Because of its compact body shape alone, the ID.3 is seen as being limited globally and is not even offered in the USA
The ID.4 is presented “as the first 100% electric SUV of our brand and designed as a world car,” says Brandstätter electrive.com/2020/09/17/vw-…
VW brand boss Ralf Brandstätter confirmed that 25,000 ID.3 of the 1st Edition are “in the markets and will be in the hands of customers in the next few days”
But the ID.3 is virtually only the vanguard of a much more important model - the ID.4 which will be presented next week
The first ID.4 should be available to customers before the end of this year
Thomas Ulbrich, the member of the eMobility Board of Management, added how important the ID.4 will become
VW plans to sell 1.5 million electric cars by 2025
Of these 500,000 are to be ID.4 – in other words, the electric Tiguan is to account for a third of all MEB sales
“I think ID.4 will make it possible to bring e-mobility out of its niche,” says Ulbrich
The e-SUV is currently being built in three plants
- Zwickau in Germany
- Foshan in China
- and the completely newly built MEB plant in Anting in China
In 2022 production is scheduled to start at the Passat plant in Emden
And the first ID.4 for the local market will be manufactured at the US plant in Chattanooga
Although the ID.4 is designed as a world car, it will be launched on the respective markets with some “country-specific adaptations”
“We’re well versed in this point from the world of combustion engines,” says Brandstätter with a smile
“However, the common ground is also present in all core markets with ID.4. Customers want strong technology, high range, rapid charging times”
According to Brandstätter, he does not shy away from competing with Tesla’s Model Y as a compact e-SUV
“The ID.4 is shorter on the outside than a Model Y, but larger on the inside,” says the brand boss
“I think that we can score well with the car in the price segment we are aiming at”
But VW does not want to reveal the prices until next week at the world premiere and the subsequent opening of the order books
Neither Brandstätter nor Ulbrich would say how high the subsidy margin will be
In the webcast however both managers pointed out several times that the ID.4 will enable important economies of scale
ID.4 will be delivered with all functions from the start
The problem with the ID.3 – that the first vehicles are not delivered with the full functionality and had to be provided via software update – should not exist with the ID.4
“Of course, we have read the points of criticism, we are checking this very carefully”, says Ulbrich about the first ID.3 feedback
“With the software we always said that it would be the first real update-capable car at VW. The first update will come before the end of the year”
At the state of this update, where among other things the remote area of the head-up display will be handed in later, should all also be available when the ID.4 are delivered
Another point will not be so easy to update via software update : the battery voltage
The MEB is relying on the established system voltage of 400 volts whereas competitor Hyundai is bringing an e-SUV with an 800-volt system into the volume segment next year with the Ioniq 5
And further 800-volt power supplies from Hyundai and Kia will follow thanks to the platform called E-GMP
“After long discussions, we decided on a 400-volt architecture for the initial design of the MEB,” says Ulbrich
“At present we are rather thinking about how we can get more out of the 400-volt technology for the customer. A lot is possible in the next three to four years. Of course, a new approach is possible in future revisions, but at the moment we see ourselves well-positioned”
Volkswagen is not yet well-positioned in the small electric car segment
For the e-Up VW recently had to impose an order freeze because the increased environmental bonus has led to a boom in orders
The delivery time has risen to 16 months, a critical figure
If the vehicle ordered today is not delivered until 2022, customers in Germany, for example, will no longer receive an environmental bonus
This is limited until 31 December 2021 which makes a significant difference in the price
A successor based on MEB is not yet in sight
Recently rumours began circulating that the small car presumably named ID.1 could be delayed from 2023 to 2025
But today Ulbrich promised that there will be new information about this “shortly”
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3. Visualizing a Successful Outcome, they would have held a Competitive Duopoly with all the Advantages which that can be expected to bring
This combination of factors is leading to a broad-based failure of the Japanese Automobile Industry
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What can we learn from this ?
Now consider an alternative scenario where the Japanese Government had instead been inspired to get out ahead of BEV Supply Chain issues during the last two decades, and successfully solve for all of raw material and technology needs of BEVs
According to Colorado Public Radio, the state is considering a "Vehicle Exchange Colorado” program to give participants an instant $6,000 point of sale rebate on a new electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle cleantechnica.com/2023/05/31/col…
Or a $4,000 rebate for a used electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle
"It’s a really exciting new program,” said Carrie Atiyeh, senior program manager at the Colorado Energy Office
"This is something that is going to be new for the state"
To qualify, drivers would need to trade in a conventional car with an internal combustion engine that burns either gasoline or diesel
The vehicle needs to be a model year 2011 or older, or have failed a state vehicle emissions test
How can Apple AAPL shareholders expect to maintain the High P/E of a Growth company in a world where the Company's business has clearly become mature ?
Here is Apple's Press Release on their latest Quarterly Results
"The Company posted quarterly revenue of $94.8 billion, down -3% year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.52, unchanged year over year"
“We generated strong operating cash flow of $28.6 billion while returning over $23 billion… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
“Given our confidence in Apple’s future and the value we see in our stock, our Board has authorized an additional $90 billion for share repurchases"
"We are also raising our quarterly dividend for the eleventh year in a row"
PepsiCo will enter at least one of its Tesla Semis in the Run On Less trucking industry event running for three weeks starting September 11, the company confirmed on Wednesday insideevs.com/news/665498/fi…
The event showcases advances in freight efficiency, and will provide the first independent performance data for Tesla's all-electric Class 8 semi-truck, according to Automotive News
"We're really excited to participate in the run and allow the industry to have access to the insights and the learnings that we are getting from experiencing these vehicles"