BMW Using The Fear Of Falling Behind To Motivate Rank And File Attitude Towards EV Vehicles

While it's nice to see BMW and other luxury car manufacturers going electric, I believe the big gains, the big traction, will happen when an EV-to-ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) comparison finds practical and feasible EVs affordable to the masses, and not just to the financially well-off.

Average price of new car in the US: $34k
Price of the BoltEV after fed tax credit: $30k
Price of the Volt after fed tax credit: $27k
Price of the Leaf: please take it from us, we'll give you money!

Hmm, seems like the average ICE buyer in the US is rather rich, wants to waste money on fossil tech.

vdiv: All valid points! The Bolt does tick a number of boxes, and it is noteworthy because it's the ONLY EV selling for under US$50,000 that is capable of getting an EPA estimated range over 200 miles!

Still, with an EPA range estimate of only 238 miles (real world range of "up to" 200 miles), range anxiety still plays in the mind of many consumers, and that's still a detriment.

I believe when EVs get 600 (real) miles on a charge, can fully recharge overnight, charging stations are plentiful, and it costs less to buy and operate as compared to ICE, consumers will jump to EVs (assuming comparable non-quirky styling, comparable interior volume, etc.) I think it's just a matter of time until that happens.

Alternatively, TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) might be a break-even, or even a small premium, but if all the other boxes I mention are ticked, environmentally responsible people will choose EVs over ICE.

The time of EVs is coming, but judging by the way things are done in this country, we won't be in the lead in the EV era. Some European countries (likely Nordic) will get there long before we do. The Danes, for example, are close to being subsidy-free for renewable energy: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-24/surprising-profits-and-how-an-energy-trail-was-blazed-in-denmark

^^^
FYI, I mention a 600 mile range in consideration of road trips and an EV being one's only car. With a (real) 600 mile range and overnight full recharge, range anxiety goes away. In fact, you'll have the advantage of not having to make refueling stops throughout your travel day as compared to ICE.

600 seems totally unnecessary. At that point you are carrying all this extra weight at a much higher cost for capacity you will use 0.01% of the time. 300 is already comparable to a gas tank and for anyone with a garage it will be a full tank every morning. I don't think many drive 600 miles without ever stopping for food or to use the restroom.

With 350kw charging coming next year, you can charge a couple hundred miles in the same time as getting gas. If you really need to go super far without stopping, 400 mile options will be available on high-end cars from Lucid and FF.

I found that 200 actual miles with the current Tesla Supercharger network is perfectly sufficient for a daily trip. Can't really drive more than 500 miles a day and that requires two or three stops, one to eat, a couple to rest, walkabout, get a coffee... As SanJoseDriver says, any extra range will be largely wasted and therefore unnecessary.

Next year, prices and offerings will be different, I'm talking about right now. Also the credit is not a welfare, you have to owe income taxes to get it.

SanJoseDriver wrote “…600 seems totally unnecessary. At that point you are carrying all this extra weight at a much higher cost for capacity…”

Your statements are true, based on the assumptions you’ve made using current battery technology, cost, weight, and volume. Your perspective would be still MORE pertinent if we were talking about old-school led acid batteries.

But picture a battery technology in which a 600 mile range can be attained with batteries that have the volume of 2 large suitcases, and they weight 100 lbs. each… and the EV carrying them costs 20% less to buy than a comparable ICE. At that point, do think anyone will complain about the unnecessary excess weight and reduced internal volume? They’ll likely be thrilled that they can save a ton of money at purchase, even more money in operating costs, and drive a long day without paying attention to gas stations, and then plug in at the end of the day to have a fully recharged car the next morning. And this would be true for the few, exceptional road trips they take annually. No range anxiety. Great only car. No-brainer. At least that’s my thinking.

Well in that scenario, of course =). I hope what you describe becomes a possibility someday. Right now a 300 mile battery for a midsize car weighs 800 lbs. It would take a lot of innovation to get 600 miles in 200 lbs. Maybe with solid state batteries and massive weight reduction of the car itself. I think EVs will hit mass adoption well before we get to that level of tech. Heck, if we actually do hit those numbers then the conversation will probably change to when flying cars will take over versus EVs.

Hating... look up actual stats.