RE: Polestar launches as independent EV manufacturer
Discussion
Yipper said:
If you tell the neighbours you just bought / leased / rented a Polestar, they will scratch their heads and sneer. Nobody has ever heard of it. This will be lucky to get 1% share in the UK at best.
Cut to footage of Americans in Polestar cars smiling at each other and high-fiving as they drive beside beaches and along mountain passes.UK VOICE: "Stop that! You're having fun in the wrong way. This is all very embarrassing. Stop this at once, I say!"
Yipper said:
If you tell the neighbours you just bought / leased / rented a Polestar, they will scratch their heads and sneer. Nobody has ever heard of it. This will be lucky to get 1% share in the UK at best.
With a planned production cap of 500 per year I imagine it will do far less than 1% share 
Yipper said:
If you tell the neighbours you just bought / leased / rented a Polestar, they will scratch their heads and sneer. Nobody has ever heard of it. This will be lucky to get 1% share in the UK at best.
Maybe that's why they aren't bothering to make a LHD one because they know it's not a M sport 2.0diesel.Shame really, if I could afford one I would have one, I love the current Volvo range
RumbleOfThunder said:
Kawasicki said:
RumbleOfThunder said:
This looks fantastic. Very smart of them to spin off Polestar in this way too, I think a lot of these aspirational buyers are drawn to Tesla precisely because they aren't an established OEM with all their traditional baggage. Volvo seem to be flying at the moment with clean, sleek design, leading edge tech and what seems like a genuine push to do better. I just hope they'll be rewarded with sales from the germans.
Volvo is a long way from being competitive with the Germans in terms of ride, steering, handling and NVH. They seem to have a growing following all the same, and good luck to them.Venturist said:
HeMightBeBanned said:
I can't help feeling that this is the niche that Lotus should be filling, from within the Geely stable
High tech executive express? Are we talking about the same Lotus? 
I am extremely dubious about the motivation behind the 'passport' systems. It feels very similar to the way that enterprise software applications have moved from on premise to a platform as a service model....it's really just a revenue generator but maybe I am behind the times. Cars are things of desire...not services
pmr01 said:
I am extremely dubious about the motivation behind the 'passport' systems. It feels very similar to the way that enterprise software applications have moved from on premise to a platform as a service model....it's really just a revenue generator but maybe I am behind the times. Cars are things of desire...not services
For people who think like you (including me), the future is even more exciting than today. Imagine the ability to join a local cooperative that 3D prints much of what is needed for a dedicated sports car. The car is yours, but collective tools and solutions help make it "designed right" as well as affordable.Local Motors is not this type of organisation, but it has some of the characteristics of such an organisation.
There is, however, no misunderstanding that mainstream vehicles will involve ever more services and service-isation in the form of incremental features, sharing, short-term stewardship, and similar. Already, owners of Tesla cars are receiving over-the-air updates that add functionality, personalisation, and value to their vehicles.
"Tesla’s over-the-air software updates make other vehicles highly vulnerable to obsolescence"
And this is all before we get to the topic of autonomous vehicles with ride sharing. In those vehicles, services may include advertising which defrays or pays the entirety of the cost of your trip. Are ya ready?
unsprung said:
For people who think like you (including me), the future is even more exciting than today. Imagine the ability to join a local cooperative that 3D prints much of what is needed for a dedicated sports car. The car is yours, but collective tools and solutions help make it "designed right" as well as affordable.
Local Motors is not this type of organisation, but it has some of the characteristics of such an organisation.
There is, however, no misunderstanding that mainstream vehicles will involve ever more services and service-isation in the form of incremental features, sharing, short-term stewardship, and similar. Already, owners of Tesla cars are receiving over-the-air updates that add functionality, personalisation, and value to their vehicles.
"Tesla’s over-the-air software updates make other vehicles highly vulnerable to obsolescence"
And this is all before we get to the topic of autonomous vehicles with ride sharing. In those vehicles, services may include advertising which defrays or pays the entirety of the cost of your trip. Are ya ready?
The passport ownership model is a natural stepping stone to the eventual autonomous Uber model. The white goods car companies (and by this I mean anyone other than Morgan and caterham et al) will shortly disappear or be suppliers to Uber. Personal car insurance will be a thing of the past, small garages , and road tax too. The passport model will get the general public used to the idea of not owning a car but using the right sort of car for the occasion from the pool of available cars and operating it from your phone. From there it’s not such a great leap to Uber that autonomous whit van on Sunday for the tip run. The passport model is a fleet buyers dream. Each band of employee has access to a different passport level in their benefits package. The M.D. May get 300 days a year with the limo/super car. The junior sales monkey might get 2 days a yr, upped to 10 if he hits his bonus targets. No insurance or maintenance to worry about. No tax. No breakdown cover. Know operating costs for the annual budget plan. Hallelujah!Local Motors is not this type of organisation, but it has some of the characteristics of such an organisation.
There is, however, no misunderstanding that mainstream vehicles will involve ever more services and service-isation in the form of incremental features, sharing, short-term stewardship, and similar. Already, owners of Tesla cars are receiving over-the-air updates that add functionality, personalisation, and value to their vehicles.
"Tesla’s over-the-air software updates make other vehicles highly vulnerable to obsolescence"
And this is all before we get to the topic of autonomous vehicles with ride sharing. In those vehicles, services may include advertising which defrays or pays the entirety of the cost of your trip. Are ya ready?
Back on the subject of the rebadged Volvo. I think it looks great. Like a much better looking gen6 Camaro.
I get the notional price too. Think what other 2 door coupes with similar performance and quality interior cost in its home market. How much do you think a bmw 650i costs in Scandinavia? Correct pretty much what it costs in the UK befor tax. But then you pay the purchase tax which takes it well north of euro 200k. Even if you start cheaper with a 45k mustang or Camaro it will cost more than the Volvo here after tax.
If they are limiting production to 500 units all LHD they aren’t going to loose out on sales at this price. They will simply all get sold in regions where the tax regime favours this EV hybrid on a passport scheme over conventional IC competitors on an ownership model.
I get the notional price too. Think what other 2 door coupes with similar performance and quality interior cost in its home market. How much do you think a bmw 650i costs in Scandinavia? Correct pretty much what it costs in the UK befor tax. But then you pay the purchase tax which takes it well north of euro 200k. Even if you start cheaper with a 45k mustang or Camaro it will cost more than the Volvo here after tax.
If they are limiting production to 500 units all LHD they aren’t going to loose out on sales at this price. They will simply all get sold in regions where the tax regime favours this EV hybrid on a passport scheme over conventional IC competitors on an ownership model.
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