odysseus2000 wrote:BobbyD
The MEB pack does exactly what VW want of it. It's not going to be redesigned. They are going to push it in volume until it is superseded and then replaced by the unified cell. It was there to see VW through a period of supply uncertainty which is why it allowed for use of pouch or prismatic cells. As their supply of batteries becomes more certain, in no small part due to VW inserting themselves in to their own battery supply chain the standardisation at module level will be replaced by standardisation at cell level and the module will be eliminated as they move to cell to pack.
The really funny thing is that afterall the bluster about big oil conspiracies Ody ends up touting SABIC, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco and backs using their plastics instead of good clean, and easy to recycle aluminium...
Yes, VW are happy to sell a heavy under performing car, engineered to be sufficiently bad that an ICE VW is preferable to a BEV so as to satisfy their owners and unions desire to keep ICE going as long as possible.
Clearly VW do not want to make the best BEV car they could. Of course they will sell some to folk who are happy to have a VW on their drive, but they will be being short changed in terms of performance and when they see their friends with better cars their allegiance to VW will be tested. What VW are doing is injurious to their own future.
Also many plastics are re-cyclable often easier than aluminium.
Regards,
Ody
I think you place too much reliance on a fairly "out of touch" pundit who showed his bias and lack of competence when unable to use VW's satnav the other day. He kept trying the same key strokes, if I remember correctly, hoping that they would produce a different result. The classic definition of madness.
Engineering isn't the only skill required to make really good cars. Quality control and listening to customers are vital.
For example, look at the current thread about "phantom braking" on the Tesla Motor Club thread. This fault which causes Model 3s using cruise control to suddenly brake violently when the car senses a phantom junction or other situation scares passengers and forces drivers to have their foot permanently resting on the accelerator to counteract it. It's affecting a lot of drivers.
There are other irritating faults regularly reported, like indicator malfunctions, wiper malfunctions and headlight malfunctions. These are possibly minor issues but they shouldn't be present in a quality car.
By the way, our KIA is still behaving impeccably. No irritating malfunctions and it has capable, sensible software which works really well. It doesn't accelerate ludicrously but otherwise outperforms a Tesla in everyday driving - so far.
Tesla aren't reacting fast enough to correct their software and reputational problems and this could be a serious drag on their sales going forward. They are making a few efforts in China and forgive my smile as I type this. Electrek yesterday reported that Tesla China are “looking to hire more PR and marketing people
in the country, according to new job listings".
regards
Howard
