Headline: Tesla is working on next-gen electric car platform for half the price

Link: https://electrek.co/2022/10/20/tesla...rm-half-price/

Personal thoughts: I think we can all agree that Mr. Musk is sometimes well off the mark... I think we can all agree competition is good for consumers and the prices...

Obviously I don't know the specifics on how Musk is looking to reduce costs by 50%, that seems unrealistic at first glance.

Hopefully this article is truthful and Tesla will reduce the cost of EV's or at least slow the rising cost a bit from manufacturers like Ford, Rivian, GM, etc.

 

The problem with Musk is he has a lot of grand ideas that usually never come to fruition. I'm not one but there's a lot of people still waiting on the Cybertruck to hit their driveways. I haven't heard anything lately about that actually happening.

 

There is absolutely no reason why car makers can’t make 25k EVs with 250 mile range if they don’t them pack full of butt massagers, head scratchers, back prodders and have 3 year refresh cycles. Keep make the same parts over 5 years and the per unit costs dramatically drops. Economy of scale is a real thing

 

I tried to illustrate this comment with my first "personal thought" in the original post and thank you for taking a moment to expand on it.

The last I read (and laughed at) was the Cybertruck could serve as a "temporary watercraft" if needed. I believe it was Oregon or Washington state that released a statement along the lines of "if anyone uses their Cybertruck to traverse the waterways, they are on their own".

The man is the modern day mad genius... Maybe he can pull it off though, SpaceX did make a reusable rocket booster, so there is a glimmer of hope.

In my opinion, manufacturers get stuck in the "1 upper" mentality where they attempt to draw a customer in with another gadget or luxury feature that most customers could do without.

Time will tell what happens.

 

Because he sold the Model 3 production to SAIC (ie- PRC owned company).......... he no longer has ANY proprietary ownership of any tooling, production patents, etc.

 

I agree. The problem lies with our consumer based economy where the average person has the financial means to buy more than they actually need on a regularly basis. Russia, China, and India have many manufacturers of automotive and heavy industry that refine technology instead of trying to lead with the next best thing. With that being said their consumer does not have the financial means to be purchasing something new all the time, so they focus on mass production of what's necessary and not what's wanted.

 

Regarding your comment on India, when I look at the vehicles they produce, such as Mahindra's Thar, costing one third of a new Wrangler, I see there is a lot of room to move when it comes to pricing. Using the Thar as an Example (only) is it packed with the latest tech? NO. But is it a very capable machine? Hell, yes! When you consider it comes with a diesel mill, and still costs one third the price of a wrangler, it is easy to come to some pricing opinions. Nobody knows, as the Thar has Never been for sale in the US, but my guess is, if you could purchase one for Full Retail of $18,000, Mahindra would have to build a new factory, they'd sell 100,000s of them. Our politicos aren't going to allow this for a number of reasons, and if they did, the only model they'd allow would be a gasoline mill version (it too is pretty good), as anything with the word diesel in it, drives some people into a mental break down.

 

I own a few Belarus Tractors. They are produced from a Soviet era company called Minsk Tractor Works. They now market under MTZ and have a decent dealer network in Canada. These machines are 30%-40% cheaper than John Deere, Case, New Holland, etc. and are far more reliable because of their simplicity and lack of the most up to date unproven technology.

Unfortunately, anything automotive that has to be legally registered to be driven on public roadways here in the U.S. is regulated far too heavily. Agricultural/Construction equipment though can be legally imported from overseas manufacturers and with the internet parts are easily sourced when needed.

 

Here's thing about an EV that could / would sell for under 20K and have a 250 mile range.......with a short range like that, does it need to have all the goodies that one might want for a road trip vehicle? If it's a commuter or grocery getter, all it needs is AC and a radio.

 

I see your point, and it is a good one; however, I would add, and a heater, in some places it actually gets Cold.