What do you think the best strategy is for making and marketing EVs?
The best sales strategy is Tesla's take on the Apple model.
Design and manufacture? Several approaches have been successful. With others it is too early to tell.
Let's examine the current market:
Nissan-Renault
In terms of sheer unit numbers Nissan is far ahead. Their car is a unique plug-in built on plug-in platform derived from existing an existing ICE platform and built mostly from the corporate parts bin.
I expect the next-generation Leaf to be on a CMF platform. --->
http://blog.alliance-renault-nissan...-sharing-alliances-new-approach-commonization
The next Leaf will be more like an existing Nissan ICE car. Think Zoe and Clio. In the Leaf and Zoe price range there is too much economy of scale to do otherwise.
BMW
The successful i3 design ticks the boxes that came out of their focus groups. This is a big change for BMW, who traditionally used form follows function. The i3 is form follows focus. The car itself is a 100% new platform with very few shared components. Someone said the steering rack is from MINI but I'm not sure if that is true.
BMW is building more in-house than anyone else except maybe Tesla. It is interesting that two of the smallest serious players are the ones building the most of the parts.
VW
Build EVs on an existing platform that was always intended to be EV capable. The UP and Golf are decent cars, so the EVs should be too. On paper, the EVs are too expensive but that is true of most VWs.
Mercedes
How many people here know that Mercedes have been selling a pure EV van for years? Well they do. It is expensive, has limited range, and needs 3-phase power to charge. Obvious looser here. I think MB learned a lesson.
The B Electric Drive is an interesting set of design choices. Like VW, they intended the platform to always have an EV version.
They brought in Tesla for the design. The result is a Tesla in a B Klasse body. It is heavy with a big battery pack. The car is a watt guzzler. That probably doesn't matter since electricity is relatively cheap. MB is very popular with some demographics. in the US. I'm sure they will sell some in California. Way too early to tell if this one will do well.
Tesla
The current car is good but very expensive. At $100,000 a unit, they can afford decisions that won't work on a $30,000 car.
Their big challenge will be making a profit on a good $35,000 car.