FORD F-150 EV announced

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

It definitely wouldn't be a partnership. Well, maybe we'll find out what was up with this someday.

At least admitted in the 1990s,automakers were 'benchmarking' each other's products,taking them apart,studying design,assembly,materials technology,bonding,features,reverse-engineering fabrication,and intellectual property associations,in order to do end runs around patents.
Evidently,paying for a licensing agreement on 'not invented here' technology is too be avoided like cotton candy in a rainstorm.
Dissecting a Tesla might pay enough dividends,that any carmaker could end up with an effective template for a competitive product.

[RedDevil]

I see the long term future of Tesla as an automotive parts supplier rather than (just) a car factory.
Nowadays they should be able to sell high quality EV batteries and drive systems for less than what it takes for any other car manufacturer to build them. If so, everyone wins.

[RedDevil]

Over 3/4 of all EV's sold in the US are made by an American company. The Nissan Leaf is assembled in America as well, just like the Honda Insight and probably some others.

All in all, EV car production is an American success story, exports handsomely beating imports.

There's one brand that sticks out though.

[redpoint5]

Yeah, but most EVs are sold in China, and most are Chinese. I expect competition from China any day now, and to be driving a Chinese EV 15 years from now.

[RedDevil]

Actually the success of China's EV sales is largely due to the $22 billion in state subsidies that enabled their sales, of which $6 billion just last year.

That won't last forever. I read Chinese EV manufacturers know they have to raise their game once Tesla starts building cars in China (which will make them exempt from import tax). I won't link as the Chinese news site did weird things to my browser...

[Piotrsko]

Wont there be import fees on the parts? Or did tesla plan to build from local parts?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Or did tesla plan to build from local parts?

Since foreign automakers are obligated to set a joint-venture and transfer tech to local companies in order to operate in China, finding local parts suppliers seems very likely.

[RedDevil]

China has actually lifted the joint-venture obligation for EV manufacturers to allow Tesla to keep full ownership of the China plant...
They need to reduce or even do away with EV subsidies, now the numbers are rising. Increased competition will achieve that, and if it takes a foreign-to-them company to force the issue so be it.

More on Tesla in China here: https://www.afr.com/business/transpo...0190219-h1bfpz
(this one did not strangle my browser )

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by aerohead

With 1/3rd the BSFC of ICE,there's not a diesel or gas truck that can touch the towing mpg'e of an EV.

I'm a big proponent of EVs, so don't get me wrong, but this point always seems disingenuous to me. Sure, maybe you have 80-90% energy-to-the-road in an EV. And maybe you've even accounted for losses in charging, and even losses in transmission. But, if your electricity is from fossil fuels, you do not have 3x the BSFC - those losses are already built into the costs of the electricity. On top of that, even if you do have clean sources, electricity is often 2-3x more expensive per kwh than gasoline. Cost per mile is better but not as much better as many make it out to be over a very efficient diesel or hybrid.

[Piotrsko]

Details.

But it IS more FUEL efficient, ie: more miles per gallon