As VW mechanics, we naturally spend much of our time repairing Volkswagens. And it’s great work. Car repair is what we do, day in day out at our auto repair shop in Cincinnati. But we have to pass the time somehow.
One of the latest arguments our VW mechanics are looking to settle is which car company has the more popular electric car — VW or Tesla?
In Europe at least, the answer is clearly VW, which is why we might think about doing a year or two abroad doing car repair. In fact, VW has sold 359 times as many ID.3 models as Tesla has sold of their Model 3s in the Netherlands — and 112 times as many in Norway.
Why Netherlands and Norway Are a Big Deal to Volkswagen
Why are we focused on the Netherlands and Norway? As Forbes points out in an article outlining the trend, those two markets are among the two ‘greenest’ car markets in the world. “With 60.8% of passenger vehicle registration in October composed of “electrified” models (BEVs and hybrids) there is no doubt Norway is the greenest vehicle market on Earth,” writes Jim Collins in Forbes.
“…these figures are an indication of how Tesla will fare commercially when confronted with a bona fide commercial challenger. Clearly, the answer is: not well. That day is rapidly approaching in China, as well, with VW’s launch of the ID.3’s SUV cousin, the ID.4, in China last week (including this mind-blowing drone video) and the launch of the ID.4 here in the U.S. scheduled for year-end.”
Since the Model 3 was launched in 2017, Tesla really only had the Chevy Bolt and the Nissan Leaf as competitors in the battery powered electric vehicle market in the US. And though Tesla’s aren’t exactly well known for their premium construction, the Bolt and Leaf don’t even hold up in comparison to the Tesla options. This means that if you see an all electric vehicle in Cincinnati, it will probably be a Tesla.
“I have spent my entire adult life following the auto industry and the harshest criticism I give to any model is ‘not-world-class,’” Collins writes. “The Leaf has been an innovative product, but never had the entry-luxury chops to fight the Model 3 and is not-world-class. The Bolt is, frankly, an embarrassment for GM and continues to sell terribly.”
VW Mechanics Agree: Volkswagen’s Engineering is Superior
None of those brands, including Tesla, compare to Volkswagen, Collins contends:
““Elon has drawn so much attention to Tesla’s BEV lineup that sooner or later someone was going to catch up. VW has the engineering depth that Tesla can only dream of, and continues to make cars with strong initial build quality, something Tesla has never done.”As VW mechanics, we’d have to agree with him. Volkswagens are well engineered cars. And we should know. Our heads are peering under the hoods taking care of VW repair for 50 to 60 hours a day at our auto repair shop in Cincinnati.
