82 now 🙋‍♂️

Worst rapture ever. 😒

It should be sitting in the apps screen in any case.

Thank you so much, Vincent. 🙏You’re clearly an example of talent shining through! All good material for the memoir . . .

Thanks. I’m not panicking yet . . .

Thanks, Andrew. Let’s see what happens.

Thank you, Alan. The XJ12 doesn’t run on fresh air!

I was looking at one particular EV that doesn’t sell as well as many others its size, and it’s possible to choose from 69 variants. It’s too many.

Simplicity sells. Consistency reassures.

A well-structured, easy-to-understand range not only makes life easier for dealers and used buyers, it also protects brand perception and strengthens long-term value.

5. Stocking risk for dealers: Unusual configurations may sit on forecourts longer, lowering willingness to bid strongly at trade-in.

Residual value forecasting relies on confidence. Confidence that a used buyer will understand what they’re getting, and that the market knows how to price it.

4. Spec inconsistency over time: Mid-cycle changes can mean two cars with the same badge from different years have very different equipment, complicating valuations. Even more, if a pack or grade is modified during the cycle.

3. Loss of a clear hierarchy: If the grade structure isn’t obvious (such as no clear equivalent to S, SE and Sport), flagship variants lose their aspirational pull, and the whole range’s RV suffers.

1. Diluted demand per variant: Each configuration sells in such small numbers that dealers have limited sales history to guide pricing.
2. Buyer hesitation: Especially in emerging segments like EVs, complexity can overwhelm first-time used buyers, making them default to simpler alternatives.

Too much choice is one of them.

When a range offers dozens of possible combinations, such as multiple battery capacities, on-board charger types, grade overlaps, and shifting equipment packs can create:

Many factors that affect residual value are beyond a manufacturer’s control: interest rates, used market demand, macroeconomics, and so on. But some risks sit squarely in the product team’s hands.

But there’s a tipping point, and I’m seeing more examples lately where complexity starts to work against both new sales and residual values, and could be particularly problematic for EVs.