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Mercedes Unveils First Tesla Rival in $12 Billion Attack
Mercedes-Benz, the world's largest maker of luxury cars, is rolling out its first in a series of battery-powered models, adding to a growing array of high-end brands targeting Tesla Inc.
The Mercedes EQC crossover starts production in the first half of next year, part of a plan to develop its EQ electric line, Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche told reporters in Stockholm at the model's world premiere. The company intended to invest 10 billion euros ($12 billion) in its electric-vehicle push but has ended up spending "more than that," he said Tuesday, without specifying figures.
"There is no alternative to betting on electric cars, and we're going all in," Zetsche said. "It is starting right now."
The car joins the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-tron and Jaguar I-Pace in putting pressure on Tesla as the California-based carmaker struggles to hit Model 3 production targets and earn profits. Mercedes plans to assemble the EQC at its factory in Bremen, where the automaker also makes its best-selling C-Class sedan. Daimler will build the car in China for the local market.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Monday September 10 2018, @05:45PM (2 children)
It's completely fair to say Detroit rested on its laurels and let the world pass it by for more than 30 years from the 1970s through the 2000s. But they've gotten much better and are competitive now.
In the American market, smaller turbocharged engines for mainstream vehicles was rare outside of Volkswagen. Ford is leading the charge there, and other companies are following. Ford's Sync entertainment system was buggy and maybe still is buggy, but I think it was one of the first non-luxury voice controlled entertainment systems in the American market. They have aluminum frame half-ton capacity pickups, an industry first.
GM was the first automaker to introduce a plug-in electric vehicle with a generator on board to extend the range, the Chevy Volt. The Chevy Bolt (B instead of V in the Volt) is one of the first full electric vehicles in the US market, after the Tesla and after the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi Miev but before any full electric vehicle from Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai/Kia, or Volkswagen hit the US market. GM is also the first automaker to spread cylinder deactivation technology across parts of its lineup. ( Honda also uses cylinder deactivation, I don't think other automakers have adopted it yet. ) GM took a lot of abuse for sticking with pushrod valve actuation without variable-valve-timing in their V-shaped engines when most of the auto industry switched to overhead camshaft valve actuation engines with variable-valve-timing. But GMs' pushrod engines have variable-valve-timing now.
Chrysler is probably in last place technologically of the Detroit automakers, but they have the first hybrid minivan in the US market.
More generally, all three automakers now have vehicles competitive in their class for crash safety (in fact, Ford and GM routinely outdo Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai/Kia, and Volkswagen for crash safety), fuel economy, acceleration, reliability, entertainment options, lane-departure warning systems, automatic forward collision prevention, eight speed transmissions, ten speed transmissions, etc...
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Monday September 10 2018, @09:19PM (1 child)
I have a F150 with the sync system and it isn't too bad. The display crashes every other startup. It never ever reconnects over bluetooth. I have to go 2 menu levels down every time I get in the car to reconnect. USB cable connection isn't too bad though and it supports a few music apps on the phone.
I make fun of the USA automakers quite a bit but I've driven Ford mustangs and trucks for about 20 years now with no real complaints.
(Score: 2) by bobthecimmerian on Tuesday September 11 2018, @02:02AM
We have a Ford Flex (midsize SUV) with an early version of Sync without a display. Bluetooth for phones works okay with some phones and doesn't work at all with others, and voice control for music on the phone or on a USB flash drive works pretty well. So far the reliability is decent, but my parents' Flex died for good at under 150k miles, which is disappointing. Our other current vehicle is a Chrysler Pacifica minivan. 30k miles so far without a single mechanical problem, other than an entertainment system that hangs once every few weeks until you press the reset button (press and hold the volume and tune buttons for 15 seconds).