Who Is Nipping At Tesla’s Heels The Most?
Posted by admin at 17 June 2021, at 07 : 21 AM
Who would have thought that an entirely unique and new car brand would be shoving aside the tried, tested and loved brands we all know? That’s right, Tesla is making old dogs look like old dogs. The major brands that we all love, like Ford, Mercedes, Jaguar, BMW and Toyota are all nipping at the heels of Tesla; not the other way around. This is because of a massive industrial revolution. Crude oil is out and lithium is in. Except Tesla has been on this journey a lot sooner than the rest. It’s little wonder they are the only electric car company to have it’s own charging network, it’s own lithium mines, the very first giga-factory and the longest range. However, it’s not all over yet, let’s explore those that are trying to claw their way back into our hearts.
Truck wars
Tesla
Elon Musk is a marketing genius. He knows exactly how to get the world to talk about Tesla products. His cybertruck project is one of the latest cars in the all-electric field. It’s reported to have a 0-60mph time of 6.5 seconds. That is astounding for a truck that weighs 3 tons and can haul 7,500lbs. It also has 100 cubic feet of storage space, so much that it can host its own ATV vehicle; something that Tesla is also working on. It also has 250 miles of range. Considering how heavy it is, how large it is and what it can do, that is impressive. For example, 250 miles of range is what the Jaguar i-Pace can manage when you drive sensibly.
Ford
Ford is not going to take this lying down. In shocking news, Ford has announced an all-electric F-150 truck! So far all we know is that it will be released as early as 2022. So they must have been working on it for at least a couple years. It will have a range of 230 miles but industry experts are saying this is just a conservative estimate as their battery tech could boost it to 300 miles by the time it finally rolls off the production line. If you want your name on the delivery list, you better act fast. Speak to a trusted Ford dealer such as Chapman Ford and see when they will be getting the all-electric model. They sell Ford trucks, family cars, sports cars, small cars, etc and they’re always getting new Ford inventory.
The British latecomer
Jaguar is the only British car company that is making any kind of headway in the all-electric car field. Let’s not roll our eyes just yet, because British car brands are investing a lot in battery technology and hopefully we can see more brands on the island make some great electric cars in the near future. However, Jaguar has been doing relatively well with its i-Pace because it’s probably the best crossover in the world right now. It has plenty of room, great looks, nice handling and decent range.
Jaguar announced recently that it will go all-electric in 2025. Okay, this is a little late don’t you think? Well, the French CEO Thierry Bolloré, has assured everyone that this was the correct time schedule because battery tech cannot just be dropped into existing car models. A totally new chassis needs to be designed to fit the batteries and provide the range. This means the F-type, XJ, XF and all current hybrids of conventional engine cars are dead in the water. Brand new all-electric cars will be released in 2025, so let’s just hope they aren’t duds and do present a decent challenge to Tesla’s reign.
Like a dream
There is one brand that is behaving more like a submarine than a car manufacturer. Lucid is an all-electric brand that is making a luxury saloon that has all the on-paper figures that looks to blow Tesla out of the water.
Lucid is making four different types of the same vehicle. The basic model will have 480bhp. Yeah, the ‘basic’ model will have about as much power as a Jaguar F-type R. The next advanced model called the ‘Air Touring’ will have 620bhp. Their sporty model will have 800bhp and their top model will have 1080bhp.
But wait, are we talking about a luxury car brand? Yes, they are advertising themselves as a saloon brand that produces great commuter cars for the affluent class. Even though their cars can do 2.5 seconds to 60mph and over 200mph, they are investing in the interior as well. The Tesla interior is boring, minimalist and cannot hold a candle to Mercedes or Jaguar in this regard. Lucid has invested in Italian leather, hand stitching, real wood dashboards, fantastic body-hugging seats and excellent driver-oriented lighting.
Oh and by the way, they are offering a jaw-dropping 500-mile range. That is about 150-200 miles more than any other all-electric brand so far. And yet, this is all just talk and numbers on a page. They have pushed back release dates since 2016-17. They are hoping to finally release the car to market by the latter half of 2021.
The rat race
Since crude is increasingly looking like old news, what will happen in 2030 and beyond? Lithium is by far going to become the most important raw material in the world. Whichever car brand can invest in mining it now, owning mines themselves, working with mining companies and working with foreign governments for exclusive mining rights, is going to get ahead. It’s plain for all to see, as Tesla has already begun to create its own mining projects, with the aim of creating 20 million cars a year without relying on foreign supply chains.
Tesla is the top dog even if they aren’t the largest car company in the world. They have the technology, the knowledge and the vision. Nobody lasts on top forever though, and Ford, Jaguar and Lucid are the main brands trying to topple Elon from his perch.