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Tesla produced the first ICE-equivalent EV sedan that was not merely a "compliance vehicle" in decades. Then, it turned out, people bought them by the hundreds
by zamfi 4y ago
Tesla produced the first ICE-equivalent EV sedan that was not merely a "compliance vehicle" in decades.
Then, it turned out, people bought them by the hundreds of thousands, single-handedly recreating the market for EVs.
Then, other manufacturers noticed, and started realizing they might be left behind if they didn't take EVs seriously.
Now, sure, there are many competitors, but even still they have only been built in small quantities.
How long Tesla's edge will last is an open question, but there's no question that Tesla has single-handedly exploded the demand for EVs in the consumer vehicle market.
- sudosysgen 4y agoBy the time Tesla had sold 100,000 Model S cars in the US, Nissan had already sold over 110 000 Leafs. Tesla created the market for high-performance EVs. They did not create the overall EV market. The high-end market is only a small part of the numbers.
- alvah 4y ago"The high-end market is only a small part of the numbers" correct, but in a parallel universe where Tesla didn't exist & the typical EV looked & performed like a Leaf, would anyone actually want an electric car? Marketing and psychology are important.
- sudosysgen 4y agoSure, as evidenced by the fact that more people bought cars that performed like the Leaf and Zoe than Model S's. Also the Renault Zoe looked just like the Renault Clio, that is, a normal car.
- alvah 4y agobought != wanted...
- zamfi 4y agoThe Leaf that Nissan sold while the Model S was Tesla’s only sedan (ie 2012-2017) was not an ICE-equivalent vehicle. It was explicitly a city vehicle with a < 75 mile official range, an effective 40-50 mile range, and no fast charging. If “high-performance” means “can handle the daily driving needs of > 50% of the population” then I guess you’re right, Tesla only created that market.
- sudosysgen 4y agoThe daily-driving needs of 95% of the population are incompatible with a 100k$ car. The Leaf fit the needs of more people simply by virtue of having an acceptable price. The Zoe also had a 150km+ effective range, which is more than enough for most people (maybe less so for Americans).
- SemanticStrengh 4y agozoe was 210km and very cheap, it's mystery why it didn't took off
- zamfi 4y agoThe Model S was the first EV that “happened to be” an EV. You didn’t have to compromise on range, power, comfort, or anything else to own it. That’s why it succeeded. It was a great car, and happened to be an EV. Tesla’s chief designer himself: “We are past the idea of an environmentally friendly vehicle needing to look different. People don't want to sacrifice anything, including style, to own an efficient car.”
- sudosysgen 4y agoYou definitely needed to compromise on range power and comfort. The 60kWh version was more expensive than an BMW M4, S5, or A6, all in more powerful, comfortable, etc... You definitely had to compromise to own it, on almost everything aspect. Despite everything else, people were buying it because it was electric.
- SemanticStrengh 4y agoI am not an expert in cars and yet I know the Renault Zoe was commercialized in 2012, the year of the model S, for a reasonable autonomy and a much, much cheaper price. I believe tesla were the first to sell low volume, pricey EV cars. Their range and timing advance is only because of choosing the rich over the middle class, aka a lesser impact. Although it's true EV were and remain not cheap but it's getting quickly much better and it's definitely not tesla that will lead the dance of democratisation
- r00fus 4y agoI'm no Musk fan, but let's be honest, Tesla released the Roadster in 2008. An expensive luxury product, no doubt, but years ahead of the Leaf or Zoe.
- throwawayboise 4y agoAnd the Leaf looks like the typical electric cross between a clown car and a golf cart. The Roadster was based on a Lotus Elise. It looked great.
- sokoloff 4y agoIf you took the badges off, I think most people would have a hard time telling the LEAF (EV) and a Versa (ICE) apart. The LEAF is no 911 or Jaguar E-type, but it's not a "hey, look at me; I'm electric!" clown car either.
- throwawayboise 4y agoMaybe the current generation. I recall the original Leaf looking very clown-car-ish but I guess that's subjective.
- _ea1k 4y agoDidn't the Zoe have a 22kwh battery? I don't doubt that it was practical for some things, but that was exactly the kind of car that many (especially in the US) used as an example of the "impracticality" of electric back then.
- outworlder 4y agoThe real ace was releasing an EV sports car, the Tesla Roadster. That's what caught people's attention. They were able to see how EV drivetrains were actually better than their ICE counterparts and that electric motors can do much more than drive golf carts – despite having powered everything from submarines to locomotives, people still thought they were weak. Otherwise, Nissan would have been Tesla. They have produced some of the first practical EVs, way before Tesla did. Unfortunately, they made them for the Japanese consumer, not for the average american. At least not initially.
- alvah 4y agoNissan would never have been Tesla. They might have been the largest producer of EVs if history had run a different way, but that's a million miles away from being Tesla.
- sokoloff 4y agoI daily drive a Nissan LEAF. Any Tesla model is vastly more practical as an only car. I love my LEAF, but a little over a dozen times per year, I have to trade cars with my spouse to accomplish some particular day's driving.
- zamfi 4y agoYou’re right that the Tesla Roadster led the charge — no pun intended — for EVs as uncompromising vehicles. But I don’t think Nissan would’ve been Tesla: they didn’t think people would pay for a full-range EV (and still don’t, looks like?) and didn’t prioritize it. For many Americans that means the LEAF could not be their only vehicle. The supercharger network also played a huge role in normalizing EVs, in particular in making the Tesla Model S the first car you could convince yourself was a great car that “happened to be an EV”. The S isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have any huge, obvious EV-related deficits, like the LEAF’s range and charge time.
- _ea1k 4y agoDon't forget the importance of charging either. When the 3 came out, GM was considering the Bolt a direct competitor. They had the mindset that people were only buying these as city cars. To this day, GM sells that "direct competitor" with a ~55kw charging limit. Tesla is what made the other manufacturers realize that people were willing to wait 15-25 minutes on DCFC while road tripping electric cars.