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> But Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are ready to respond But are they? It’s repeated every time this topic comes up: They supposedly have ready-to-manufactur
by fuzzy2 10y ago
> But Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are ready to respond
But are they? It’s repeated every time this topic comes up: They supposedly have ready-to-manufacture blueprints stashed away in some dusty cabinet. But what about ramping up actual production? What about building production lines?
You can’t just pull a blueprint out of a drawer and cars start rolling from the production line the next day. All I see (from an outside perspective) is the big three (BMW, Mercedes, VW) failing to prepare for the future.
Of course, customers aren’t really demanding it either. Everybody just complains that electric car X cannot travel 1000 km with a single charge and then goes on to buy a Diesel.
- jibbirish 10y agohttp://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-electric-idUSKCN1190EU http://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-electric-idUSKCN11... Daimler is planning six to nine new electric cars between 2018 and 2024, while also unveiling a new electric model next month on the Paris motor show.
- TwoBit 10y ago"planning"
- snarfy 10y agoThey'll all be using Tesla batteries.
- qaq 10y agoI think everyone is overlooking this very important point.
- dangrossman 10y agoIt seems unlikely that Panasonic, LG Chem, Sony, Samsung, etc will cede all their current market share in EV battery production -- that is, 100% of the market -- to a company that currently has none whatsoever. Tesla doesn't make batteries right now... they make battery packs composed of batteries produced by Panasonic and LG Chem. The Gigafactory is basically space sharing: Panasonic's contracted to produce some billions of batteries there, while Tesla has space for assembly lines to package Panasonic's output into packs for cars and homes. Fast forward two years into the future: why would BMW definitely opt to buy Tesla packs of Panasonic batteries, instead of producing their own packs of Panasonic batteries, or Samsung batteries, or an integrated product from LG? LG has the US's largest battery factory in Michigan, which opened in 2013. They have production lines going for the Chevy Volt, Spark EV, Cadillac CT6, and several unnamed customers... and expect to grow production capacity at least 5x in the next 2-3 years. Like the Gigafactory, their output will be measured in gigawatt-hours per year. They also offer more than just batteries to EV makers. LG is providing the battery cells, battery packs, charging systems, motors, control software and infotainment system software for the Chevy Bolt for example. Tesla's unlikely to offer such a suite of components to other auto makers since they're competing in that space. That may make Tesla a less appealing potential partner, meaning they don't get revenue streams from everyone else's EVs as you imply.