sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
This is the conundrum an EV buyer is in. Many of the traditional automakers don't have stellar records and are new to EVs making people eschew them but at least the company is more likely to be there. The newer startups have the benefit on not being encumbered by their history but also don't have any history. One always takes a bit of a risk when purchasing a product from a young company, but when the product costs $75-100k that risk is magnified.I really like the Rivian product but have real concerns that at least some of these recent start up manufacturers will go under. I don't want to be stuck with a Packard, Tucker, or even a Saturn. However Rivian has a better chance of making it than some of the others and the product is truly quality through and through.
If Rivian shuts down and a proprietary unusual part breaks down people could end up with a 6 figure paperweight, and I just can't afford that personally.
Tesla is far from perfect, but at least they've been around for a while. I do still have some concerns about their trajectory but I think some of their problems are related to the extremely rapid growth they've experienced in the last 3-4 years and I really hope they figure things out.
It will be interesting to see how many of these new companies survive. I expect some may be bought out, too. If the entire company is sold that at least gives some hope for current owners. I can also see a case where another company simply buys the intellectual property, leaving current owners high and dry.