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Challenging Tesla, Ferrari Will Build An Electric Sportscar -- and an SUV (theverge.com)
Long-time Slashdot reader Kant shared an article from The Verge:
Ferrari will build a battery-electric supercar in a bid to challenge Tesla for a piece of the high-end, eco-conscious luxury market. CEO Sergio Marchionne, who also heads Fiat Chrysler, said that the Italian racecar company would also make a Ferrari SUV -- after previously dismissing the idea as ridiculous. Speaking at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Marchionne didn't offer any specifics on the electric Ferrari, but indicated the company would release it before the Tesla Roadster hits the road in 2020.
"If there is an electric supercar to be built, then Ferrari will be the first," Marchionne said, according to Bloomberg. "People are amazed at what Tesla did with a supercar: I'm not trying to minimize what Elon did but I think it's doable by all of us."
BMW and Porsche also have plans to introduce all-electric supercars, and Marchionne says "I don't know of a [business] that is making money selling electric vehicles unless you are selling them at the very, very high end of the spectrum."
His remarks were also "a significant departure" from comments made in 2016 about the Ferrari SUV: 'You have to shoot me first.'"
"If there is an electric supercar to be built, then Ferrari will be the first," Marchionne said, according to Bloomberg. "People are amazed at what Tesla did with a supercar: I'm not trying to minimize what Elon did but I think it's doable by all of us."
BMW and Porsche also have plans to introduce all-electric supercars, and Marchionne says "I don't know of a [business] that is making money selling electric vehicles unless you are selling them at the very, very high end of the spectrum."
His remarks were also "a significant departure" from comments made in 2016 about the Ferrari SUV: 'You have to shoot me first.'"
I don't think he understands what the word "first" means.
"People are amazed at what Tesla did with a supercar" ...""If there is an electric supercar to be built, then Ferrari will be the first,""
That distinction goes to the Rimac Concept One
Pain is merely failure leaving the body
Forget your supercars and your A.I.-driving gadgets, what we need to make a difference is electric cars that anyone can afford, i.e. sub-$15K electric cars.
The Tesla phenomena isn't just about the cars - Tesla's range and supercharger network have played a critical role in their success. Most other manufacturers are still at step 1 in the process - building the cars - and they won't be really successful until their is a common charging infrastructure that all cars can use.
Participatory Governance : The only feasible option for a real democracy, where everyone really does have a say.
Putting out an SUV could be major step toward throwing away the Ferrari brand, the brand image they've carefully built over seventy years.
Or it could be a way to go from selling 8,000 units per year to selling 80,000 or 800,000 while maintaining their brand identity. For the last several years Porsche has been very carefully expanding, continuing to sell cars to the same customers after they have kids, while maintaining their brand and their high gross profit on each vehicle. The Cayenne is an SUV, yet also a Porsche, with over 500HP available. They have a compact SUV, the Macan, with Porsche handling. It *can* be done successfully, but there are so many ways it can go wrong.
Forget {...} your A.I.-driving gadgets, what we need to make a difference is electric cars that anyone can afford, i.e. sub-$15K electric cars.
Several European car makers tend to disagree.
Some of them tend to see driving-assistant gadget as essential tools to increase safety.
As an example VW for the past few year has offered some form of forward collision avoidance as a standard on *all* of their cars, including the cheapest ones (e.g.: VW Up! - and electric variations thereof).
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Regarding the price of electric cars themselves : the big barrier is the price of the battery it self. With most cars (Tesla being a prime example), you aren't as much buying an overpriced car, as you're actually buying an giant expensive battery, with the manufacturer adding a car chasis around that battery for a modest increase of price.
Though there *are* variation (Renault offers plans where you buy the car alone, sans the battery, for a more reasonable price, and then rent the battery for a monthly fee).
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
I don't have a Tesla myself, but have a few friends who do, and all of them really love the Tesla car(s) they have.
It's not because they are freaks who want pure electric cars for the sake of it; it's because Teslas are real cars. They have great performance, great handling, and are loads ahead of other car makers in technical features in production automobiles.
They could be driving more expensive cars but instead they are driving Teslas... and I have to admit, I almost put down a deposit on a model 3 myself.
How can you NOT consider that a success? They are building cars people love and are not shutting down anytime soon - that is a win no matter how you look at it.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I totally agree with you about the big iPad being a bad way to do things (I've been in a Tesla X a few times and wasn't very keen on that touchpad either).
But I read an interview with a Tesla designer and I liked the thought behind it - basically that it was nice to have an interior that was timeless, because the look of dials and buttons did not give away the age of the car.
I agree it could look less bland but a pretty blank inside gives them a lot of room for future customization - if I were a Model 3 owner I would customize the look of the otherwise blank dash, and that's kind of cool.
To me they could solve the Tablet Is everything maybe by having two or three smaller screens that were more dedicated so you didn't have to hunt for some things on a large screen. One aspect I do like that other reviewers did not was having to open the glove box via the touch screen - I see a lot of value in having the glove box be a secure compartment that requires the ability to start the car (I don't own the car mind you, just speaking to what I saw in reviews).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Marchionne said,..."I'm not trying to minimize what Elon did but I think it's doable by all of us."
Assuming he's not lying, all this does is confirm my long-held belief that car-manufacturers are purposely holding back from the public performance and better technology that they could easily provide.
I'm not a big Tesla fan but even if all Elon has achieved is to finally get the big car manufacturers off their fat complacent asses and actually have to work for a living, then kudos to him.