The "tipping point" for sales of Volkswagen’s new range of electric vehicles (EVs) to become popular family cars will be a range of 180 to 280 miles, according to VW global sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann.
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Speaking at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Stackmann told Autocar that electric car range anxiety is going to 'go away', while affordability will improve, putting EVs in a position to challenge petrols and diesels as everyday family cars.
He also revealed that a battery capacity of 60kWh would be needed to achieve VW's range target.
“We will have to make this change, because all regulations are aiming at zero emissions eventually," he said.
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Pricing of the VW's electric cars will have to fit within its brand position of targeting the ‘ambitious middle-class’, a global group whose spending power varies globally. Typically in the US, this market is centred around cars costing $35,000, while in the EU it's $28,000 and Brazil $12,000.
To deliver this dramatic strategic switch, VW Group is developing an all-new electric car platform, named MEB. This will underpin up to 30 models from all Volkswagen Group brands by 2025–2030. The group's brand portfolio includes VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.
The dramatic predicted growth for electrified VW models is such that Stackmann predicts they might contribute a similar proportion of sales to today’s 45% mix of diesels. Petrols make up the other 55%.
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“The electric mix could basically become the same as diesel today,” he told Autocar.
"There will still be a role for diesels, but for vehicles favoured by drivers on long-distance journeys.
"Diesel will remain a strong part of the offering, particularly for long-distance driving. But there could be the case of a market segment where we only have petrol and electric and no diesel,” he said.
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As Campervan alluded to, it's
Personally though, as a fit's all solution, the EV is still not the way to go and in 20 years we will be having the same discussions about them as we are now about diesels (more related to the pollution caused by the battery manufacturer / waste, rather than the output).
Still no one has addressed the issue that we still need to produce electricity to charge these bloody things and at the moment (certainly in this country) we don't have the capacity!
Electric car acceptance
If electric cars can be made with a real world range of 180 to 280 for a price similar to today's ice cars then they will indeed be on to a winner. If the range is smaller or the price higher though they will struggle just as today.
2025-30