The rise of inexpensive Chinese electric vehicles has upped the pressure on legacy automakers who have turned to suppliers, from battery materials makers to chipmakers, to squeeze out costs and develop affordable EVs quicker than previously planned.
They are just about starting: the Chinese manufacturer MG has the relatively new MG4. There are rumours of a Tesla hatchback.
But I think there are two reasons this is slow: a) costs had to come down. Hatchbacks are typically practical, budget friendly cars, which doesn’t make sense if the car costs a huge amount to make and hence attracts a high price tag. b) battery technology had to support the category. Hatchbacks are short cars, and shorter your car is the less space there is to cram the base of it with batteries.
They are just about starting: the Chinese manufacturer MG has the relatively new MG4. There are rumours of a Tesla hatchback.
But I think there are two reasons this is slow: a) costs had to come down. Hatchbacks are typically practical, budget friendly cars, which doesn’t make sense if the car costs a huge amount to make and hence attracts a high price tag. b) battery technology had to support the category. Hatchbacks are short cars, and shorter your car is the less space there is to cram the base of it with batteries.