On Saturday, 7 October 2017 05:37:29 UTC+2, RichA wrote:
Divide 150,000km into your driving. Now factor in the $14,000 the battery of a Volt or Leaf costs. Still cheaper than a gasoline car, which can easily hit 250,000km before needing a $3500 engine rebuild.

A new battery chemistry is in the offing.
With very rapid recharging but still limited lifespan.
But doubling in range at frequent intervals.
The holy grail and Achilles heel for electric vehicles is STILL the battery.

The rest is just familiar engineering.
With an overt emphasis on styling at the expense of efficiency and safety.
And, with enough built in obsolescence to maintain a hungry annual market.
They already know how to build cars badly.
Because they've been doing it perfectly for the last century.