Summary:
This video discusses the possibility of a $25,000 brand new electric car. The speaker, Marques Brownlee, argues that this might be difficult to achieve due to the high cost of batteries, a key component of electric vehicles.
The video starts with the dream of many electric car fans: a brand new electric car for $25,000. This would make electric vehicles affordable for most people. However, the speaker points out that batteries are the most expensive part of an electric car. So, in order to bring the price down, manufacturers would need to find ways to cut battery costs.
One way to achieve a lower price point would be to make a smaller car with a shorter driving range. The speaker discusses the Tesla Model 3 as an example of a currently affordable electric car, albeit at a price point above $30,000. Other options on the market right now, like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt, are all priced around $40,000.
The speaker then goes on to discuss the Fiat 500e, a new electric car with a starting price of $32,000 and a driving range of 140 miles. While he likes the design of the car, he acknowledges that the interior feels cheap due to the cost-cutting measures taken by Fiat. This is because making a car cheaper often means using less expensive materials.
The speaker concludes the video by posing the question of whether a $25,000 electric car with good range will ever be possible. He acknowledges that battery technology is constantly improving and getting cheaper, but he also believes that inflation will likely push the price point up over time. The video ends with the speaker asking the audience their thoughts on the possibility of a $25,000 electric car.
I hate that this guy is doing car reviews now. Just another guy talking about cars that doesn’t even do any research.
Yes, it’s possible, and it’s already happening. Look up BYD and MG.
Are they available in the US? I tried to do a search and nothing came up. I don’t live there though
There’s also the Aptera. Starts at $26k, and that’s a VERY small-scale operation. I know lots of people are going to give me shit about this one since they’ve not delivered any cars yet, and it requires a lot of sacrifice, and other reasons, but if you simply have a look at it, that’s the type of design that seems totally feasible to sell for $25k at large scale.
As MKBHD mentions, the batteries make up a huge portion of the cost, but making a more efficient vehicle drives costs down across the board, especially the batteries. Tesla could easily make something similar to hit that price point. They just wouldn’t sell a bazillion of them like they do their other cars.
Matt Ferrell just did a video about a deliverable solid state battery, I believe those will slash the battery cost. It’s actually quite exciting.
That same guy has made several videos about solid state batteries going back several years.
Solid state batteries have been promised to be just around the corner for decades. I don’t pay them any attention anymore.
I liked the idea of Aptera and then Elios motors and now Aptera again, but these small companies just don’t get enough attention/investment.
The attention usually comes after they start delivering vehicles. And people start seeing them on the street.
No they’re not. But that’s really irrelevant to a conversation about possibilities. I think they don’t sell them here because there are giant tariffs (which, for what it’s worth, I am in favor of) that would drive up prices.
Why are you in favour of the tariffs?
I don’t really think this is the appropriate place for the sort of discussion, but it’s for the same reasons the government implemented them.
You like punishing consumers?
LOL make up whatever reasons you want.
Isn’t the question “can it be made”, not “can it politically be made available”?
Yes, that’s what I was saying.
The fact that you can buy electric cars in India for about 11k, would say that it is very much possible.
I think that’s why he mentioned range and comfort
Tata makes some pretty decent cars, with decent range too. You can get a 315km Tata Punch for 12k. You can literally buy two of those for the 25k pricetag, so it really depends on what you consider good range.
But if you rephrase the question to “can I get a 40k electric car for under 25k?” the answer is very obviously no.
But if you rephrase the question to “can I get a 40k electric car for under 25k?” the answer is very obviously no.
If we’re looking at Fiat 500 equivalents, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable ask.
That said, hopefully the Tata Punch EV gets exported to Europe and America.
Man, my little 4banger Toyota was 13k. Now, I know inflation, and greed have driven that price up in the last decade plus since I bought it, but if you can’t get an electric for a very similar price, you ain’t getting rid of gas cars any time soon. The people that have them will drive them into dust before the get suckered into that kind of pricing.
Don’t forget about luxury! There are so many fun new features (that surely won’t break) to get around how bloated cars got, how bad their sightlines are, and how lazy drivers are.
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