- Title: Electric car tipping point may challenge pioneers
- Date: 29th September 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) MAIN HALL OF PARIS CAR SHOW VOLKSWAGEN'S "I.D." ELECTRIC CONCEPT CAR ON DISPLAY INTERIOR OF "I.D." CONCEPT MAN TOUCHING STEERING WHEEL / WHEEL SLIDING OUT VARIOUS OF "I.D." CONCEPT CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEMBER OF VOLKSWAGEN'S MANAGEMENT BOARD, JURGEN STACKMANN, SAYING: "Diesel is going to be a concept that will continue to evolve and develop for the years to come around the globe. There are a lot of markets that actually live on diesel, to have a fuel efficient drive for the future. Petrol is another concept that we will evolve into the future. But again, electric, we believe, is going to be the centre pole of change in the future. And that will allow us to really change, not only our technology, but the concept of life with our customers. For the first time, Volkswagen will be connected to our customers." MERCEDES ELECTRIC CAR ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF OPEL'S "AMPERA-E" ELECTRIC CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR EDITOR AT CARFECTION.COM AND THEROADSHOW.COM, ALEX GOY, SAYING: "As time's gone on, as more and more people are investing in this, they're realising that they're cheaper to run, sometimes they're cheaper to buy and they can be with government grants, and they can be a viable source of transport. And with focus on the environment and the economy, it's becoming more and more important to brands to actually bring something out that sits in that market." FRENCH CARMAKER RENAULT'S "ZOE" ELECTRIC CAR WITH IMPROVED BATTERY PERFORMANCE CAR PLATE READING: "ZOE" VARIOUS OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT WRITING ON CAR GIVING NEW RANGE AMERICAN CAR MAKER TESLA TESLA'S "MODEL X" INTERIOR OF TESLA'S "MODEL X" REPORTER INSIDE TESLA "MODEL X" LOOKING AT CONTROLS DIGITAL DISPLAY SHOWING BATTERY LIFE INFORMATION (SOUNDBITE) (French) TESLA HEAD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR FRANCE, CHARLES DELAVILLE, SAYING: "Today, I think we need to look at what vehicles are on the market, others will be arriving in the years to come and we'll keep a close eye at what will be launched but it's certain that with the Model S and the Model X, we have ranges which can go beyond 600 kilometres such is the case for the Model P100D. And on top of this we have a super-fast charging network which allows for long distance travel in a fully electric vehicle. So indeed we offer more than just cars, it's an entire ecosystem that we are offering to our clients." VARIOUS OF ELECTRIC VERSION OF CITY CAR "SMART" MODEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR EDITOR AT CARFECTION.COM AND THEROADSHOW.COM, ALEX GOY, SAYING: "There will always be a space for a combustion engine. Whether or not it's brand spanking new cars, or whether or not they're older ones, classics. Some of the cars that we're around now may be seen as classic cars within our lifetime which I find really weird. But they can coexist. Electric, autonomous, and combustion, manual, you know, proper cars. They can all coexist. There'll always be space for everything on the road." VARIOUS OF GERMAN CAR MAKER BMW'S LATEST VERSION OF FULLY ELECTRIC CITY CAR "I3" DISPLAY OF FRENCH CAR MAKER PEUGEOT MODELS PEOPLE AROUND CAR
- Embargoed: 14th October 2016 13:24
- Keywords: electric cars auto show Paris France vehicle Volkswagen Peugeot
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA00151MBOSN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Electric car prototypes and plans dominated the Paris auto show on Thursday (September 29) as the Volkswagen diesel scandal and falling battery costs persuade executives and investors that plug-in vehicles are ready to go mainstream.
The flurry of announcements signals a threat to pioneers of the current generation of battery-powered cars, such as Tesla and Renault-Nissan, who will now have to work harder to defend their lead.
VW is leading the charge, keen to turn a page after its exposure last year as a U.S. emissions test cheat. The German carmaker will showcase new electric vehicle (EV) architecture underpinning a staggering June pledge to achieve annual sales of 2 million-3 million electric cars by 2025.
"Diesel is going to be a concept that will continue to evolve and develop for the years to come around the globe. There are a lot of markets that actually live on diesel, to have a fuel efficient drive for the future. Petrol is another concept that we will evolve into the future. But again, electric, we believe, is going to be the centre pole of change in the future. And that will allow us to really change, not only our technology, but the concept of life with our customers. For the first time, Volkswagen will be connected to our customers," said a member of Volkswagen management board, Jurgen Stackmann.
Other car makers are also following suit with models ready to hit the road such as Opel's Ampera-e which should arrive in Europe next spring.
"As time's gone on, as more and more people are investing in this, they're realising that they're cheaper to run, sometimes they're cheaper to buy and they can be with government grants, and they can be a viable source of transport. And with focus on the environment and the economy, it's becoming more and more important to brands to actually bring something out that sits in that market," said Alex Goy, a senior editor at Carfection.com and Theroadshow.com.
But scarce charging points, a driving range limited to around 100 miles (160 kilometres) and cheap fossil fuel stifled mass-market demand.
Nissan's 2010 Leaf kicked off the contemporary crop of battery-only cars, joined two years later by alliance partner Renault's Zoe, a hatchback subcompact.
Renault unveiled a longer-range Zoe "LR", with an upgraded 40 kWh LG battery that can power it almost as far as its larger GM rival, company and industry sources told Reuters. The new version will go on sale almost immediately.
Meanwhile, Tesla, founded by Elon Musk, stormed the premium market with its Model S sports car, tallying about 130,000 sales since its launch the same year as the Zoe. Its success proved that consumers were prepared to pay $72,000 for an EV that can do 265 miles (425 km) on one charge.
But that kind of range is about to be matched by mass-market vehicle brands at much lower prices, thanks to a leap in battery technology that is mirrored by sales projections.
"I think we need to look at what vehicles are on the market, others will be arriving in the years to come and we'll keep a close eye at what will be launched but it's certain that with the Model S and the Model X, we have ranges which can go beyond 600 kilometres such is the case for the Model P100D. And on top of this we have a super-fast charging network which allows for long distance travel in a fully electric vehicle," said Charles Delaville, Tesla's head of public relations in France.
Paris also displayed more traditional combustion cars demonstrating that the race to electric does not necessarily mean the disappearance of older technologies.
Volkswagen supercar brands Bentley and Lamborghini dropped out of the Paris Motor Show as their German parent is reining in spending on auto exhibitions to cushion costs from its emissions scandal.
One year after admitting it used illegal software to rig diesel emissions tests, Volkswagen is cutting costs across the group to fund a strategic shift in the business and to cover billions of euros in fines and payments linked to its scandal.
Bentley said on Monday it was skipping the crowded show and would instead focus on small events to market more directly to buyers. Lamborghini said it was revising strategy regarding auto show attendance, including the choice of locations where the Italian brand wants to be.
Car-show extravaganzas cost millions of euros as brands, especially luxury nameplates, strive to outshine one another. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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