EaglesPDX, if you are really interested in seeking some mutual understanding and dialogue in conversation, may I suggest you discontinue the notion that people here are attacking BMW's EV efforts because they are terrified of them. I think in your heart of hearts, even you know that is probably not a very big motivation for anyone here - if it is a motivation at all. Get it out of the way, call it a joke gone on long enough or an exaggeration in the heat of the moment, or don't call it anything, but let's move on to the actual beef. Just my opinion and suggestion, of course.
IMO it is quite different to feel people are taking "a small provincial view of moving to low emissions automobiles" than to outright assert they are fearful of BMW. The argument about a small view is far more debatable and should prove more fruitful.
In that vein, to try and steer back:
a) Should we be applauding BMW for their efforts in reducing emissions with the PHEVs and BEVs they currently have (e.g. 330e, i3...)? Is it a "a small provincial view of moving to low emissions automobiles" for disliking/dismissing them? Or is it an understandable or even "the right" view to be annoyed at BMW for actually delaying/prolonging the move away from ICE, arguing that they are a part of the problem, not the solution?
b) Is BMW right/ridiculous/whatever in advertising the 330e to the people waiting for a Model 3? Is it a valid advertisement that we in our EV bubble are just not seeing right, that will help move cars or even help reduce emissions (more than without that ad would happen)? Is BMW merely seeing a potential target market in Model 3 wait-listers and engaging in perfectly normal marketing? Are they even onto a viral winner, given how much talk the ads are generating? Or, indeed, is it a silly idea that indeed makes BMW look fearful (or should we even conclude they are fearful) and gives unwise attention to a competitor and makes no footprint impression anyway?
c) What does Tesla the company think of these kinds of efforts? Both in public (the vision) and in private (the business)?
I would argue there is a real merited debate over these kinds of questions to be had, than the rather unsupportable notion that BMWs very limited - and lately even more delayed (2021?) - efforts are cause of competitive concern for "Teslarati". BMW's efforts are just so, so very small, it is very hard to see how the idea of fear could possibly play into even the most ardent Tesla-only fans thinking, let alone a pure-BEV fans who'd actually like to buy great EVs from whomever (unless we consider the wholly different fear of feeling that BMW's etc. antics are delaying the onset of pure BEV domination, which fear might actually contribute to the annoyed reaction in some manner).
I have no opinion on the success of these BMW ads. I can see it go in any direction. Interesting to see. Personally I found them lame. Stand on your own merits and shoulders, IMO, not on others. But sure, they can work. Bad ads sometimes do.
I have to disagree with you on Tesla's mission, though: I think the company's whole stated worldview hinges of compelling battery electric vehicles entering the market. The company has been driven, in public at least, by dislike for transitional efforts like the 330e and instead going for big bold moves that change the world much more quickly - and being the example, the catalyst for that big bold change. Tesla is not about only reducing emissions, their worldview obviously is removing them from running of the car entirely, so that improvements in energy production wherever (e.g. solar) can keep reducing the overall footprint indefinitely - and at the very, very least, their worldview is creating compelling battery electric cars (and no weirdmobiles). I would argue they'd say 330e and i3 as they stand are not compelling in that department.
While only Tesla can answer what they as a company want, I thus sincerely doubt what they - vision-wise, at least - want is a road to the future paved with 330e's. I would wager their vision would rather see a world where even major manufacturer is gearing up efforts similar to Superchargers and Model 3 and Gigafactory. Instead from BMW and other high-end Germans we have very limited battery range or very limited production/marketing vehicles and some plans for Model S/X competition (mind you, not Model 3, no known Gigafactory solution, no known Supercharger network) in two-three (or in the case of BMW, five) years time. Maybe business-wise Tesla is relishing the situation, it does seem to give them quite a long headstart for selling BEVs to the masses.
Again, I think a lot of people here are more willing to hand some applause to the non-Germans. Go Bolt, Go Leaf. Outside of the PHEV/EREV label debate, even Volt gets a better rapport here than a 330e and Volt/Bolt actually is positioned to compete with Tesla in at least regional sales figures (Volt is actually a competent PHEV, unlike some). At least there is some effort there! But what we've so far seen come from the land of the autobahn is dragging their EV heels. A lot of us here, I think, are long-time buyers of German automobiles. I've bought 10+ high-end Germans, personally. If a lot of us are now standing up and saying we're no longer doing that because they used to be the future and now they are the past, maybe the Germans should listen.
As a final footnote, after reading some of this conversation I actually headed on to BMW's website last night and downloaded their 330e materials (advertisement success!). As I was looking its special features, like the blue eDrive trim under the doors and their attempts at sound insipired and forward-thinking (and with stuff like a man with a giant blue-glowing charging station standing in front of his house - for what, a 110V/240V wall-plug), I genuinely just felt sad. It was a sad effort to put a seriously overestated and in-your-face label on what really is such a limited effort. At least the car outside looks pretty normal, which can't be said of the i3. I mean, maybe the average Joe buys into that hyperbole, but anyone knowing better is just sad of what has become of these brands that used to be the face of genuine progress. German marketing faszination is just so much easier to buy into when it promotes real advantages, it seems.
Instead of progress, they've become a joke.
I'd rather BMW didn't try to dress it up so much, because like this ad, to me it just makes a perfectly serviceable PHEV drivetrain seem idiotic because they tried to make it into something it is not (instead of a serviceable drivetrain, trying to make it seem like the future). I'd rather they'd just market it lowkey, because it is a lowkey thing.
This made me appreciate Tesla's efforts even more, because they are based actually making big bold changes in what the cars actually are and do, while making normal cars with only functional differences in appearance. BMWs EV attempts are more akin to putting futuristic lipstick on a pig. If they were great EVs then maybe I could look past all that lipstick and appreciate it as a somewhat appropriate styling, but now it just feels seriously sad to me. When you can't win on features, dress it up, is a sure sign of failure in my worldview.
Very, very uninspirational, Germans. Keine Vorsprung, to expand the comment.
