Foreign Electric Cars Vs. America Electric Cars

[BeamerFan]

In everyone on the BMW i3 forums opinion which are going to be the better built cars of the future. International EV's or Domestic EV's. Will there be an electric vehicle in the US that competes well with the BMW i3?

 

[Lyonel]

Tesla, nuff said.

 

[Northwestern]

It's a long discussion. If you believe Tesla, then you shouldn't trust an ICE maker. After all, do you think BMW will make more money on a low-service EV or selling you a new wastegate for your 335i through an expensive brick-and-mortor dealer? OTOH, what Tesla has done doesn't seem overly complicated and I wonder if BMW will just eat their lunch when Tesla starts encroaching on the 3 franchise with its BlueStar.

As far as manufacturing, I don't know how BMW can continue to build cars in Germany when the US/Mexico/Canada has cheap natural gas. I want to say it's 36 cents/kwh in Germany and 13 cents/kwh in NA.

BTW, Tesla's stock is up $19 today and the equity value of Tesla is now 1/3 of that of BMW or GM. Tesla is not Detroit and (sorry folks) wedded to the chicken-tariff franchise (pick-up trucks).

 

[TomMoloughney]

It's a long discussion. If you believe Tesla, then you shouldn't trust an ICE maker. After all, do you think BMW will make more money on a low-service EV or selling you a new wastegate for your 335i through an expensive brick-and-mortor dealer? OTOH, what Tesla has done doesn't seem overly complicated and I wonder if BMW will just eat their lunch when Tesla starts encroaching on the 3 franchise with its BlueStar.

As far as manufacturing, I don't know how BMW can continue to build cars in Germany when the US/Mexico/Canada has cheap natural gas. I want to say it's 36 cents/kwh in Germany and 13 cents/kwh in NA.

BTW, Tesla's stock is up $19 today and the equity value of Tesla is now 1/3 of that of BMW or GM. Tesla is not Detroit and (sorry folks) wedded to the chicken-tariff franchise (pick-up trucks).

I've been lucky enough to talk with many of the top people at BMW and believe me they are rooting for Tesla - for now at least. BMW has invested billions in the i brand that will be an entire line up of pure EV and PHEV's. Seeing Tesla do well now is validation for them that there is a market premium priced electric vehicles. Until now that was really an unknown because nobody had really put one out. Perhaps in 4 or 5 years when their EV offerings are more closely aligned and competing against each other they will have a different stance, but right now they really are rooting for success at Tesla.

 

[ChrisC]

BTW, Tesla's stock is up $19 today and the equity value of Tesla is now 1/3 of that of BMW or GM. Tesla is not Detroit and (sorry folks) wedded to the chicken-tariff franchise (pick-up trucks).

Ha, good one NW. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

I sold some of my Tesla stock yesterday before the earnings call, and today after the call. Gotta take some of those profits. If there's ever a price correction I'll load up on more shares again. I'm perfectly happy if there isn't and they continue to climb into the stratosphere, although it's really starting to look like a speculative bubble.