keith
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- 638
Following on the previous post regarding cheapest cars, I thought I would make mention of something I've mentioned before, relating to the ever increasing price of new cars particularly EV's at the 'upper end'.
It's wel, known thanks to battery costs a new EV in a relative class, usually costs something akin to a car historically from the class above. EG a Vauxhall Corsa EV costing as much if not more than an Astra.
However there is also another inflationary activity taking place amongst manufacturers, and this I believe as a result in the change of wealth in society. Its well known that there is an ever increasing gap between rich and poor, with the UK in particular becoming almost Dickensian - just witness the homeless people sitting on cardboard close to the Ritz Hotel in London’s Piccadilly. Central London becoming the most obvious example of the vast and super wealthy, with the poorest in society 'existing' close by!
Car manufacturers, given their enormous budgets, like any large organisation who are naturally chasing maximum profits, wil, have been well aware of the new ever increasing class of 'super rich' and by looking at the ever increasing record sales from Rolls Royce Bentley Ferrari etc, realise this is the biggest growth sector. The only limitations being brand acceptance, which is where the likes of Maserati Jaguar and other brands like Lotus come in.
The accepted price point amongst the rich is anything around £120-£150k. They are happy to pay this, and in fact its relatively cheap compared to the super expensive cars I mentioned above.
Here are some examples of what I mean - a massive hike in price for essentially the same car that in its previous itteraraction was more than 50 grand less - the Maserati GT - still a petrol car, although a ridiculously more expensive EV version is coming was i think 90k new or there abouts depending on model and spec. The new model, essentially the same car in terms of image etc is now 160k! At 90k the Maserati was somewhat of a bargain for perceived image, but now the price of a Bentley Continental GT, if i were in that position, i wouldn't go straight for the Bentley!
Then we have the yet to be released Ghibli/QP replacement, which is by all accounts wil, be only EV, but thanks to this acceptance amongst the new rich, that a 'good car' particularly in the new ever growing class of the 4 door coupe/gt, a sector replacing the executive saloon, a 120k seems like a 'fair' price. What happened to the 50-70k sector that the Ghibli and current QP exist in...
Jaguar launch there no range of EV's next year, a Manufacturer who used to sell executive cars from say 40k onwards. Well like Maserati, why sell cars in a sector where the old middle class have been hollowed out by recession and massive job cuts, when surprise surprise you can get a slice of the ever expanding 'really rich', so it's understood their new range will kick off at that magic 100k plus figure if not a lot more.
Lotus launch their new 4 door coupe very soon in the shape of the gargantuan Emeya- rich people don't seem to care about how big their cars are, in fact the bigger the better judging by their Electra SUV. And from the Electra we can see a price tag of probably 120 upwards.
There a plenty of other examples from the likes of Polestar, although I think they are really going to struggle at this new price point with their version of the Emeya.
This admittedly very long post has rather turned into a rant about how incredibly unjust society is becoming, but also how cynically certain car manufacturers are looking to 'cash in' on the scandalous ever increasing divisions in society.
If anyone has read this far, and indeed understand the rambling point I'm making, I would welcome their thoughts.
Maybe I'm just becoming bitter and twisted in my old age!!
It's wel, known thanks to battery costs a new EV in a relative class, usually costs something akin to a car historically from the class above. EG a Vauxhall Corsa EV costing as much if not more than an Astra.
However there is also another inflationary activity taking place amongst manufacturers, and this I believe as a result in the change of wealth in society. Its well known that there is an ever increasing gap between rich and poor, with the UK in particular becoming almost Dickensian - just witness the homeless people sitting on cardboard close to the Ritz Hotel in London’s Piccadilly. Central London becoming the most obvious example of the vast and super wealthy, with the poorest in society 'existing' close by!
Car manufacturers, given their enormous budgets, like any large organisation who are naturally chasing maximum profits, wil, have been well aware of the new ever increasing class of 'super rich' and by looking at the ever increasing record sales from Rolls Royce Bentley Ferrari etc, realise this is the biggest growth sector. The only limitations being brand acceptance, which is where the likes of Maserati Jaguar and other brands like Lotus come in.
The accepted price point amongst the rich is anything around £120-£150k. They are happy to pay this, and in fact its relatively cheap compared to the super expensive cars I mentioned above.
Here are some examples of what I mean - a massive hike in price for essentially the same car that in its previous itteraraction was more than 50 grand less - the Maserati GT - still a petrol car, although a ridiculously more expensive EV version is coming was i think 90k new or there abouts depending on model and spec. The new model, essentially the same car in terms of image etc is now 160k! At 90k the Maserati was somewhat of a bargain for perceived image, but now the price of a Bentley Continental GT, if i were in that position, i wouldn't go straight for the Bentley!
Then we have the yet to be released Ghibli/QP replacement, which is by all accounts wil, be only EV, but thanks to this acceptance amongst the new rich, that a 'good car' particularly in the new ever growing class of the 4 door coupe/gt, a sector replacing the executive saloon, a 120k seems like a 'fair' price. What happened to the 50-70k sector that the Ghibli and current QP exist in...
Jaguar launch there no range of EV's next year, a Manufacturer who used to sell executive cars from say 40k onwards. Well like Maserati, why sell cars in a sector where the old middle class have been hollowed out by recession and massive job cuts, when surprise surprise you can get a slice of the ever expanding 'really rich', so it's understood their new range will kick off at that magic 100k plus figure if not a lot more.
Lotus launch their new 4 door coupe very soon in the shape of the gargantuan Emeya- rich people don't seem to care about how big their cars are, in fact the bigger the better judging by their Electra SUV. And from the Electra we can see a price tag of probably 120 upwards.
There a plenty of other examples from the likes of Polestar, although I think they are really going to struggle at this new price point with their version of the Emeya.
This admittedly very long post has rather turned into a rant about how incredibly unjust society is becoming, but also how cynically certain car manufacturers are looking to 'cash in' on the scandalous ever increasing divisions in society.
If anyone has read this far, and indeed understand the rambling point I'm making, I would welcome their thoughts.
Maybe I'm just becoming bitter and twisted in my old age!!
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