DanteCip
New Member
- First Name
- Dante
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2019
- Threads
- 0
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- glen cove, new york
- Vehicles
- Jeep laredo, 2008
Almost every new technology has come onto the market at much higher prices than it will eventually cost. The first ICE cars were something only the wealthy could afford until Henry Ford brought prices down with mass assembly techniques. Televisions were something that only very well-to-do people could afford originally. Early computers and cellular phones were priced beyond the reach of most working people. When I entered college in the late 60's, the Credit Union offered student loans for engineering students to buy their Texas Instruments calculators. There is nothing unusual or insidious about EV's entering the market at price points that are initially prohibitive for mass consumers.
Huge investments are required to bring electric vehicles to the market. Elon Musk openly admitted in the first few years of Model S production that purchasers were paying for development of the technology as well as for the direct costs of producing the vehicle. The Tesla for which I paid $128,000 in 2015 can now be had for $106,500 with more range, power, and features. Even with investors to shoulder a lot of the development costs, battery packs remain a huge cost driver for high EV prices and will remain so for a few more years, even though price per kW hour is falling at a steady pace.
Calling people who adopt early technology "pretentious douchebags" may help some people cope with their frustration at not being able to afford it, but without early adopters who can pay the purchase prices to keep these expensive new technologies advancing so they can reach the scale for wider market penetration at more affordable prices, we'd still be riding in horses and buggies.
Hi sir, I appreciate the response and I understand what you are saying completely. I do apologize for the crudeness, but I admit I only say it because I happen to be a pretentious douchebag myself! I believe I may have gotten lost in a ramble however, my main point was less that the price seemed ridiculous and more that the price may put the company at a disadvantage. Obviously from a general motor vehicle perspective as far as EV’s are concerned the price is fair and competitive for a new company, my concern lies within the sub genre or category of lifestyle and consumer that Rivian is currently appealing attempting to appeal to. Which they are very successful at might I add. In the market of adventure branded trucks, 70$ is steep and what I am mainly trying to draw attention to is that if there is any room on that price it might be worth considering lowering it. Maybe even offer a model with a battery with less power because to be honest if I could go 0- 60 in the amount of time that Rivian provides, all of my “adventure” gear and items stored in the bed are not going to have a fun time.
- Dante
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