PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ARTICLE QUOTED IS FROM YEAR 2020
so back in 2020 in an ICE vehicle the drivetrain was only 18% of total vehicle cost but in an EV it was 51% of vehicle cost.
for the sake of simplicity let’s pretend we’re still in 2020 ( obviously EV components came down in price somewhat since then, but 2020 isn’t that far back - model 3 was unveiled in 2016 ).
in other words everything other than drivetrain in an ICE accounts for 82% of cost but in EV for 49% of cost.
82/49 = 1.7
49/82 = 0.6
so using those figures an EV has to cost 70% more than ICE to be able to match the quality of ICE in other aspects such as interior and so on.
conversely an EV that costs the same as an ICE has only 60% as much $$ in the rest of the car so it will be built as a car two classes down in quality.
this is why a $50,000 Tesla model 3/Y has the same interior quality as a $30,000 Camry. because 50/30 = 1.7 or 30/50 = 0.6
of course a person paying $50,000 won’t accept the feeling of a $30,000 car so Turdsla resorts to cost saving tricks like having a glass roof that is fixed in place. it FEELS like a sun roof at first glance - it is only when you try to open it or use a sun shade that you realize you have been had. the same cost cutting permeates the rest of the car down to things like suspension made out of plastic that is literally held together by zip ties ( i wish i was joking ).
but this issue isn’t unique to Turdsla. other automakers wanted to emulate the success of Tesla and because:
rather than trying to explain to you dumb fucks that Turdsla is garbage automakers like VW set out to create garbage of their own, with equally insane cost cutting.
we were all told that cars that are made on a dedicated EV platform are better than cars made on ICE platform that was adopted to EVs and intuitively that makes sense but in practice if you look at Mercedes EQS / EQE and BMW I7 / I5 the Mercedes built on dedicated EV platform did NOT get positive reviews while the BMW built on ICE platform got RAVE reviews
why ?
because for a car on dedicated EV platform the high cost of EV drivetrain is factored into the bottom line from the start so to hide that cost there is cost cutting on everything else - mostly on the interior quality. that means less leather, less moving parts, mostly plastic, touch controls and fixed glass roof. all of this is billed as “innovation” but it’s just cost cutting.
with EVs built on ICE platforms like BMW i7 you don’t see this as much and those actually feel premium and that’s why they get good reviews.
it should be noted, though, that while BMW i5 was reviewed as Best EV Ever the ICE 5 series got the exact opposite reviews - everyone agreed it took a step back in interior quality with fewer physical controls, fixed glass roof and more hard plastic and less leather.
in other words when EV and ICE share a platform they get same interior quality but this is very high quality by EV standards and simultaneously very low by ICE standards.
to get actually premium interior quality you now have to step up to 7 series ( whether EV or ICE ) because the cost of EV drivetrain has dragged down the interior quality of 5 series ( for both EV and ICE models )
or you can go to Mercedes which so far has separate EV and ICE platforms but might go to shared for next generation.
for now though E-Class is ICE platform, no EV bullshit, and that’s why it won car of the year.
BMW 5-Series though only got positive reviews in EV variants and this is because ICE 5 series are basically subsidizing the EV 5 series, as they cost about the same even though EV models cost more to make.
but the problem with BMW EVs is they are cramped inside because they waste so much space on the giant hood and transmission tunnel without there being any engine, transmission or even a frunk.
so with BMW it’s a lose-lose. you either get EV with no space or ICE with no quality.
if you must have an EV there really is only one option - Taycan / E-Tron GT
it’s the only ground up EV platform from a reputable automaker that wasn’t so cheap that the cost cutting is painfully obvious
and yes, people who own Panameras and have tried the Taycan report that it is a big step down in interior quality ( harder materials, roof doesn’t open etc. ) but it’s a step down from a six figure luxury car so it’s still a decent quality interior. especially since Porsche and Audi are known for good ergonomics.
in theory EQS was supposed to be on that same level but for whatever reason it just isn’t. just as how Taycan is a step down from Panamera in interior quality so is EQS step down from S-Class in interior quality but the difference is that Taycan is a step up from Panamera in driving dynamics while the EQS is NOT a step up from S-Class in any way. This is why it is getting discontinued this year while the Taycan and E-Tron GT are both in 2nd generation now with massive upgrades from the first one ( way more power, way faster charging, way better suspension ).
the other problem with EQS is that Mercedes is generally bad at ergonomics. the S class is pretty much their only car where they actually got it right. they simply didn’t have the expertise to make an aerodynamic car comfortable and spacious on the inside. Porsche / Audi were able to pull it off because they had ALWAYS pulled it off in the past ( making small cars spacious and comfortable ). Mercedes only can make their largest sedan ( S-Class ) comfortable and spacious and EQS is not it.
really all EQS has on the competition is the boot. and all Lucid has on the competition is the range ( at the expense of abysmal quality ). Tesla should not even be considered by any serious person and Taycan / E-Tron GT is really the only EV worth getting, but it has no trunk space ( 10 cubic feet is not serious - by comparison Temerario has 4 cubic feet frunk ).
you can get Taycan Wagon but it doesn’t have that slick Porsche look and if you are OK with driving a wagon you should just get a BMW M5.
you may wonder why i am saying get Taycan / E-Tron GT for sedan and M5 for Wagon when they are both available as either sedan or wagon ?
it’s because M5 is nose-heavy due to the V8 and the wagon has the extra weight in the back to balance it out. but the Taycan isn’t nose heavy and the wagon shape only unbalances it.
get Taycan ( sedan / coupe ) for ultimate driving dynamics and get M5 ( wagon ) for a balance of cost, performance and practicality.
i mean … assuming you have a garage with a plug to charge that M5. otherwise get something without a plug, like maybe the 911 GTS ( hybrid without a plug ) or Corvette E-Ray ( also hybrid without a plug but arguably a half-assed one because the AC shuts off whenever the engine is off which means it isn’t really a hybrid in Florida where you need the AC all the time ).
you gotta give it to dogshit automakers like Chervrolet - they always find a way to make sure their product isn’t quite right. but nobody is more expert at it than Toyota. they always go to 90% and stop. they never completely finish their product. except when it comes to reliability - it’s the one thing where Toyota doesn’t miss.
the E-Ray isn’t a hybrid in the save-you-gas sense hybrid. it’s a hybrid in the sense that the front wheels are driven by electric motors. this saves them the weight and cost of having a drive shaft, just like in my Volvo. but at least the Volvo can run AC without starting the engine.
really both are compromised. Volvo is compromised in driving dynamics ( with no mechanical connection of engine to the rear wheels ) and E-Ray in fuel economy / comfort where you can either have fuel economy or AC but not both. great if you live in Boston i guess.
