Ian - Cars like the Bentley will never evolve into the mass market because it's an expensive luxery car. If there was a cool small electric car that could do 200 miles and get to 70mph in less than 7 seconds then I would have a guess that it would appeal to say 20% of the city commuters and that's just the starting point, as the technology is developed there will be better longer lasting batteries that come on the market and the price would reduce over time appealing to a greater share of the original motoring market.
A classic example of this is the world of pc's, a component comes out on the market for around £350-£500 and then 3 years later when the technology has moved on that component is worth £50. Car battery technology would work much the same way but a slower pace. Ironically it was the rapid development of mobile phone battery's that brought about the possibility of building the Tesla.
Nik G - Maybe I am naive about battery technology and the available technology that is available today but I can't help but feel that if Tesla can make a fast car go 200 miles then surely they can make a smaller more popular car (fiesta, mini, clio) go 200 miles for a cheaper price. I think the issue of a 6 hour charge time would not bother commuters as how many commuters are daft enough to drive over 200 miles a day to work and back? that's over a 1000 miles a week and I didn't do that when I was a mobile white van man pottering around Manchester all day long.
Anyway I'm glad you understand that my point is that the car companies could have ran their companies with the future in mind (proactive) and not ran it in a reactive way like they have done.
Daveyboy - I understand what you are saying but I am saying that Ford (and the others) have ran there businesses 99.999% geared towards oil vehicles to compete in a market that is flooded when quite clearly there is an opportunity to try and gain an early foothold in a new emerging market that has little competition if any at the moment.
Whether Ford is being strangled by the unions is irrelevant to be honest because the other car companies are in the same boat and they are not fairing much better without the noose of the unions round their necks.
Chris.
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