Bet everything on electric: Inside Volkswagen's radical strategy shift

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FEBRUARY 6, 2019 / 2:04 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

Bet everything on electric: Inside Volkswagen's radical strategy shift

Edward Taylor, Jan Schwartz
11 MIN READ

WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - If Volkswagen realizes its ambition of becoming the global leader in electric cars, it will be thanks to a radical and risky bet born out of the biggest calamity in its history.

The German giant has staked its future, to the tune of 80 billion euros ($91 billion), on being able to profitably mass-produce electric vehicles - a feat no carmaker has come close to achieving.

So far mainstream automakers’ electric plans have had one main goal: to protect profits gleaned from high-margin conventional cars by adding enough zero-emission vehicles to their fleet to meet clean-air rules.

Customers have meanwhile largely shunned electric vehicles because they are too expensive, can be inconvenient to charge and lack range.

The biggest strategy shift in Volkswagen’s 80 years has its roots in a weekend crisis meeting at the Rothehof guesthouse in Wolfsburg on October 10, 2015, senior executives told Reuters.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-electric-insight/bet-everything-on-electric-inside-volkswagens-radical-strategy-shift-idUSKCN1PV0K4

[Wellstone ruled]

1. BTW,Ford Motor is

joining VW with a joint venture in this effort. Hunch is,there is a Battery Design about to hit the market,one that will stand up in both Heat and Cold.

Think about the Population Centers and where they are located,and that is the Engineering Nightmare that must be solved.

[VMA131Marine]

3. The problem is not as bad as it seems:

In addition, the battery in an electric car will warm up with use so only the first few miles will be driven at the lowest temperatures.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Great graph,

but,the reality is,battery life is only dependable by ambient air temps. Here in the Desert area of the Southwest,norm battery life is three plus years,and that is only with a high end battery,el cheapo's maybe two years. My neighbor has a Leaf,it is kept garaged and it's run time from middle of June till end of August is cut in half because of the average daytime tempts of near 110 degrees. Great for trips to the Super Market or the shopping center three miles away. Another has Prius and their comments are,similiar only they have a gas engine to bail them out. They do about the same Battery mileage as the Leaf on a good day.

[VMA131Marine]

5. If the car is left sitting outside in the sun for any length of time,

the battery temperature will be a lot higher than the ambient air temperature. The temperature inside the car can easily exceed 80C.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. Seen Rear Windows just explode on Autos parked

in the Sun in late afternoon in July and August. Local PD's have had temp readings exceeding 160 degrees in some of their Rescues.

Love to have a EV,but,where we travel to during the Winter and Summer months,it is a Range issue. Love to have a Tesla,but,way to rich for our Pocket book and even the Used Ones are mega pricey.

[LakeSuperiorView]

2. Well, they pretty much ruined their reputation with diesel engines...

So pivoting to electric has additional benefits.