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the "old" manufacturers have pretty much all released excellent EV cars across the market They are just about getting there as of last year, after 15 years of

the "old" manufacturers have pretty much all released excellent EV cars across the market They are just about getting there as of last year, after 15 years of saying they were going to. e.g. look back at VWs claims about how they were going to be an EV leader back in 2013, vs how long it took them to actually get the ID3/ID4 done. e.g. "Volkswagen Group will be the world leader in electric and hybrid cars by 2018, it says. The bold claim came not from an offhand comment by an executive at this week's Frankfurt Auto Show, but in a press release announcing that the VW Group had set its "sights on market leadership in electric mobility by 2018." “We are starting at exactly the right time," said Group CEO Martin Winterkorn before the show. "We are electrifying all vehicle classes, and therefore have everything we need to make the Volkswagen Group the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018." https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1086902_volkswagen-will-be-the-biggest-electric-car-maker-in-2018-it-says https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1086902_volkswagen-will... But yes as of now there are a lot of good cars from a lot of manufacturers. Tesla had to give the industry an almighty kick up the backside to get us here though Without Tesla all we'd have is stuff like the 2016 Leaf with 100 mile range because 'market research shows people just want an ev for running around town'

suction 4y ago
- dang 4y ago
  We've banned this account for repeatedly and egregiously violating the site guidelines. I don't want to ban you, because you've posted good comments in the past, but you simply can't post like this here, not matter how wrong other people are or you feel they are. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32562257 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32562257 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550186 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550186 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550068 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550068 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32517851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32517851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32506120 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32506120 If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules in the future. They're here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.
rsynnott 4y ago
> look back at VWs claims about how they were going to be an EV leader back in 2013, vs how long it took them to actually get the ID3/ID4 done. VW was third in Europe by 2018 (or second, depending on how you view Renault-Nissan), and first by 2020, so... not _that_ huge of a miss, perhaps? The ID3/4 were their second generation; the eGolf and eUp, while far less ambitious, sold pretty well.
- codeulike 4y ago
  Fair enough. Yes by 2020 VW had sorted themselves out. My point really is that the traditional manufacturers wasted a lot of time faffing about. Lots of glossy promises about the future and not many actual EV cars being made. Possibly internal power struggles. I'm glad things are happening now. e.g. BMW had the i3 in 2013 which was good for its time, then closed the whole program down and didn't come up with anything new until (correct me if I'm wrong?) last year? In the UK, until the Jaguar i-Pace launched in 2018, Tesla were the only manufacturer with a 200+ mile range EV. In the States you had the Bolt but that never came to the UK. But there's a lot of good stuff happening now so I'm happy. FWIW I drive a kia.
  - dachryn 4y ago
    BMW focused first on hybrid approaches. Saying they abandoned electric is a bit weird. (they are one of the only german brands that offer literally every model in a hybrid version, with decent battery packs. I can commute full electric with my hybrid if I charge at work. I drive about 80% full electric. Really only use the engine in the weekend and when using sport mode) Audi focused on hydrogen and full electric. Hydrogen wasn't the success they hoped it to be. Their gamble for CNG cars also didn't pay off. But at least hydrogen powered cars had electric motors, which is why Audi managed be have the e-tron already in 2018. That is a brilliant car, beats a Tesla in daily use imho, if only it had 100 miles extra range (it has about 200-250). And now they are just limited by chip shortages and battery production for a full electric rollout, same for BMW. The lead times on the i4, iX3 etc.. are ridiculous, 14 to 18 months. So why bother brining out newer models? That's why they stick to hybrid. You can make about 7 hybrids with the scarce resources to produce one full electric.

suction 4y ago

dang 4y ago
We've banned this account for repeatedly and egregiously violating the site guidelines. I don't want to ban you, because you've posted good comments in the past, but you simply can't post like this here, not matter how wrong other people are or you feel they are. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32562257 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32562257 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550186 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550186 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550068 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32550068 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32517851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32517851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32506120 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32506120 If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules in the future. They're here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.

rsynnott 4y ago

> look back at VWs claims about how they were going to be an EV leader back in 2013, vs how long it took them to actually get the ID3/ID4 done. VW was third in Europe by 2018 (or second, depending on how you view Renault-Nissan), and first by 2020, so... not _that_ huge of a miss, perhaps? The ID3/4 were their second generation; the eGolf and eUp, while far less ambitious, sold pretty well.

codeulike 4y ago
Fair enough. Yes by 2020 VW had sorted themselves out. My point really is that the traditional manufacturers wasted a lot of time faffing about. Lots of glossy promises about the future and not many actual EV cars being made. Possibly internal power struggles. I'm glad things are happening now. e.g. BMW had the i3 in 2013 which was good for its time, then closed the whole program down and didn't come up with anything new until (correct me if I'm wrong?) last year? In the UK, until the Jaguar i-Pace launched in 2018, Tesla were the only manufacturer with a 200+ mile range EV. In the States you had the Bolt but that never came to the UK. But there's a lot of good stuff happening now so I'm happy. FWIW I drive a kia.
- dachryn 4y ago
  BMW focused first on hybrid approaches. Saying they abandoned electric is a bit weird. (they are one of the only german brands that offer literally every model in a hybrid version, with decent battery packs. I can commute full electric with my hybrid if I charge at work. I drive about 80% full electric. Really only use the engine in the weekend and when using sport mode) Audi focused on hydrogen and full electric. Hydrogen wasn't the success they hoped it to be. Their gamble for CNG cars also didn't pay off. But at least hydrogen powered cars had electric motors, which is why Audi managed be have the e-tron already in 2018. That is a brilliant car, beats a Tesla in daily use imho, if only it had 100 miles extra range (it has about 200-250). And now they are just limited by chip shortages and battery production for a full electric rollout, same for BMW. The lead times on the i4, iX3 etc.. are ridiculous, 14 to 18 months. So why bother brining out newer models? That's why they stick to hybrid. You can make about 7 hybrids with the scarce resources to produce one full electric.