VW to show electric vehicle at Paris Motor Show

Alan_uk

A2OC Donor
BBC article mainly about some big names (e.g. Ford) will not be at the Paris Motor Show; reason cost. Article goes on to say VW will show an electric car based on the Golf. Doesn't define "show", e.g. pictures, mock-ups, pre-production. There is a sketch showing sliding rear doors.

I think that they have a lot of catching up to do; words and sketches are easy. But then they say in technology it's often not the innovators who make the money but the followers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37486174

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Volkswagen, for example, says it will be presenting an electric car that has "the potential to make history with its completely new vehicle concept". Details are pretty sketchy, but it is expected to look rather like a futuristic VW Golf.

More importantly, VW's brand CEO Herbert Diess recently told the German magazine WitschftsWoche it would have a range of 400-600km (250-370 miles) and would be capable of taking a full charge in 15 minutes.

VW, of course, is desperate to embellish its environmental credentials. The German firm wants to show it has moved forward, a year after the diesel emissions scandal first came to light. It now says it wants 20-25% of the cars it sells to be electric within a decade.
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Lots more details today. This is a good start: http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-ne.../2016/vw-electric-car-concept-to-shock-paris/

The more I look at the photos the more it reminds me of the A2: panoramic roof, long sloping windscreen with a bonnet profile that follows on, headlights profile, lack front grill (as per first A2s). It's inevitable that small electric cars will tend to the tear-drop shape. Pity it's VW and not Audi badged.

GM's Electric Ampera-e also has a similar profile http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-ne.../2016/gm-pulls-plug-on-new-vauxhall-ampera-e/ but wont be available in the UK. A claimed 250-mile range but 185 is more likely.

Both these cars are aimed at the mass market. An FT article https://www.ft.com/content/1be08722-8713-11e6-bbbe-2a4dcea95797 quotes analysts predicting the price of electric will be comparable with diesel by the early 2020s, as battery costs fall and diesel get more expensive (£2,000 more than now) to meet environmental conditions. It doesn't mention it, but I think invariably servicing and repair costs of diesels will rise as they have so many sensors and filtration system. Electric looks simple in comparison.

China is seen as a target market with huge sales of electric vehicles predicted. The country is to generate a quarter of electricity from wind power by 2030 and today is erecting 2 wind turbines every hour.
 
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