This is how Tesla becomes a big problem for e-cars
Tesla is considered by many e-car buyers to be the technical leader. On top of that, the US manufacturer has massively reduced prices, putting pressure on the competition. The Renault boss fears that this could be a new nail in the coffin for the reputation of electric cars.
Renault boss railed against Tesla: E-cars get under the wheels
However, the concern does not – primarily – come from the fact that Tesla could lure customers away from the French brand with its new competitive prices. De Meo warns much more that Elon Musk with his strategy of ever-changing prices to the The reputation of electric cars among customers is a shame. They would lose confidence in the value of their vehicles, the Renault boss said in an interview (source: Financial Times via Ecomento).
The problem with Tesla is basically the variable pricing. How much one of Tesla’s models costs is something the carmaker likes to change several times a year. However, several major price slides in Europe, China and the USA in recent months have once again taken the problem to the extreme. Renault, on the other hand, will “protect” the value of its electric cars so de Meo.
But what sounds nice also means that you are at Renault no price reductions in the foreseeable future intended. This also applies to VW: CEO Oliver Blume announced shortly after Tesla’s price drop that there would be no comparable discounts at VW and its brands. In the case of combustion engines, Volkswagen has now even corrected the prices upwards instead of lowering them.
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Tesla Advantage: No carmaker can hold a candle to US manufacturers
For Renault, but also for other car manufacturers, the supply situation is still tense. The supply of semiconductors, problems with logistics and in general higher costs continue to challenge the industry. With its focus on independent processes, Tesla currently has a better starting position – and as the front-runner in terms of margin, it also has the necessary scope for price reductions. The announcement by de Meos should therefore not be completely free of competitive thinking.
On the one hand, they had caused a lot of interest at Tesla, but on the other hand, they had not only triggered a storm of enthusiasm: Shortly thereafter, buyers in China protested in front of Tesla branches because they had bought at the old, significantly higher prices just a few days earlier.
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