Tesla vs. Volkswagen
Amar Chauhan
Lynn University
Rude Democracy
Compare and Contrast
Prompt 25
Tesla vs. Volkswagen
Cars have been around since 1885 when Carl Benz developed a one-cylinder-two-stroke automobile. The motor industry has grown so rapidly since then that now there are over 450 million cars and a total of 600 million vehicles in the world. The industry is approximately $1.7 Billion and is only increasing. There are also more than 17 million cars sold each year. This has created a huge market and demand for cars leading to many people manipulating the industry for higher returns. Where there is a way to make a profit, there will be people willing to do anything to achieve the highest profit margins. This happened in many car companies, but none has been worse than that of Volkswagen. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are some companies pioneering for a better, cleaners future for cars, especially in the electric sector. Electric cars may be a different market, but its impact on the environment is extraordinary and must be accounted for.
`Volkswagen started facing major public backlash when it was revealed that they were manipulating their numbers mainly to do with fuel emission. The scandal has been nicknamed Dieselgate after the infamous Watergate scandal. We are always on the search for a new and cleaner future, and car pollution has been a major issue over the past few years. That is why when Volkswagen was caught for “cooking the books,” it became a huge problem. The issue started when it was discovered that VW had been violating the “Clean Air Act” which is designed to control and limit air pollution in America. It began its progress in 1970 although only became official in 1990. VW was also thrown a large number of class action lawsuits by private car buyers. BY 2016 they were able to close the deal at $15 Billion. This, however, was only processable in America and not in Germany as in Germany VW was not going to sue itself but rather was greeted with angry customers filing lawsuits based mainly on warranty laws. They were able to do this by claiming that the increased emission was pa default in the car. The United States Environmental Protection Agency noticed the issue as early as 2025 when they found that VW was intentionally programming the turbocharged direct injection in diesel cars This would change the results in the lab and on the road as in the lab it would show that the car met the Nitrogen Oxide standards in the USA although on the road would emit as much as 40 times the amount. This programming affected roughly 11 million cars in the world as well as 500,000 cars an in the United States spanning over all the 2009 to 2015 models. This issue became so bad that three days after admitting to the deception, the CEO, Martin Winterkorn resigned and by October 8th, the US CEO, Michael Horn was set to testify before the US Senate although, by March 2016, he too resigned.
When the scandal started, many countries began an investigation into VW which lead to its stock prices falling by nearly a third just days after the news broke. IN 2017, VW pleaded guilty and had commisioned US lawyer, Jones Day to investigate the company.
With the rise in electric cars, it was inevitable that Elon Musks thriving company, Tesla would come out the success story. Tesla is an American automotive and energy company that is most known for its electric cars. They specialize in solar panels and electric fuel alternatives. It was founded in 2003 starting with a group of engineers wanting to find a green alternative to fuel. There believed that electric cars were the future as they were quicker, quieter and overall more fun to drive. They were also very good for the environment. Even though the company may be pretty new in comparison to that of VW which started in 1937, it seems that they have a better understanding of the market and are leading not only the electric car market but the everyday car as well as an alternative green energy market. VW as well as many automotive companies are now researching green energy for their cars but seem to still be a few steps behind that Tesla. Tesla is dedicated to changing the world to zero-emission to stop relying on fossil fuels. This is why the green energy and electric car market are growing. Their cars currently have the highest safety, performance, and efficiency in the electric car market. It has the fastest 0-60 mph time of 2.28 seconds with the Model S. The Model X was released in 2015 and is the quickest, safest and most capable sports car in history being awarded five stars fort safety from the NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are also trying to save people money with the Tesla Semi Truck designed to save owners $200,000 over a million miles due to fuel costs. It is the motives like this that drive the consumers to buy from them and the company to improve not only for themselves but for the bettering of the world. The electric car market is roughly $356 million and is growing. This may be small, but if you own a majority of the market, you can make a huge difference, and you can make a lot of money. Their desire for great employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction as well as their want to make the world a cleaner place go to show just how great of a company Tesla is.
VW shows how little it cares about the environment by hiding the fact that their cars release such a high amount of NO. Tesla proves that their zero-emission cars take a completely different view. It proves that Tesla is not as profit-driven as VW are. The worst part is that VW denied it and tried to hide the fact that this was happening proving that they don’t care about rules and they don’t mind worsening the environment. It is reasons like these that would make me change my mind on purchasing a VW and would convince me into looking into electric cars. The accessibility to electric charging has become so easy and cheap that it makes it such a good choice for a family car and a suitable everyday car. With a full tank of gas, a VW could take you about 475 miles whereas a Tesla would only take you 335 miles. Even with this in mind, a Tesla would still be the more favorable option with its little to none fuel cost. You are also most likely not going to go that far in a single day although even if you were too, there are many places to recharge your car. Their sleek, futuristic style give it that great cosmetic advantage on the road compared to that of most VW’s. Buying a Tesla isn’t just for self-gain but for environmental gain too. You buy it for your convenience and comfort but also to play your part towards a cleaner future. VW do have their advantages but their disadvantages out a way and prevail.
Regarding design, safety, comfort, technology, speed and environmentally conscious, Tesla has to win solely on their new futuristic, eco-friendly approach.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/14/breaking-news-vw-scandal-problems-continue-german-courts-siding-car-maker/
https://www.tesla.com/about