VW hoping to challenge Tesla

This is true when you have the right team. So you need both - freedom from bureaucracy and the right team.

The right team probably requires a whole bunch of 30ish year old engineers who are still too young to have their ego's get in the way of accomplishing the goal. And a good group of managers who care more about the product than their careers.

There's probably not much innovation needed; batteries and motors and aerodynamics are known constraints. The critical thing will be getting the people who know how to build cars involved, which is precisely the existing VW empire. An EV still needs a good paint job and suspensions that don't break and roofs that fit and don't fly off.

--

John Larkin      Highland Technology, Inc 

The best designs are necessarily accidental.

A book about Volkswagen covering the past 20 or so years of its history could be called "Volkswagen: What the Hell Happened?"

Volkswagen already built an electric Golf for sale in the US among other places, it was about what you'd expect from a Volkswagen product in the US historically speaking, underpowered and overpriced.

You mean this e-Golf?

Ya, it had about a 100 mile range and was nearly 40 grand for the top trim.

"and sprint from 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds."

an 8.5 second 0-60 in a car that weighs about 2800 lbs is nothing to brag about.

They might be better off consulting the kids at Univ Eindhoven.

I don't see why the high volume product needs to do anything more intelligent than get there with a battery that won't die in the process.

RL

Might be OK in city. But getting hit inside a plastic box in highway won't be fun.

."

Yeah, my Tesla has all manner of wiz bang that barely works. What I like i s that it's electric and works. It will be nice when in a few years every car maker has showrooms full of different models and we have real options o n price and performance. Not everyone needs to go 300 - 400 miles on a cha rge. There are a few other EVs out there but not great options. The Leaf does not protect its battery so well and it tends to wear out prematurely.

In other five years EV stuff will be old hat and no one will give a thought to them. They'll just be everywhere.

The large map console is really nice though. I just wish the print on the screen was a bit larger.

--

Rick C. 

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging 
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

Isn't wimpy peformance the way to Save The Earth? All that accel and decel and driving over 55 MPH Wastes Resources.

At least they won't need to fake their emissions figures this time around.

te:

red to

uickly."

om from bureaucracy and the right team.

gineers who are still too young to have their ego's get in the way of accom plishing the goal. And a good group of managers who care more about the pro duct than their careers.

d

ng

he

ns

her

he

is-dead/

im.

The only time i need good acceleration is merging into the bay bridge after full stop out of Treasury Island, with 0 ramping space. It's 0 to 55 in a few seconds. So far, my Leaf can make it, just getting honk at several ti me, either from the car behind or car on the bridge (passing at 55+). Migh t get hit some days.

I usually wait for at least 10 car spacings before merging, but can't wait too long either. It's one of the most dangerous freeway entrance around.

Maybe VW could resurrect the Beetle as an EV. It's the most manufactured car made on a single platform. Over 21 million were made. There are still some Baby Boomers left for the nostalgia market. A lot of people travel alone anyhow.

rote:

wered to

quickly."

edom from bureaucracy and the right team.

engineers who are still too young to have their ego's get in the way of acc omplishing the goal. And a good group of managers who care more about the p roduct than their careers.

and

ting

the

ions

other

the

f-is-dead/

trim.

er full stop out of Treasury Island, with 0 ramping space. It's 0 to 55 in a few seconds. So far, my Leaf can make it, just getting honk at several ti me, either from the car behind or car on the bridge (passing at 55+). Might get hit some days.

t too long either. It's one of the most dangerous freeway entrance around.

That's one of the things I don't like about my model X, merging can be awkw ard just because of its size and limited visibility. It's really bad on th e passenger side rear quarter. I use my turn signal and hope the car warns me of anything in the way. Trouble is we have different ideas of "in the way". The car is happy to let me pull 20 feet in front of someone. To me that's cutting them off.

At least merging on the highway is no issue. With a four second 0-60 it's very unlikely I'll get rear ended for sure.

--

Rick C. 

+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging 
+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

ote:

ered to

quickly."

dom from bureaucracy and the right team.

ngineers who are still too young to have their ego's get in the way of acco mplishing the goal. And a good group of managers who care more about the pr oduct than their careers.

nd

ing

the

ons

ther

the

-is-dead/

trim.

I've thought of converting a classic car. The Beetle is not at the top of my list, but I've seen a Karmann Ghia that would be so cool to have in elec tric. The trouble is those cars have fond memories and may even look great , but in reality are pretty crap cars. They have really improved cars a LO T over the last 50 years. Besides, if you converted a Beetle you would hav e to add speakers to make that Beetle exhaust whistle.

But without a Tesla charging account, it wouldn't be worth it. Charging an ything else would be such a PITA for me.

--

Rick C. 

-- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging 
-- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

owered to

e quickly."

eedom from bureaucracy and the right team.

engineers who are still too young to have their ego's get in the way of ac complishing the goal. And a good group of managers who care more about the product than their careers.

and

tting

y the

sions

other

n the

lf-is-dead/

p trim.

my list, but I've seen a Karmann Ghia that would be so cool to have in ele ctric. The trouble is those cars have fond memories and may even look great , but in reality are pretty crap cars. They have really improved cars a LOT over the last 50 years. Besides, if you converted a Beetle you would have to add speakers to make that Beetle exhaust whistle.

nything else would be such a PITA for me.

I can get by without. If i build one, it should have both CCS and ChaDeMo. I just left the Volta HQ. They only have free CCS. Next to me was a Bol t, Tesla and another Leaf. The CCS was empty all along. Not sure why the Bolt didn't use it, but the Tesla and Leaf could have used ChaDeMo. On the other (east) side of the bridge and south side have free chargers with bot h plugs.

I think they should carry ChaDeMo for a few more years.

A sub-7 second 0 to 60 burns about 100kW for 7 seconds, or around

1/2000th of the energy in a gallon of gas. And a gas car throws about 80% of the latter away as waste heat, anyway.

You could EV drag-race all night on a gallon of gas equivalent

Sorry, slipped a decimal point, 1/200th