Law and Rights
The car makers are all abuzz about electric cars. Seems like everyone is trying to build one faster than the others are (or better than the others are planning to do). But the objective of all of them seems to be the existence of the car and not the purpose of the car. That's like saying no one needed pickup trucks or minivans. Every vehicle is designed for a purpose and car makers might do well to keep that in mind. Maybe, just maybe, one electric car design is not the best way to go for all of us.
At least that's the result of a recent study by McKinsey Quarterly that was just released. And it makes sense.
All consumers still want good value for their money, regardless of their "green" viewpoint. Fact is, if there was a car that fit your needs and was cheaper to own and use than a gasoline powered car, most people would buy it. Well, another fact is that most people want a vehicle that fits their needs too.
Detroit (and the rest of the world) would do well to design to fit the need first, since the engineers say that the tough part isn't coming up with an electric car --- it's coming up with one that fits the universal need of everyone. You know, one that can run to the mall or across the state. Adding that huge battery capacity to go across the state is vastly different than just the minor battery capacity needed for the trip to the mall.
And that directly affects cost because the cost of batteries is in direct proportion to their capacity size. "One implication is that companies offering only a plug-in hybrid with, for example, 40 miles of all-electric range may be undercut by manufacturers of much less expensive vehicles with just 10 or 20 miles of electric range and only marginally higher operating costs," reports McKinsey.
The folks at McKinsey have a good point. "By focusing on specific driving missions of consumers, a company can match a vehicle's energy storage requirements to a consumer's particular needs and thus design more economic vehicles." Translated, that means the car you want can cost less if it is designed from the start to fit the needs you have for it.
That makes sense. Figures. McKinsey's economists seem to have figured out what the global carmakers have not.
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Law and Rights
Electric Cars For a Reason
The car makers are all abuzz about electric cars. Seems like everyone is trying to build one faster than the others are (or better than the others are planning to do). But the objective of all of them seems to be the existence of the car and not the purpose of the car. That's like saying no one needed pickup trucks or minivans. Every vehicle is designed for a purpose and car makers might do well to keep that in mind. Maybe, just maybe, one electric car design is not the best way to go for all of us.
At least that's the result of a recent study by McKinsey Quarterly that was just released. And it makes sense.
All consumers still want good value for their money, regardless of their "green" viewpoint. Fact is, if there was a car that fit your needs and was cheaper to own and use than a gasoline powered car, most people would buy it. Well, another fact is that most people want a vehicle that fits their needs too.
Detroit (and the rest of the world) would do well to design to fit the need first, since the engineers say that the tough part isn't coming up with an electric car --- it's coming up with one that fits the universal need of everyone. You know, one that can run to the mall or across the state. Adding that huge battery capacity to go across the state is vastly different than just the minor battery capacity needed for the trip to the mall.
And that directly affects cost because the cost of batteries is in direct proportion to their capacity size. "One implication is that companies offering only a plug-in hybrid with, for example, 40 miles of all-electric range may be undercut by manufacturers of much less expensive vehicles with just 10 or 20 miles of electric range and only marginally higher operating costs," reports McKinsey.
The folks at McKinsey have a good point. "By focusing on specific driving missions of consumers, a company can match a vehicle's energy storage requirements to a consumer's particular needs and thus design more economic vehicles." Translated, that means the car you want can cost less if it is designed from the start to fit the needs you have for it.
That makes sense. Figures. McKinsey's economists seem to have figured out what the global carmakers have not.
Burdge Law Office
www.NewCarLemonLaw.com
Helping consumers get their money's worth since 1978.
Subscribe in a reader- Ford - The Last One To The Battery Car Party
Nissan has its Leaf about to come out. Chevrolet, its Volt on the test track and almost ready to roll. And then there's all those other companies, like Tesla, that have had electric cars out for months already, if not years. And then there's Ford,...
- Tesla Electric Car Gets Hotter And Hotter
We talked before about the Tesla roadster and its great looks (click here) and now there's a new driving review out that hands it more accolades than ever (click here). Turned loose with the keys in hand and no copilot, the reviewer took the roadster...
- Detroit Auto Show Shows Off An Electric Future
The North American International Auto Show in Detroit opens next week with "press days" slated for Monday and Tuesday and it promises to be a major "electric" event. Fuel efficiency finally takes center stage, although the industry economic woes have...
- Tesla's Roadster Compared To Han Solo's Millennium Falcon
The Tesla Roadster is here. And is it ever unique. Electric power that is virtually unheard of, both in its pickup and its range. Deemed quirky by some because of its odd fit and finish, but beautiful to behold and quiet enough to hold a conversation...
- George Clooney's 130 Mph Electric Sports Car
Ever since the Who Killed the Electric Car? documentary, people have thought electric cars were dead. Well, not only are they still alive, they appear to be doing some real "kicking" to boot! There's one out there that'll even go 130 mph. All...