Why are legacy car makers so behind in the EV game?

[Alb]

It's a virtually impossible dream.
To be truly independent, not only would the car have to be assembled in the UK but its component parts and the raw materials from which they are made would also have to come from the UK.

 

[sido]

It's a virtually impossible dream.
To be truly independent, not only would the car have to be assembled in the UK but its component parts and the raw materials from which they are made would also have to come from the UK.

The way I see it , if we can make a bouncing bomb and Concorde we should be able to manage an EV with some serious thinking. A few bits of wood, a bit of string and some old pram wheels as a kid gave me a tariff free means of transport over 60years ago. Surely it’s possible?

 

[Lguk]

The unpalatable truth is if you managed to design and build all component parts in the UK, the cost would be so prohibitive you wouldn't sell any units. We'll still be reliant on imports of one raw material or another.

We've become accustomed to cheap consumer goods. Trying to get that genie back in the bottle is going to be highly improbable.

 

[Lguk]

Not to mention the last guy who had the dream of a car for the people also has some twisted views on who those people could be.

 

[Deleted member 7171]

and Concorde

Don't tell the French we invented the Concorde

 

[Deleted member 7171]

Unfortunately, over the last 40 years successive Govts have not discouraged manufacturing industries to move production and operations to sweatshop economies (Dyson springs to mind) to keep prices low for consumers, whilst encouraging the UK to be primarily a service economy.

Our higher education system doesn't help, most degrees are in useless (for the manufacturing sector) subjects like media studies and graphic design. If we are to ever become an industrial nation again then we could do with more engineers and technical/product designers.

We are starting on a fairly level playing field regarding green tech but I can't see any real motivation, from a largely climate sceptic governing party, to really help develop the green tech sector in a meaningful way.

 

[Gomev]

Don't tell the French we invented the Concorde

We invented Concord, the French invented Concorde.

Concord or Concorde? - Cabinet Office 100

One of the items under discussion was the name of the aircraft. The Cabinet approved the project in principle and declared that the aircraft should be

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

 

[Bluecar1]

this is the issues with global supply chains
raw materials mined in one country, refined in another, manufactured into components in another and assembled into end products somewhere else again

add to that R&D and energy likely come from elsewhere as well, the slightest hickup anywhere in the chain and things rapidly grind to a halt

i think during all the brexit arguments the manufacture on the BMW mini was used to highlight the stupid number of times parts crossed to and thro the channel A Mini part's incredible journey shows how Brexit will hit the UK car industry

i am still surprised it makes economic sense for all the miles and a product is still at a price people are willing to pay