Automakers begin to add battery-powered cars to their vehicle lineups

Automakers are operating in terra incognita as they prepare for the biggest change in the way cars are powered in a century. As they begin to add battery-powered cars to their lineups, they will have to solve some fundamental problems about how the cars are built and sold.

For engineers, the questions include:

-Should automakers be technology leaders or fast followers?

-Should they develop their own batteries or leave that to specialists?

-Should they focus on one technology or hedge their bets with several?

For marketers, the issues are:

-Should automakers use existing body styles and model names or create new ones?

-Should they start slowly and wait for demand to develop or try to grab market share immediately?

-Should they distribute cars through existing dealer networks or start from scratch?

There are few guideposts to follow. The only equivalent parallel in recent history has been the launch of the hybrid gas-electric vehicle, where, arguably, only one company has