BMW, Mercedes relying on volume to confront Tesla

Frankfurt

BMW and Mercedes are betting they can mass-produce new electric cars based on conventional vehicles, defying sceptics who say they will need more radical designs to head off the threat from Tesla and other startup carmakers.

There are two ways to make battery-driven vehicles: use a clean- sheet design like Tesla, or a traditional vehicle platform that can use all types of motor: combustion, electric, or a hybrid of the two.