Trivia Tuesday June 2 2015

I completely agree with you on the West coast being much more EV friendly and people are adapting much quicker out there. I just don't think there will be many people looking for 80-100k vans. I get it, they are crazy spacious, but people are just stubborn on the van-shape.  Outside of the price, which is supposedly pretty nuts, IMO, it SHOULD do well. I just don't think it really will. It's kind of like most station wagons. A ton of people love their utility but very few actually follow through with their higher-than-a-comparable-SUV/sedan price. 

All valid points you make and I get it, in my regards, I can see it taking off retail from a West Coast standpoint as it hits some very important points. EV - West coast is at a tipping point for hitting more EVs than ICE currently 1:3 ratio, or 30% new autos are EV sold. AWD 434 Miles of range Space I see LOTS of Toyota AWD and older GM AWD Vans at the pass for skiing / snowboarding. One cannot ignore the space these auto's have that families love when doing sports. Being a Mercedes, this will hit the right note for the Tech Industry that wants luxury plus EV with range to spare.

There are still some options for car folks:   Kia compact K4 Kia mid-size K5 Toyota mid-size Camry Honda compact Civic Honda mid-size Accord Hyundai compact Elantra Hyundai midsize Sonata Nissan compact Sentra Nissan mid-size Altima Cadillac compact CT4 Cadillac mid-size CT5 Dodge mid-size Charger Dodge mid-size Challenger Mercedes compact C-Class Mercedes Mid-size E-Class Mercedes Full size S- Class BMW compact 3 series BMW Mid-size 5 Series BMW Full-size 7 series Audi Compact A4 Audi mid-size A6 Audi full size A8 Tesla Compact Model 3 Lucid Mid-size Air If your in Canada or Mexico there are more car options especially from Kia in regard to their new EVs. One could consider buying and importing it into the U.S.

I can admire a company just trying to make a luxurious vehicle and not worrying about the exterior shape. Yeah, vans don't look great buuuuuut, hop on in and it's a true luxury experience. I love the idea but I don't exactly think it will take off here in the US. To me, it feels like something limousine companies will buy and that's about it. Maybe because of that, if customers have great experiences in it, it will then take off in the retail side, as well.  Americans are stubborn and mostly refuse to actually get the right vehicle for their needs. Being a BEV will be a turn off for a lot and being a van will be a turn off for a lot. I don't see it doing well, but I really hope it does well.  

30 years ago at the U of Michigan my PhD advisor had a dark green '93 Bonneville w/ the tan leather interior.. I don't recall the trim level or engine, but it was a nice car..rode in it a couple times to dinner/etc.  He also had a white '92-ish GMC Jimmy 4dr (the square S15-based one).   He's now the president of Carnegie Mellon U.