On March 4th, there's a serious divergence among global automakers regarding the future of electric vehicles.
Akio Toyoda has repeatedly stated that electric cars have no future. BMW has also postponed its full electrification plans, stating that it won't abandon internal combustion engines. Recently, Mercedes-Benz also made its stance clear:
Over the next decade, it will continue to introduce new internal combustion engine models and no longer plans to fully transition to electric vehicle sales in major markets before 2030. The reason behind this decision is that the proliferation of Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles has not met expectations.
According to reports, Mercedes-Benz explicitly stated in its report, "Customer and market conditions will determine the pace of the transition."
Li Nan expressed that if he hadn't worked in the smartphone industry, he might have had some self-doubt. Never, ever, underestimate the folly of Europe and Japan during industry transitions.
He believes that today's Mercedes-Benz and BMW in Europe are like Nokia and Ericsson during the smartphone transition era. Similarly, Toyota in Japan resembles Sharp during the smartphone transition era.
"While GM in the US has also made declarations, these fools in Europe and Japan should realize that Tesla is still out there," Li Nan remarked. History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme occasionally.
What's your take on Toyota, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz's decisions regarding electric vehicles?
