This summer we saw two important ones Updates In the electric car. As soon as September began, Tesla announced the Model 3 Highland, following many rumours. The car has slightly updated its line, eliminated some of the few buttons that remained inside and, above all, increased its autonomy.
Just a few days later we published our test of the Polestar 2. Then the electric sedan was about to get an interesting change, with significant increases in power and slight autonomy. The latter came thanks to a larger capacity power accumulator and more intelligent management of its engines.
We recently went to meet a Peugeot E-2008, whose most interesting change was a significant increase in power thanks to an engine designed by Stellantis itself but which consumed less than the less powerful option, whose propeller is manufactured outside its facility.
They are all progressing updates as the market moves: “Filling” the car. Updates that in little detail improve the final product and that shape an uncertain future for the consumer.
“Same car” 15
Every year, with every update to the iPhone or any other high-end phone, social media is filled with new things Mimi Which he’s talking about “The mobile soul” 14, 15 or the one who touches at that moment. The idea is to point out what the company offers Same product Compared to the previous year with improvements that barely affect daily life and are not worth what you pay for.
That is, as long as the product is new Price increase. If you keep it, the feeling a buyer from the previous year might have is that they bought a worse mobile phone than the one that will henceforth sell for the same money. Something similar could happen to Tesla Model 3 buyers.
Because Elon Musk’s company announced overnight that it would sell a revamped Tesla Model 3, with a significant increase in autonomous driving, For the same money. It’s a new situation for the car market, where mid-life rejuvenations of a product usually update the aesthetics of the car, and if there are mechanical changes (which are usually very minor), they tend to pay more.
The paradigm shift with the electric vehicle is that for companies, it is relatively easy to upgrade the vehicle by offering increased autonomy and power on the same basis as it has been up to now. Advances in the development of batteries allow for an increase in their energy density, and the development of electric motors results in more efficient propellants, with greater powers that do not necessarily affect consumption.
The industry clearly talks about “refurbishing” vehicles to maximize profits for every vehicle put on the street.
In fact, some brands are warning that their plans are moving in this direction. In its Mobilize Limo presentation, Renault emphasized that it is working with the future in mind as vehicle ownership and leasing formats such as Rent or subscriptions. This allows the French company to always control the car and, once it returns, update it with better features and autonomy to bring it back to the market again.
“Imagine there are no more used cars,” Peugeot design director Matthias Husan said earlier this year during the Peugeot show. Electronic lion day. Then there was talk of two subscription divisions to get access to their new cars. Formula has also been explored April also Toyota, whose Ariya and bZ4X were sold only through leasing. Sony and Honda have already developed a similar formula for Afeela.
The new image of the industry, which the electric car allows to build upon More scalable platforms More than ever, and since the software will allow you to tinker with the engines’ performance, we’re led to believe that what we experienced with the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 and Peugeot E-2008 will be repeated more often.
As we said, this can cause some rejection For customers in the automotive market, who have so far bought a car with the certainty that it will have, for a few years, the latest mechanics of the purchased model. Improving sensitive aspects such as the car’s autonomy and power with little effort and offering the car at the same price may not suit more recent buyers of the same model.
But there is also a positive reading. Manufacturers will likely look to do business in batteries and motors. Stellantis, for example, allows you to replace the electrical systems of its trucks to upgrade them to hydrogen vehicles. In addition to the benefits for the customer, the brand investigates the damage to the batteries, can understand why they deteriorate and try to repair them to return them to the market.
Some time ago, Renault and Toyota announced that they would launch vehicle modernization factories. That is, you take a car and upgrade it so you can sell it. “Like new”. Who knows if the customer himself cannot do this by going to an official agent or authorized agent to handle batteries.
For those who seek to extend the life of their cars as much as possible, it is interesting that the possibility opens up to be able to update the car battery after a few years and have a power accumulator of greater capacity in the same space, with improved chemistry that has increased the density of the battery.
Until now, changing the battery is very expensive but for the driver who wants to maintain his car and “Update it” With greater autonomy, it can be an interesting option because, if well taken care of, you will find a car that looks almost like new for a lot less than what cars are sold for today.
in Chataka We have contacted several manufacturers to provide us with an estimate of how much it will cost to change the battery in the coming years. However, we have received refusal to provide this type of information from everyone. Brands embrace the idea that battery production should increase significantly, which would reduce manufacturing costs, increase supply and reduce the final price for the customer. However, no one gives a fairly specific number.
What we do know is that vehicles are already updated on their own without having to take them to the dealership. Updates that may also have consequences on the ultimate autonomy of the vehicle, something we have been questioning for years and which is very similar to what is happening with our mobile phones. The market is moving towards manufacturers who can do this Get more To your devices with less effort and cost. The question is how the customer will absorb this change in the market.
In Chataka | If you want to drive without limits in your electric car, pay 150 euros per month: subscriptions extend to the batteries
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