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Originally Posted by sheepdog 44
It comes down to there not being any funding from the Big 5, entrepreneurs
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You don't really believe they'd fund a competitor ?
Or fund / build a design that'd compete with the low-end designs that they've already invested in - either existing or in the pipe-line ?
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A very long list of startups have failed because they couldn't get any money.
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Stage 1 : Loremo had money.
Aptera had money.
Stage 2 : Both had running prototypes .
Stage 3 : Both decided they'd start on a next, improved version ... and ran out of $$$. Stage 4.
Unless you produce, you're not going to make any money.
Unless you're heading for production, the influx of money WILL dry up.
Venture / Risk capitalists want to see progress or returns, and stop supporting stagnant start-ups. They'll count their losses and move out rather than dump in more dosh. Better luck next time.
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Edison2 still survives while others don't because it hasn't fallen into those pit traps.
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I'd like to be proven wrong, but I think different.
IMO , Edison2 is between stage 3 and 4. Heading for broke.
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The Xprize did what it intended to. It spurred the research and development of production capable high mpg cars.
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In the US maybe.
In Europe we've had a - no, make that 2 ! - 3L car(s) since before the turn of the millennium.
[The latest but bigger Golf VII TDi 1.6L will just about match that fuel consumption.]
Vekke turned one into a 2L car - alone, unfunded, in 1.5 years.
His weight-savings (by stripping the car, the
poor man's alternative to composites to prove the concept) can be matched or bettered by using composite materials (other than carbon fibre) instead of steel and glass.
VW raised the bar to 1L - and will actually produce the car, even if few will be able to buy one.
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NONE of the numerous contestants who entered had the capitol or infrastructure to mass produce a car. None of them. There are many production capable designs now, just no one to mass produce them.
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How many had a finalised design ?
How would you build it if the design isn't finalised ?
All big car companies started making cars from scratch - in a period where cars were far from a commodity tool, with few takers who could afford one.
Put it on sale and see if it gets bought and can make you a profit.
Nothing different from today, really.
Ahhh well, I'm off to read the book
