Electric cars..been reading on the other forum...I have some thoughts

[js190d]

Those figures for a bmw i3 are very poor. Pity the poor soul who paid full retail for one of those as i am sure they were not cheap new.

 

[Blobcat]

Those figures for a bmw i3 are very poor. Pity the poor soul who paid full retail for one of those as i am sure they were not cheap new.

Corporate so we all paid...
Sitting on charge most of the time has probably done for the range. A very expensive smart charger but the range is dead...

 

[mitch-one]

I think we will all be forced into owning which ever vehicle it is decided is best for the environment at a certain moment in time.
It may not be the best solution ever but the best of the moment.
If we eventually learn how to replicate the power of the sun and produce minute versions of it the size of a battery, we may be on the trail of something remarkable.

 

[Tony Dyson]

Try before you buy!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-51222734

Although not stated in the article it has been reported the scheme is financed by the Highways dep't and the vehicle manufacturers, I hope this really is the case for as a Leeds resident I feel there are far more urgent issues that need the Council's attention!

 

[js190d]

Now that is the only way i would ever have an electric van...if it was free. I am sure that will be a roaring success but hardly sustainable.
Im sure once everyone eligible gets there free van the council will be patting themselves on the back for being ever so green.
Interesting that the eco loonies at council level also seem to think e-bikes are greener than normal human powered bikes. It's almost as if they are being sponsored by a battery manufacturer.

 

[Blobcat]

Try before you buy!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-51222734

Although not stated in the article it has been reported the scheme is financed by the Highways dep't and the vehicle manufacturers, I hope this really is the case for as a Leeds resident I feel there are far more urgent issues that need the Council's attention!

Are you a Leeds resident as you found your way into the city but never managed to get back out on the frankly bizarre road system

I go there regularly and it's taken many years of practice to be able to go in and out on the same road

 

[A.J.]

Are you a Leeds resident as you found your way into the city but never managed to get back out on the frankl bizarre road system

I go there regularly and it's taken many years of practice to be able to go in and out on the same road

When I was in the Vehicle Contract Hire industry during the 80's and 90's I worked out of two offices. One was in Dunstable and the other was on the corner opposite Tesco's on the junction of Roundhay Road and Gledhow Wood Road in Leeds. I did the trip once a week and found the city relatively easy to get in and out on the same road. I sure didn't do it on the first few visits but soon got used to it. Once I had logged in my mind a few landmarks it all came together fairly well.

One of the landmarks I found easy to remember was the filling station in the middle of Eastgate Roundabout, is it still there ??

 

[Tony Dyson]

Are you a Leeds resident as you found your way into the city but never managed to get back out on the frankl bizarre road system

I go there regularly and it's taken many years of practice to be able to go in and out on the same road

Exactly what I suffered for many Years during my early forays into the City, nightmare, Born and spent my formative Years in Huddersfield for 17 Years or so, can get around Huddersfield as well as many other Towns and Cities internationally better than I still can around Leeds, I will always consider Huddersfield to be my home.

 

[Tony Dyson]

When I was in the Vehicle Contract Hire industry during the 80's and 90's I worked out of two offices. One was in Dunstable and the other was on the corner opposite Tesco's on the junction of Roundhay Road and Gledhow Wood Road in Leeds. I did the trip once a week and found the city relatively easy to get in and out on the same road. I sure didn't do it on the first few visits but soon got used to it. Once I had logged in my mind a few landmarks it all came together fairly well.

One of the landmarks I found easy to remember was the filling station in the middle of Eastgate Roundabout, is it still there ??

That went about 20 Years ago Andy, replaced with a folly in the middle of a landscaped roundabout with footpaths for pedestrians to cross the intersection.

 

[Rappey69]

How come you have not got an EV yet if they are so great?

I cant afford a new electric car so my only hope is waiting for you to buy me one !
I,ve just done my tax return and now cant afford a tank of fuel !! haha.
I have a c220 that has many years of life left and all paid for so pretty pointless buying a more expensive car atm.
Did i say they are so great? Im just open minded enough to accept its a car, just like yours but powered in a different way with the added bonus of amazing performance without having to throw lots of money at it to achieve it.

 

[LostKiwi]

Tesla must be doing something right. Their shares have more than doubled since October and they're now valued higher than VW!

 

[Blobcat]

Tesla must be doing something right. Their shares have more than doubled since October and they're now valued higher than VW!

I think there's an awful lot of smoke and mirrors in that.

Bitcoin trading would probably be less risky...

 

[umblecumbuz]

... and one day soon, Tesla might even be in the black.

 

[McDonald]

Has she got a replacement ?

Are you applying for the post?

 

[Frontstep]

Are you applying for the post?

Absolutely will there be a pre-nup ?

 

[Frontstep]

... and one day soon, Tesla might even be in the black.

Tesla did make a fleeting 142 million dollar profit but like Amazon its mission (at its shareholders cost) is to be very very big.

Their Chinese monster factory went from field to producing cars in a year.
They have march on the competition and their cars are when they build them well pretty good but with all their inherent restrictions.

 

[LostKiwi]

... and one day soon, Tesla might even be in the black.

Was in profit in Q4 apparently

 

[Frontstep]

Was in profit in Q4 apparently

They soon knocked that old fashioned notion on the head and kept spending like viv nicholson.

Empire building is expensive and the they are the markets darlings at the moment.

As those leaden footed traditional manufacturers start to gear up the competition will get a lot fiercer.

There are also a lot of Far Eastern manufacturers of components looking to get in on the action some of the traditional ones will go to the wall.

 

[d215yq]

People forget that whilst Tesla and new companies have obviously acquired debt to get where they are this debt is predictable and appears in the accounts. However they do not have hidden legacy liabilities that are often hidden in the accounts but looming in these traditional industries. Not only will VW very likely have billions of debts from likely recalls/other scandals/warranties from their millions of vehicles, I'd bet things like the pension fund liabilities, inability to lay off unionised workers and other liabilities would easily surpass any of Tesla's debt if accounted for transparently.

The market clearly thinks Tesla's future sales and profits are worth more and whilst they can be catastrophically wrong for the most of the time you don't hear about it because the markets usually get it right. It also needs to be noted that manufacturing bases in high wage unionised countries (like Germany) are no longer an asset, as proven by the fact as Tesla built one from scratch in a lower wage and thus potentially a lot more profitable in just a year. The value is in the brand and USP and what it brings to the market: Tesla = great battery technology; can build a car designed as an electric car, highest range car for 35k and not just with battery cells thrown in the boot. VW = ability to put four rings on a Skoda and charge twice the price. Other than the badge engineering and economies of scale from successful platform sharing it's hard to see what VW bring; they're not innovative, not a quality product, and are not cheap. If everyone saw through it tomorrow and ordered a Skoda instead of VW/AUdi/Seat VW's value would essentially be 10% of what it is now as they'd be loss making overnight...

 

[js190d]

VW = ability to put four rings on a Skoda and charge twice the price. Other than the badge engineering and economies of scale from successful platform sharing it's hard to see what VW bring; they're not innovative, not a quality product, and are not cheap. If everyone saw through it tomorrow and ordered a Skoda instead of VW/AUdi/Seat VW's value would essentially be 10% of what it is now as they'd be loss making overnight...

I would not write off Vokwagen just yet. The ability to put four rings on a Skoda and double the price (ie. make an Audi) is an act of genuis really.

The VAG group must be one the most successful manufacturers of parts bin specials in history and i would imagine other car manufacturers would only seek to emulate this in future, Tesla included.

VW not being innovative, not having a quality product and not being cheap is terrible for the consumer but wonderful for VAG.