Joule PT Panda unveiled; pricing guidelines given

[rurapente]

i see it will be exported first. typical, everything good in this country is for export.

I can see us buying it for R 400k because we're importing it from a country that imported it from us originally.

 

[PAYBACK]

i see it will be exported first. typical, everything good in this country is for export.

I can see us buying it for R 400k because we're importing it from a country that imported it from us originally.

Yeah looks like they following VW's business model it's called "corporate greed"

This was on Carte Blanche last year, sexy little thing. Better looking than any of the Electric vehicles on the road today, including the Telsa....errrr Lotus.

 

[risingtide]

i see it will be exported first. typical, everything good in this country is for export.

One has to remember that the distances one travels in this country are in general much greater than overseas and on top of it we have no safe public transport system. It will be a long time before we have the infrastructure to recharge this car frequently enough or be able to simply swap out the battery pack every 200km.
For SA, and for the foreseeable future, this car is a town run-about. One would still need another car for the longer journeys.
One way to push this car would be for Optimal to have a pool of rental cars which Joule owners can rent at cost plus x% for the cases where one needs a longer range.

 

[cda]

I don't trust Eskom with my ability to get to work

 

[shogun]

Wow... what a bunch of hopeless downers. No hype... no congratulations to a new business trying something new. Just negative commentary. Looks like it's a lot easier to punch holes in something that try find out it's good points. "Oh it's more expensive than my current car... FAIL.", no more investigation, nothing. I almost feel ashamed to be posting here.

Does it need to compete with the citi golfs of the world to be a success? I think not.

I'm hoping they do well. When you put that much capital behind a new business, you need all the support you can get.

 

[adamr]

Wow... what a bunch of hopeless downers. No hype... no congratulations to a new business trying something new. Just negative commentary. Looks like it's a lot easier to punch holes in something that try find out it's good points. "Oh it's more expensive than my current car... FAIL.", no more investigation, nothing. I almost feel ashamed to be posting here.

Does it need to compete with the citi golfs of the world to be a success? I think not.

I'm hoping they do well. When you put that much capital behind a new business, you need all the support you can get.

whats the value proposition here for me as a possible client?

Cheap initial Capex Cost?
Exclusivity?
Cheap maintenance?
Cheap operational costs?

no mention has been made of this

 

[ettubrute]

Wow... what a bunch of hopeless downers. No hype... no congratulations to a new business trying something new. Just negative commentary. Looks like it's a lot easier to punch holes in something that try find out it's good points. "Oh it's more expensive than my current car... FAIL.", no more investigation, nothing.

More like a bunch of realists, with a limited monthly income, 'cause we are slaves to the system...

I almost feel ashamed to be posting here.

So, then stop!

Does it need to compete with the citi golfs of the world to be a success? I think not.

You might think not, but, since EVs are supposed to benefit the planet, these cars need to be in reach of the masses, thus competing with "the citi golfs of the world". Otherwise, this car is just the toy for a select few!

I'm hoping they do well. When you put that much capital behind a new business, you need all the support you can get.

Economics 101:

• Price x attracts y customers, giving z profit
• Price x/2 attracts y*2 customers, still giving z profit
• Price x/4 attracts y*4 customers, still giving z profit
• etc. etc. etc.

 

[BCO]

I think it won't be, just look at the Prius in america - It's a piece of crap and also heavy on fuel, but they still buy it as a status thing.
Just why can they not make electric cars look good? Surely it's not that hard...

Bull**** - the Prius is the most fuel efficient car in the US.

 

[Gekco]

This technology is not even in Beta yet.
I will wait for the official release & SP1.

Hopefully by then batteries will be included else count me out.

 

[Eddy125]

As allways we are the idiots to subsadise the world who with the exchange rates will pay under the 45000 mark where us locals pay in the access of the 200000 mark. Why dont they get the outside world to subsadise us so as to make it more affordable to the locals. Remember all the materials needed to develop the car is right here and not made from materials brought into our country. People in the SA are used as cheap labour for the outside world. Amazing we do not come first.

 

[phiber]

So other than the environmental benefits, the driver will make almost no savings by switching over to an electric vehicle from a combustion engine in South Africa unless he travels more than 2120Km a month. Here are my calculations:

Volts x Amps = Watts therefore 220V X 3.0A (Standard rating) = 660Watts/hour. Multiply that by 7 hours and you get a total of 4.620KW/h per day to charge to max capacity (Approximately)

1KW/h of electricity is about 88.20 cents incl. vat

So 88.20c X 4.620KW/h = 407.484 cents / day to charge = +- R122.00/month

Then, battery rental = R1500.00 so total is now R1622.00 / 30 days

Petrol is currently R7.65/l and the average mileage per liter is about 10km

So to break even with an electric car, you would need to travel a minimum of 2120KM / month or 71Km / day any less mileage than that and you would end up paying more per km than with a combustion engine.

Am I right?

Yea did a similar calc...

 

[Vice]

I wonder what the range will be with the air-con on?

Driving range has and still is the achilles heel of electric cars.
Strange that the original specs referred to a range of 200km which has now increased to 300km. Did battery technology improve that much?

Strangely this figure went up to 400km according to today's Carteblanche, and they say the price is R220k :erm:

 

[Vice]

Wow... what a bunch of hopeless downers. No hype... no congratulations to a new business trying something new. Just negative commentary. Looks like it's a lot easier to punch holes in something that try find out it's good points. "Oh it's more expensive than my current car... FAIL.", no more investigation, nothing. I almost feel ashamed to be posting here.

Does it need to compete with the citi golfs of the world to be a success? I think not.

I'm hoping they do well. When you put that much capital behind a new business, you need all the support you can get.

I feel your passion dude. I too am proud that this moment has come in the history of SA while I'm alive. I'm sure we'll get it right when the time goes on. I do not think that the price is off the mark. I am also confident that some models will be made that will accommodate the entry level of the market. The likes of KIA, Hyundai and even Toyota did not get it right the first time. I am not saying our challenges/problems are similar, but as long as we're competing for the same disposable "income", we have to get it right lest we loose that which we so much are hoping to attract. I like the idea, I hope the government puts more money into it. I wish their price models favour South Africans.

 

[Gekco]

The idea of government putting money into it seems like a very sound one.
Some kind of rebate to buyers to switch to electric cars...

 

[ettubrute]

Lets have another look at their figures:

It is expected that the monthly lease of a 300km battery pack, including the warranty and electricity, will cost in the region of R1,500 per month.

What do they mean it includes electricity? That's BS, 'cause I will most probably be doing 60 km a day, giving me a week between charges, but my neighbour (a sales rep) will do 250 to 300 km per day, needing to recharge every day!

Then, the rip-off price... between R235000 an R275000:

In terms of the price it cannot be fixed now, however in current terms, Joule will be in the R 235 000 – R 275 000 price segment in South Africa

Using the calculator provided by Wesbank, and then using the repo rate as interest rate (7.5%), choosing no insurance cover, the repayment (excluding batteries) comes to R5222.85... Add to this the battery lease and "electricity", it becomes R6722.85... Then use this to reverse calculate the possible price: the Joule will thus be competing with cars in the R300k+ range!

Lastly, the chosen format: a six-seater... The biggest part of the city polluters on our roads are taxis (12+ seats), urban commuters (mostly 1 or 2 seats needed) and small delivery vans (think courier bakkies). Where does the selected configuration come from? A wish to be good for the environment? No sir/madam! A wish for the largest possible profit in the smallest amount of time possible, in short: greed!

 

[yavahn]

Is there nothing in the APDP about regulating (subsidising) the availability to the local market?

 

[krycor]

The other thing is.. if they going for city driving.. why not make a car like those small 2 door smart cars?? I mean seriously..make that(limit to 80km for safety), make it very cheap, get gov to endorse with removal of old vehicles not maintained & BAM!! new success story of SA(that will SA and african sales.. more diversification as product matures.. off road?) that benefits its citizens instead of what looks like a solo story and as the website says.. catering more for international market.