Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinjlm
I can see how you would come to that conclusion since most of the new EVs that get introduced to the market start out at fairly high prices. There’s a reason for that, but I’ll get to that. The reason I doubt that this becomes a “cars only for the upper crust” scenario is that there is a long list of EV startups that would be poised to fill the void that the major automakers leave IF they were determined to only sell high priced vehicles. What most EV makers are doing now, including GM, Ford, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai, etc, is launching the highest trim and content vehicles first, then gradually weaving in the lower priced / content versions. If you want a Hummer EV today, it’s $111k+. But there are three lower trim versions coming, the lowest of which is priced around $70k. Still a lot of money, but there are many on this forum that have $70k+ trucks.
The reason we’re seeing the top down approach to introduction pricing is that the people most likely to line up to buy the newest EV are more predisposed to paying whatever the price is, so the OEMs are coming out of the gate with the highest price versions in order to recoup their investments as soon as possible. Sell the highest content, highest price to the people that paid money (usually refundable) just for the privilege of standing in line to spend more money. It is also a good way to test the manufacturing systems. By including maxxed out content, they exercise the assembly process to support assembly of all the features. This approach is the opposite of what OEMs do with more mainstream models. They do tend to focus on one content build configuration for the launch model, but they tend to start with the expected high volume version, not the highest priced. But then, they don’t typically have people pay money to stand in line to spend more money.
There are a number of startup companies trying to come to market now with concepts for EVs in the sub $30k range. Right now they face an uphill battle because Ford, GM, Hyundai, others, all expect to release product in that range…eventually… So some of these startups are racing against the clock. Can they get their low priced products into the market before the sleeping giants wake up?
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I have to agree with Arpad both in terms of admiring your tenacity and recognizing that this isn't a 'normal' debate or situation. The climate change activists don't want everyone to have EVs. Their stated goals are to drastically reduce car ownership. To reduce power consumption across the board, amount traveled, amount used on heating and cooling, amount used on raising food.
Their goals are right out in the open for everyone to see. Fewer people, lower standard of living, top down control over ever aspect of people's lives. The cars they drive, or don't, their water heaters, their stoves, their dryers, the food they eat, everything. Climate change alarmism is just the 'emergency' they are leveraging to assume that control.
Note the goal posted in my previous post. They want global ownership of cars to decrease to the point where 70% of the population doesn't own a car by 2050. How will they do that? Regulate them to the point that only the rich can afford them.