[_ea1k]

The issue is going to be what they do over the next 3 to 4 years. It will be extremely difficult for a major automaker to make a major push towards electric vehicles right now. It isn't so much technical limitations as it is internal business problems.

They would have to expend billions building out a competitive charging infrastructure and building a marketing machine that would advocate for "the car of the future". That car would be a minority of their sales and yet the marketing message would immediately make their other cars seem obsolete.

Basically, noone can take the market seriously until very late in the game (maybe 5 - 10 years from now). I agree with your point that this may not hurt them that much in the long run, though.

[jodrellblank]

They would have to expend billions building out a competitive charging infrastructure

Love the way my car is tied to refills only from the car manufacturer's brand of gas station because it's the only one with the right shaped nozzles.

:rolleyes: for an annoying future.

[jarkko]

Tesla uses the standard Type2 plug in Europe. You can also charge any Type2 equipped car with the Tesla home charger (EU model). Most Tesla owners I know have the CHAdeMO adapter as well, so can pretty much charge from every fast charger available.

[usrusr]

Well, at least internal business problems should be considered "ruled out" by now at Volkswagen...

I fully agree on the difficulty and importance of infrastructure, this is something where it would be really difficult to match Tesla, at the volume of a mainstream brand. When Tesla says that their cars are sold at a profit, the wording seems to be very carefully chosen to avoid admitting that the package of car plus charging network access is not.