Re:VW’s $50B Bet on an Electric Hatchback
by simonh on Wednesday October 23, 2019 @05:27PM
(#21339184)
Most cars are bland looking for a reason though.
Most VWs are pretty bland. They're maybe slightly at the more recognisable end of the spectrum, but only incrementally, because that's the look that works at mass market scale. So given that, why does their mainstream, bet the company EV have to look like something from a 90s SF action movie?
The point about Teslas looking like other cars is that being an EV should be a normal, everyday thing. That's exactly the future that Tesla is aiming for. Whether a car is bland looking, weird looking or whatever should be entirely decoupled from whether it's an EV or not. They are orthogonal concerns. The weird look of this car is a worrying sign that VW does not get this, and is therefore missing the plot in a near future where EVs will be just cars.
Their vehicles are so bland-looking that a buddy of mine stated a few years ago that he'd never seen a Tesla. Even a few years ago, if you worked at Microsoft like he does, I guarantee you parked next to one some time this week, and saw at least one on your way to or from work today. To quote another MSFT friend: "buying a Tesla is like a rite of passage around here."
I'll bet he remembers the singular time he saw that Ferrari 458 that parks in building 32, though.
Personally, Ford Taurus, Tesla 3/S, same difference: nothing wrong with it, nothing memorable.