Competition is coming ... again

Yep, if Tesla could finally address manufacturing processes so that fit and finish are no longer such a big deal, they would be there.

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Well, two issues:
- others "know" how to build decent. Yes, they know, so GET TO IT!
- dealers: they need to WANT to sell EVs

These two issues need to be resolved first, only then there will be a real competition.

Look at China, and their EV adoption. The Chinese car companies are selling lots of EVs. But they do it only in China.

 

Dealers generally make very little money on the sale of a new vehicle. Their profit centers are Service, F&I and often used car sales. Selling an EV over an ICE entails a lot less business for their service department, and also less chance to sell a maintenance plan in F&I.

 

The fundamental issue with all EVs is the cost of the battery (vehicle) and fast charging locations. At present this is still a limiting factor in market penetration. Tesla has a huge advantage over other automotive manufacturers in that Elon Musk correctly decided to invest in a proprietary fast charging network. The Tesla Model 3 does not come with "free" charging. Thus, Tesla now has a revenue stream from its charging network. Tesla also makes money from pollution offsets in Europe. Tesla's stock value is based on future potential growth.

A Tesla is outside of my price range. I just checked and a plain Jane Model 3 Long Range Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive is $46,990 before taxes. Any paint color, other than white, is $1,000 to $2,000 extra. There is also a $1,200 delivery/document fee. The price is Not negotiable. For a blue one, that comes to $49,190 before taxes. My Clarity cost under $30,000, after taking into account the $7,500 Federal tax credit. I cannot justify spending $50,000 on a new car.

 

Umm, even with an ICE vehicle, I don't go their service department, except for recalls and warranty service. So, I guess they do make money on the warranty service with me, because the manufacturer reimburses them, but really I try to buy reliable cars to where the service center isn't needed, so all in all, it doesn't matter if it is an ICE or EV, they don't really make money off of me.

 

From what I have been reading, Musk is considering converting at least some of the Superchargers into high powered DC quick charging stations and allowing others to use them for a fee.

But really, I have done a lot of looking and there are pretty much only five states where there is a lack of quick charging now:

• Montana
• Wyoming
• South Dakota
• North Dakota
• Alaska

Tesla does have more superchargers in these states, other than that, things are pretty decent and considering EvGo has promised so many new charging stations, this shouldn't be an issue for long.

 

You can't really count trade on value against our base price, as you could have got that with any vehicle purchase.

 

With a Kona would have been less out of pocket, as it starts off cheaper.

 

Umm, with Electrify America, I pay about $2.50 for 100 miles and EvGo is about $1 for 100 miles by signing up for the appropriate plan. EvGo is $0.19 per minute for up to 350kw charging, so I tend to prefer them. And soon EVpassport will be offering unlimited charging for $39 per month. Of course there are also plenty of free quick chargers as well.

Tesla supercharging is substantially higher than what I pay.

 

I have no monthly fee with either plan either, EVpassport will be monthly, but that is another story.

 

Actually, do take the whole point of view, the total cost of ownership for a Tesla is about triple that of the Kona. Additionally, the Tesla gets fewer miles per kWH than the Kona. Not to mention I don't have to deal with a touch screen/voicefvoice control for basic things like changing windshield wiper intervals. I don't have to deal with automatic over the air updates that can brick the car, features being removed remotely, etc. The quality of manufacturing is far better in the Kona than a Tesla. I have physical locks that I can unlock and not get stuck inside the car like I have seen many reports of with Tesla. I don't have to deal with autopilot nonsense. I don't have to pop out door handles to open the door. I don't need special adapters.to.use standard charging stations. The list goes on and on.

So you are indeed correct, some prefer a narrow view, thinking Tesla.is.somehow better while I prefer the overall view.

But no matter what, more EVs on the road is a good thing, but don't think the Tesla is all it is cracked up to be without fully researching the alternatives.

Also, the Kona is substantially.more.comfortable (for me) than any of the Teslas, but that is subjective and everyone will be different.

 

That's why there is so many car manufacturers out there. Different cars for different people. In the end, all that matters is that more people drive an EV. Which one, who cares ...

 

And yes, I might be a bit defensive of my Kona, as it quite literally saved my life today by helping me avoid an out of control semi crashing through the concrete barrier on the freeway with its safety features.