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Volkswagen To Spend Over $40 Billion on Electric and Self-Driving Cars (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the next-up dept.

Volkswagen plans to spend more than 34 billion euros ($40 billion) over the next five years on developing electric cars, autonomous driving and other new technologies, it said on Friday. "With the planning round now approved, we are laying the foundation for making Volkswagen the world's number one player in electric mobility by 2025," Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said in a statement.

16 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. e-Golf is almost perfect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I took a *serious* look at the e-Golf last month. The only problem is that it has a 201 km range and the cottage is 250 km (like, within 10m of that number).There's a CCS on the route, but it's too close to the start point to be really useful, and there's not a lot of places in the middle to add one. So for me, something with 300 km range is pretty much a requirement.

    The deal is pretty spectacular. Here in Ontario you get $14,000 back for buying an EV, and if you put in a Level 2 charger all your night time power is free (FREE). So after the payoff and taxes and everything else, it came to about $CAD25,000. That's actually less than the base model Golf, but you're getting the mid-level trim.

    Upsides: looks like a Golf (which I prefer), drives like a Golf, has a CCS connection (does the Bolt or is it extra?), about the same size as my Civic so nothing to get used to there. Stereo remembers six BT devices (ugh everyone else with one).

    Downsides:No remote of any sort really, so no way to know the charge status, get reminders, etc. More importantly, no remote "heat up now" which is pretty useful here in Toronto.

    Odd: 0 to 60 in something over 9 seconds, which is really weird given its weight and torque. Maybe a typo in the specs?

    1. Re:e-Golf is almost perfect by beelsebob · · Score: 4, Informative

      I have a 2015 eGolf - it has a remote that reports battery status (amongst other things).

      It is indeed an almost perfect car - my lease is about to expire, and I'm seriously considering another one despite its range being roughly half that of the Bolt.

    2. Re:e-Golf is almost perfect by krojdest · · Score: 2

      Just take a *serious* look at Bolt EV. It's a little bit more expensive, but has 238 miles range and 6.5 seconds for 0-60mph. Have it for 4 months and like it a lot!

    3. Re:e-Golf is almost perfect by krojdest · · Score: 2

      First of all model 3 is still practically not in production. I did not want to wait another 2 years or so. You are right about Chevy customer satisfaction in general, but not about the Bolt. It's a different picture. Most of the owners at online forums are enjoying this car. Model 3 price will be realistically more than 50K if you like to add all cool features, plus Tesla may soon reach 200K sales and federal tux break will be questionable... Bolt's performance is more then adequate for me - 0-60 in 6 seconds - it's faster then majority of the muscle ICE cars. Fast charging is important for some drivers, but not for me. Home level 2 charging what I'm using the most. And I personally do not like sedans - specially when most of the cars around are SUVs and tracks. A lot of Bolt drivers like to lease the car, so will see in 3 years what will be available.

  2. Cars of the future by Arzaboa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Electric cars are quick, efficient and quiet. Imagine NYC if the sound of engines were taken away. Imagine a small 40,000 person community. Imagine the tangible differences; less smog, less noise. This is a great solution for people that live in urban areas. I think people will find the ease of use, the different feel of being so quiet, and how little maintenance has to be done so appealing that it is going to become irresistible to almost anyone buying a new car, relatively soon.

    --
    "Life is a journey. When we stop, things don't go right." - Pope Francis

    1. Re:Cars of the future by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2

      New laws require all electric vehicles to include noisemakers which could potentially make them LOUDER than modern internal combustion vehicles (I wish I was joking!)

      My first thought was "he's joking, right?"

      My second was "better verify this".

      My third was "Jaysus, he's not joking". Though it's not quite correct. Only electrics built after 2019 will require the noisemakers....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    2. Re:Cars of the future by Solandri · · Score: 2

      It's not required until 2019, but most of the EVs (and hybrids operating in electric-only mode) already have it. That electric whine with a high pitched overtone you hear from them at low speeds? It's not from the motor. It's just sound played through a speaker.

      The noise is added so blind and inattentive pedestrians are aware that there's a moving car nearby. NHTSA noticed an uptick in low-speed accidents between hybrids/EVs and pedestrians, so jumped on a way to stop it before it became epidemic.

  3. Vaporware by cerberusss · · Score: 2

    In software development, it's called vaporware if you're announcing how great the shit is that you're going to develop. VW is behind the pack at the moment, that's why they're blabbering about this, in my opinion.

    Right now, I'm driving a Renault Zoe. This is an extremely practical car. The NEDC range is 400 km (250 miles), which realistically is 275 km (170 miles). VW is getting closer, but AFAIK right now does not have anything like that.

    --
    8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
    1. Re:Vaporware by green1 · · Score: 2

      VW isn't "behind the pack" they're behind a couple of early technology leaders. VW is actually at the front of the "pack" of major manufacturers who are still WAY behind the curve on electrification.

      That said, it's absolutely pathetic that nearly 10 years after Tesla announced the Model S that there still isn't a single competitor to that vehicle. (And how I wish there was, I'm sick of Tesla's slimy unethical behaviour!)

    2. Re:Vaporware by green1 · · Score: 2

      They aren't profitable, but that's nothing to do with the vehicles themselves, they actually have among the highest profit margins in the auto industry on each vehicle sold. The losses are all on the business expansion side, building out new stores, service centres, factories, etc. Things a traditional automaker wouldn't have to worry about in this space. In short, Tesla has a spending problem, not an income problem.

      I'm not exactly Tesla's biggest fan (I personally think they're the scummiest company I've ever dealt with, and that says a lot!) but they have managed to get a profitable, and desirable, long range, high end, electric vehicle out the door and in to consumer's hands. Something no other automaker has yet done.

  4. Re:Good! by green1 · · Score: 2

    They'd be behind Tesla by 5 years if the product could be purchased TODAY. It can't. They haven't even rolled out a prototype that can compete with a 2012 Tesla Model S, and a prototype is expected several years before a purchasable product.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Tesla fan by any means, they're a horrible, slimy company, but I drive a Model S because there is simply no competing vehicle on the road yet. I'll be first in line when someone comes up with an actual competitor.

  5. Re:They used to be made in Germany by WrongMonkey · · Score: 2

    Since you didn't bother to give a reason, I'm just going to assume you're racist. Sombrero remarks confirms.

  6. Re:They used to be made in Germany by boudie2 · · Score: 2

    Well if being a racist means I'd trust your average German to do a better job at putting a car together than your average Mexican call me a racist.

  7. Re:They used to be made in Germany by WrongMonkey · · Score: 2

    Yep. That's racist alright. At least you have the courage to admit it!

  8. Re:VW making electic cars? by Solandri · · Score: 2

    I have a VW Touareg TDI subject to the recall. I'm extremely sensitive to the diesel stench. When I'm on the freeway, I can usually tell when there's an old diesel Mercedes a quarter mile ahead simply by the smell. And I cannot ride on most diesel boats because the smell gives me a headache. I have never gotten that smell from the Touareg. In fact except for the 'D' in TDI, almost nobody has even noticed that it's a diesel.

    I bought it for towing, and was surprised at how fuel efficient it is. This is a 5000 lb vehicle rated to tow 7700 lbs, and I benchmarked it at 36.6 MPG on the freeway with cruise control set at 65 MPH over a circular route. I changed fuel additives recently to one with more lubrication (modern ultra-low sulfur formulations are very low in lubrication), and now I'm getting about 38 MPG on the freeway with occasional forays into 40+ MPG territory. I'm afraid that in their zeal to get stereotypical "dirty" cars off the road, environmentalists are going to wind up increasing fuel consumption and air pollution by eliminating some incredibly fuel-efficient vehicles.

    Understand that the reason the NOx emissions are high on diesels is because the engines are so efficient. The more efficiently the engine burns, the higher the temperature and the less carbon (from the fuel) there is for atmospheric oxygen to bind to, so some of the oxygen ends up binding to atmospheric nitrogen instead. Diesel straddles the limit for acceptable NOx emissions (which contribute to smog). But if you artificially set the NOx limits lower than they really need to be for clean air, you'll trade off engine efficiency and wind up increasing fuel consumption and therefore pollution.

  9. Re:VW making electic cars? by Neuronwelder · · Score: 2

    Actually NOx emissions form, due to high air compression ratios with high temps. And diesel engines must have high air compression ratios to ignite the diesel vapor... In cars, smog is why they lowered the compression ratios after the early 1970's, They did this in gas powered vehicles, to reduce smog levels in the air from Nitrous Oxide emissions. And they lost horsepower.., It's very true that they now discovered diesel fumes can even effect the minds and mood.. And the soot is very carcinogenic. (Gasoline isn't a winner in cancer either. Poorly kept ones, stink with raw unburnt gasoline too.) Once in a blue moon, I too, drive behind a clean diesel car or bus. But If the: injectors, fuel pump, or governor go bad it starts to smell bad, or even visibly smoke. Even compression loss can cause this due to lower temperatures causing incomplete combustion. I don't know if they still do it. But some truckers used to run filtered, used, motor oil in their vehicles. And that stuff reeks! (Diesels are more powerful because diesel oil is more energy dense than gasoline.)