[Coops]

BMW as now delivered more than 250,000 EV's across the globe. Seems like a lot of their success comes from the UK, where the EV segment has really begun to pick up. A lot of these sales are actually from their hybrid models, as BMW does not offer many fully electric vehicles just yet. This revenue is sure to help them with the new electric platforms however.

 

[Tandy]

Even if the majority of their sales are coming from hybrid models, it does support the fact that people are becoming more supportive of electric technology. It's hard to argue with the lower running costs that come with an electric platform. Hopefully soon we start seeing EV's with a base price below $30k.

 

[Coops]

I am curious how Hyundai and Kia are going to price their upcoming EV crossovers, as they both look to offer +250 miles of range. The regular Niro starts at $25k, so there's a good chance the electric variant could be just under $30k. The Kona is even cheaper in base form, so that could end up being the cheapest electric on the market.

 

[Tandy]

Those platforms are relatively unproven though, so it'll be worth holding out to see if they encounter any serious issues. I know Hyundai has a solid background with the Ioniq, and Kia also has the new Soul EV. I guess the only concern is real world range and battery life.

 

[Coops]

Well they both have a proper thermal management system, so I cant imagine there being any serious issues with battery life. There do seem to be a lot of owners complaining about this problem in the new Leaf though, and the issue seems to be made worse with successive quick charging.

 

[Greenie]

That may be a Leaf only problem because there doesn't seem to be a limitation like that in the other electric vehicles that has been released. I assume BMW won't throttle the charge rate either.

 

[Tandy]

Goes to show that being the cheapest electric has its downsides, as that likely comes with some cost saving measures. I've heard they plan to implement a more powerful battery option in the future for the Leaf, but who knows how many issues new owners will experience in the interim.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

The next best step for car makers to take is to sell EV's the size of smart cars. Already brands like Lexus have built concepts to reflect this. At this point its just a matter of timing. Smart came early but they're targeting a future lucrative market.

 

[Coops]

I know those kinds of smaller EV's are growing in popularity in Asian, but I just don't know how much demand there is for them here in NA. With so many people buying SUV's and pickups, I just don't know how practical a 2 seater electric would be. For anyone living in a downtown core, I could see there being some interest.

 

[Greenie]

Smart cars are a dying breed, though there does seem to be an uptake on electric SUVs and crossovers. Think a few are coming out from Jaguar and Kia. Of course there's Tesla too.

 

[Tandy]

I believe sales for the Fortwo have been steadily declining over the past few years, I think that's mostly due to the growing number of alternatives. They are probably still worth considering for anyone looking for a cheap inner city commuter car, as there are a good handful of them for under $6k.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

With BMW also getting involved with compact EV's and compact car in general I hope that down the road Mini doesn't end up like Pontiac because that could very well happen.

 

[Medieval]

By 2030, EV's will be the only ones in Europe

 

[Coops]

Europe is certainly looking to be one of the fastest growing EV segments, but they are still behind that of China. I do think that we will reach all of these milestones long before we have been projected to. Battery tech, charging infrastructure and autonomy are growing more rapidly than anticipated.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I was really against the use of cobalt and just about an precious metals in EV batteries, thankfully Tesla is one of the many EV car makers to do it. Its how the new Model 3 was built.

 

[Greenie]

Think automakers are trying to move away from precious metals because of the limited supply and there's only a few large mines around the world for cobalt. Better to have batteries made of common materials to keep prices down or recycle old ones.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Think automakers are trying to move away from precious metals because of the limited supply and there's only a few large mines around the world for cobalt. Better to have batteries made of common materials to keep prices down or recycle old ones.

They have more reasons for doing it to the point where the fact these metals are precious don't matter as much. How they can be impacted on a regulatory level is the real motivation. Its them getting out before it has the potential to negatively impact the success of their products.

 

[Tandy]

I believe that EV manufacturers are also looking to transition to solid state batteries, which should eliminate a lot of the required materials and reduce production costs. Though I don't know if this kind of tech will be readily available by the time the Mini EV begins production.

 

[Coops]

Toyota has already indicated that they are working on solid state batteries for their upcoming EV's. Not only will they address range limitations but they will also significantly reduce the length of charge times. Manufacturers will certainly have to look into alternatives to lithium ion batteries, once full EV production gets under way.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Too bad car makers aren't yet working on lithium ion batteries because they've been used in racing for many years and have profound effects on cars built to beat records.