for now.
I just did a straight 900 mile run and I need great mpg and comfort but the electric cars can't give me that.
(Range)

Later when they can i will be all in.
We need a usable 60-70 mpg hybrid.
This 40 mpg doesn't cut it.

A old school Passat can give 40 plus mpg now on the Interstate.
Click to expand...
That isn't really how physics work. The car weights 3K pounds to haul a 200lb person...because the person "needs comfort". So there aren't enough BTUs in a gallon of fuel to do that.
Cut the weight in half and get rid of the comfort features and you could probably get close but those old late 80s/early 90s VW diesel 1.6L engines had 52HP, would be a road hazard these days but they did get 40MPG...if you could drive a stick.
 
edyvw said:
Tesla is betting on all EV and customer base that has Tesla and usually gas guzzler or two in the garage. No one in my neighborhood has only Tesla.
Hybrid is definitely mid term solution. If i cannot drop kids in the morning to school, go ski 2hrs away, and go back to pick them up without thinking whether I have a juice or “fill up” in 5-10min, it ain’t gonna cut it. Can I get to Chicago in 12hrs of actual driving with full EV minivan, running AC constantly etc. etc.?
If I was on the market for a minivan again I would probably go new Sienna bcs. hybrid. But full EV? Probably my kids will eventually use them.
Click to expand...
Agreed.
Electric doesn't work for long distance travelers yet.
The day I can charge a Tesla like gassing a car I am in.

Around my local area electric would be great with home charging.
 
stevejones said:
Really? What Tesla factory is that?
Click to expand...
Giga Shanghai was completed in 12 months.
Berlin is dealing with government permit stuff which has slowed progress down, but they should start production by year's end. They are having an "Giga Fest" opening party with the community this week.
Austin is in final production line testing. They broke ground in July 2020 and are starting production soon with volume production in 2022.

Fremont, the old GM and NUMMI plant, continues to expand. Austin is expected to be the biggest automobile factory in the world.

Tesla Factories
 
thastinger said:
That isn't really how physics work. The car weights 3K pounds to haul a 200lb person...because the person "needs comfort". So there aren't enough BTUs in a gallon of fuel to do that.
Cut the weight in half and get rid of the comfort features and you could probably get close but those old late 80s/early 90s VW diesel 1.6L engines had 52HP, would be a road hazard these days but they did get 40MPG...if you could drive a stick.
Click to expand...
The weight is driven by safety features not much by comfort features. If it was average enthusiasts that have track car weld be delight to shed 1000lbs by kicking out comfort features. But they cannot. People who use for example BMW 328 like mine just as track car can shed at most 300lbs including kicking out rear seats, all trunk and rear seat insulation, installing race seats which cut weight by 30lbs per front seat and straight flow exhaust which cuts weight by 65lbs.
So comfort features is really not big of an issue.
 
RooflessVW said:
There is no stigma in their largest markets.
Click to expand...
I realize that but if you did a poll here it would be obvious. Of course many makers are guilty of making Crap. Seems VW is held more accountable.
When they introduced the Atlas they did so with a great warranty.
Didn't they shortly after reduce that warranty?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

M
$10 Billion Down The Drain - The Cruise Is Sunk
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
t_bilt
M
The Tesla Strategy
3 4 5
Replies
89
Views
3K
4WD
Back
Top Bottom