WHY do these vehicles always have to look so freaking dorky? This is one of the things that Tesla nailed. Their vehicles are beautiful, and look like first-class products.<p>This, the "ID-3" looks like a prius. I'm sure it's a fine car, and I really do love EVs, but man oh man I wish the designers would take a page from Tesla's book.<p>edit: to be clear, my current car (that my wife and I share) is a chrysler pacifica minivan, which I believe to be one of the best cars I've ever owned. I have no problem with "dorky" vehicles, I am a dork. It's just that if you want to break out of enthusiasts buying your cars for the novelty, you have to make them appealing.
It's worth noting that VW's 2018 target for EV's was 300,000 units. They fell 217,000 units short:<p><a href="https://www.wired.com/2010/07/vw-300k-evs-annually-2018/" rel="nofollow">https://www.wired.com/2010/07/vw-300k-evs-annually-2018/</a><p>I want the company to succeed at EV's more than anyone but if the rollout of the e-tron is any indication it is not going to be smooth sailing:<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/19/18508066/audi-etron-delay-batteries-lg-chem" rel="nofollow">https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/19/18508066/audi-etron-delay...</a>
VW is betting hard on EV cars - I guess that German goverment will cooperate and will invest heavily into EV infrastructure ...otherwise it will be huge failure.<p>VW will finally solve problem with other brands within VW group - Skoda and Seat are sucessful brands and often cannibalize VW models (Skoda Kodiaq vs VW Tiguan, VW Passat vs. Skoda Superb etc...). VW presented recently strategy for next few years where they said that Skoda will become 'low-cost' brand and Seat will be more 'luxurious'.<p>Skoda is allowed to have only 2 EV models in next few years - minicar Citigo and Octavia (midsize sedan/combi), nothing else will be allowed (except few hybrid models) so it will be easier for VW brand to become EV leader in EU in next few years.<p>Also in the case there will be crisis VW will throw it's cheaper brands 'under the train' in order to survive :/
Reminds me of a quote I read about the gap between what the electric car market wants and what legacy carmakers produce -<p>"Carmakers keep designing these cars thinking we want to buy their new electric cars, they don't realize we just want to buy their regular cars, in electric"
This is good news, but VW is ultimately motivated by the threat of Dieselgate litigation and fines.<p>Let's hope this isn't some flash in the pan, Tesla has shown the feasibility, but an EV future really needs one of the big conglomerates onboard as well.<p>Multiple companies competing will drive batteries well under ICE drivetrains economically in short order.
VW's electrification efforts are primarily not about competing with Tesla in the US, but about not losing its 24% market share in Europe, where it has multiple non-premium brands, such as Seat and Škoda.
This is an interesting video that talks about the issues facing the German car industry with the move to EV.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcXjVxaKzv4" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcXjVxaKzv4</a><p>One of the things they talk about that I find interesting is how different EVs are from ICE cars.<p>I think we all assume that the companies that have gotten good at making cars, should be able to adapt to EVs, but it's a fundamentally different problem space. EVs and ICE may look alike on the outside, but are very different on the inside. I can't think of a good analogy, but if someone has one please share.
I'm planning to buy a new car in two years, and I'm really excited about the possibilities of electric cars then. What I really want is a mid-sized hatchback, with interior form similar to my current Subaru Forester (and a zillion other similar light-duty quasi-SUVs). It's such a popular form factor, and Tesla isn't there on it.
Just a reminder, ID.3 will not be coming to the US.<p>2022 seems to be the bellwether year of EVs as many manufacturers are predicted to have models by then and more than one in general.
Personally, I can't wait for the VW ID Buzz (EV remake of the old VW Microbus), supposedly due in 2022:<p><a href="https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a20733943/2022-volkswagen-microbus-the-electric-resurrection-of-an-icon/" rel="nofollow">https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a20733943/2022-volkswa...</a>
> The ID.3, scheduled to hit the streets by midyear, is the first of at least 70 electric cars in VW’s pipeline.<p>This whole article is weird. Are we supposed to pretend the e-Golf hasn't existed for years?<p>> While the ID.3, priced from around $30,000 with a range of 200 miles or more, is aimed at countering the threat from Tesla’s Model 3, its stiffest competition will come from gasoline-powered cars such as VW’s own Golf hatchback.<p>I mean... yeah? The Model 3 isn't a hatchback. Americans still have reservations against hatchbacks for some silly reason. And the real competition against a VW hatchback is going to be the Prius. Tesla is a tech gadget. The VW is a car. You really can't discount the fact that many people buy Tesla because of the coolness of the gadgets.
This is vaporware. VW are stuck. They are not able to innovate. VW EVs are always tomorrow, whereas actual manufacturers do deliver EVs now : Nissan and Renault besides Tesla.
This article might suggest to some that this is VW's first electric car. The fleet of all shared car services in my city consist of electric e-UPs or electric Golfs, which are simply amazing.<p>The article seems biased and politically charged (US vs EU car manufacturing).
Shifting to hybrid or full EVs was laudable five or ten years ago, increasingly less so since then. Neither producers nor consumers in the auto market care about LCA's that look at REMs and battery impact. Plus you're only as clean as your electric grid.<p>The only solution to the climate catastrophe was a massive change in the economy, supply chain, and western consumer culture. Hybrid car technology was a viable wedge or mitigating factor five or ten years ago. Now our only option is to adapt