HITS & MISSES: Electric Car Market.

HITS & MISSES FROM THE ELECTRIC CAR INDUSTRY. 

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 HIT:  Tesla Model S

   

After creating the world's first electric car, (The Tesla Roadster) Elon Musk decided to make a car for the mass public, a sedan. 8 years after its debut, it still rules this market. It features an unbelievable 400 miles of range, sleek styling, and a 17 inch wide tablet mounted on the dash. It also is one of the quickest cars to 60 mph, taking a mere 2.3 seconds. It held that record for 2 years, which is quite astounding for a family car. Until the S' brother came along, (The Model 3) this was the car to buy.

MISS: CHEVROLET BOLT

The Chevy Bolt is not a bad car. In fact, it is a great car. Why, then, do I label it a miss? Because it failed to live up to its potential. Despite being a car that could keep up with the Model S, it only sold a meagre 250K units. It fails in 2 areas the Tesla shines: Interior quality and exterior style. The interior is filled with cheap plastic where the Tesla would have faux leather. The exterior is highly questionable as well, as this Chevy hatchback is not nearly as trendy-looking as competition. The biggest failure however, is the sales and advertisement team. Despite it's many qualities, a person shopping for an electric car would not even be aware of the Bolt's existence, let alone seriously consider it. 

HIT: TESLA MODEL 3 

In the summer of 2016, multi-billionaire Elon Musk stunned the world when he promised a Tesla with comparable range to the Model S (400 mpc), however the Model 3 would only cost 35,000. Hundreds of thousands of preorders came in, and had to wait until 2018 for their car, but it was worth it. The Model 3 is one of the most well-rounded cars on the market. I personally think it looks absolutely stunning, inside and out.  One of the most impressive features is the monster-sized info system which controls hundreds of aspects of the car. Another popular feature are the 
                                                                                       door handles, which pop out when your hand reaches 

for them.  This Tesla, like others, includes a semi-autonomous highway mode. You can essentially take your hands off the wheel for 10 minutes at a time. The Model 3 has earned many awards for its seamless transition into the future, and has been brought into the conversation with established marquees such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Acura and Lexus. If you're in the market for an electric car, you've found a winner.

MISS: NISSAN LEAF

The Nissan Leaf deserves credit. After all, it was one of the original pioneers of this segment. However, it has dramatically fallen to the back of the pack with a very old product made to look new. Apart from the new for 2020 exterior design, Nissan hasn't made very many changes to the 2015 model. The cliche "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"  doesn't apply here, as the Leaf never really was a winning product. With all the Nissan's faults, the big stumbling block remains its range. The Leaf accomplishes a range of 190 miles on a full charge. For comparison, the Tesla Model 3 does over 400. Sadly, this old veteran of the industry can't hold off the up-and-coming siege of electric cars. It was okay while it lasted...

HIT: TESLA SUPERCHARGER NETWORK

Let's be honest: Tesla owns the electric car market. They have made several top-tier vehicles over the years, from the original Roadster to the soon-to-be-released CyberTruck. Driving a Tesla is pretty much the coolest thing ever, and being able to tell your grandkids that you were part of Elon Musk's filthy rich empire is pretty special. However, the real selling point of a Tesla is the massive supercharger network of stations all across the country. If you were to buy a Chevy Bolt or Porsche Taycan, you would not have access to such stations, and would have to spend money to use the few stations that work for your car. A hassle, right? Another advantage of a Tesla to a competitor is the charging time. A 2020 Tesla Model S charges in less than an hour. Holy cow. A Nissan Leaf takes 14 hours. 14. Yes, 14. Just buy the Tesla, you can thank me later. And stocks, definitely don't forget the stocks. 

MISS: TOYOTA

Considering Toyota was the brand that introduced us to the part-electric Prius more than 13 years ago, it seems very odd that they are effectively the only brand without an EV (Electric Vehicle) in their portfolio. They tried a Hydrogen-powered car, the Mirai, in 2016, which failed miserably. Toyota is in an uphill battle with more premier brands over the switch to Electric cars. It seem fitting that Tesla has recently surpassed them as a bigger brand in terms of cars sold per quarter, company net worth, and brand trajectory.

HIT: YOU!

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