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Cars
Published on May 8, 2019 |
by Maarten Vinkhuyzen
May 8, 2019 by Maarten Vinkhuyzen
Today was another exciting day for electric propulsion enthusiasts. Volkswagen presented its identifier. sub-brand to the world, with the first model, ID.3, ready for booking. The times that VW was short for VaporWare are over.
My colleagues cover everything there is to say about today's announcement from VW's point of view. This article relates to the impact on competition.
Who are the competitors? We have seen PSA announcements about the Peugeot e-208 and its brothers and sisters Opel, Citroën and DS. We expect that Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf vehicles will become mature with larger batteries and a fast DC charge. In the upper parts of the market, the Jaguar I-PACE, Audi e-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Polestar 2 and Porsche Taycan all seek market share. expand its market to the rest of the world.
What the competition does not do (yet) launches a big marketing campaign. This afternoon's presentation will be an important part of evening news in much of Europe, followed by repeated coverage of all mobility and car shows on television and numerous articles on the segments. automobiles from major newspapers and automotive magazines.
What does VW do with this introduction of its identifier? The sub-brand gives electric cars a seal of approval that no other manufacturer has provided. It's not that VW has anything new for some enthusiasts (most of you who read this). However, VW claims that electric vehicles will replace their fossil fuel models in the coming years, probably within the next ten years, and transfer this story that we passionate people know so well to the general public. VW is clearly all-in, which means a lot more for the average Joe (or Jürgen) that Tesla predicts the industry will switch to electricity. This is also important for all colleagues in the classic VW car industry.
Thank you, VW
The impact on the competition can go both ways in the eyes of many critics and supporters. Those who consider the space reserved for electric cars as a small space will say that VW will push competition to the margins. VW will crush the ambitions of PSA, Renault, Nissan and especially Tesla, according to these people. The competition has arrived – go home, Tesla. Seeking Alpha and Wall Street will no doubt see this as a further sign of the imminent end of California's departure.
Market research experts who view the automotive market as a single market where all powertrains compete for a larger segment think differently. The battery electric powertrain is still largely unknown and misunderstood. The biggest problem is convincing customers that all-electric cars are real cars, better cars. Able to do everything that is expected of a normal car, but better.
This VW media campaign will not only sell a lot of ID.3 cars all over Europe. It will also sell a lot of Leafs, Zoes, e-208s, i3s, Konas, Niros and, most importantly, a very large Tesla Model 3. It's the perfect example of a rising tide that all raises the boats.
Competition in the luxury segment of Jaguar, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche has generally been exhausted for over 12 months. Some have stopped taking new orders. It will be frustrating for builders to see this tide negate fossil fuel sales without having the ability to take advantage of their new power offers. The interest generated by VW can only be transformed in order. by Teslabecause it is the only company with the production capacity and the maturity to take advantage of this rising tide.
It's great to be the only one to be able to deliver in volume when the competition launches a media campaign. Tesla (investors) must thank VW for this gift. The other automakers of the top half of the electric vehicle market – Renault, Nissan, Peugeot, Hyundai and Kia – should also thank VW for the long-term benefits, for the extra demand and the interest they're getting from the will VW.
Editor's note: One of the interesting questions I found during the Q & A after the presentation was that reporters repeatedly referred to Tesla without saying "Tesla" – but everyone knew which company we were referring. What I had learned a long time ago in a sociology class was that unspoken common assumptions are often the most powerful – they are so clear that no one has to talk about them. It's clear that Tesla is setting the bar high for this competition. And not only were the authors of the questions clearly referring to Tesla, but most of the highlights of VW's presentation were essentially copies of what Tesla had done, which Tesla had shown and loved to consumers.
Honestly, it's not a blow for VW. On the contrary, I think it's very important for VW and a sign of strong long-term vision that the gigantic company has engulfed its pride and opened the door and put in place many lessons learned from Tesla. Of course, he cast a little shadow here and there to try to situate his evolution one foot above Tesla. It may have tricked some people into thinking that it certainly has not been fooled by others, but it is far more important that the company has studied Tesla and is looking for flexibility, innovation and rapid evolution to maintain its position as the world's leading automotive market (in terms of sales). The reporters recognized the similarities, felt confident to stand up and ask questions about other pieces of the puzzle that were missing or did not match Tesla's example, and Mr. Stackmann responded politely and kindly to questions – I feel – to honestly explain what society thought. was smart to copy Tesla and the company thought it wise to do something else – not to mention "Tesla".
In the end, we will see how the constructor's approach to serving the German giant. We will also see if the deviations from Tesla's journey are intelligent or strategic errors. For me, however, VW's new goal is long-delayed leadership, the kind of honest leadership that does not pretend to invent the wheel but learns from previous leaders. And the good news, as Maarten shows us with insight, is that it will make fossil car manufacturers less reflective, less humble, less ambitious, and less in demand for the brand's relaunch to follow the growing enthusiasm that prevails in the industry. electric avenue.
About the author
Maarten Vinkhuyzen Old grumpy man. The best thing that I have done in my life has been raising two children. Only finished primary education, but when you do not go to school, you have plenty of time to read. I went from accounting to software development and my career as a system integrator and architect ended. My 2007 boss bought two Lotus Elise electric cars to show decision makers the future direction of energy and transportation. And since then I have been trying to replace my diesel cars with electric vehicles.
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