RE: Warren Brown "Thumbs Down" article

["Jon Mauney" <jon@mauney.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> The public doesn't want these cars for the most part.  

I challenge this statement.
I assert that since no-one has seriously tried to sell them,
we have no evidence of the demand for the vehicles.
In fact, I could argue that the fact that manufacturers
have succeeded at all in placing overpriced EVs with restrictive
leases suggests that there is demand.

When we display EVs, I talk to a fair number of people who
know enough about EVs and their own driving habits to know
they want one. Badly.  But they have nowhere in my state to buy one.

How often do automotive writers complain about how impractical
the BMW Z3 is?  Think about it: for $40,000 you get 2 seats,
a rag top, and not much cargo space.  What good is it?
What kind of value is that? For a quarter the price you
can get a Chevy Metro with more room.  Yet BMW had no worries
about tooling up to manufacture the car.
For that matter, the Metro is a pretty ridiculous car from many
points of view, yet there is demonstrated demand for them.

Battery EVs may or may not succeed in the marketplace.
But it is premature to say they've failed.