this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2024
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Electric Vehicles
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Electric Vehicles are a key part of our tomorrow and how we get there. If we can get all the fossil fuel vehicles off our roads, out of our seas and out of our skies, we'll have a much better environment. This community is where we discuss the various different vehicles and news stories regarding electric transportation.
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This is why the US now has a 100% tariff on Chinese EV's. American auto makers have no interest in affordable vehicles (Electric or otherwise) and the mere existence of these reliable yet affordable vehicles presents an existential threat to US auto makers thick profit margins. US leaders from any political party care more for share holders than the needs of the common people. That's 100% fact.
I'm surprised there's not at least one US based company making a small, ultra barebones EV thing like this yet. Something that could replace a lot of side-by-sides and ATVs on farms like this thing can, while also being able to get groceries. Surely there's enough off the shelf parts to wrangle something up? Only major custom part would be the frame. If it was under 10k (ideally 5 or 6, I figure), I feel like they would sell like hotcakes.
Something like a Microlina, but even more basic, and maybe a little more utility-vehicle shaped, like a Kei truck.
Vehicle safety regulations in place prevent this.
It's why domestic as well as Japanese cars have gotten so oversized and compared to 20 years ago.
It's also why every car on the road looks alike. Automotive design is very restricted by regulation. They start with what they are "allowed" to make and have to work within the standards.
Cars have become oversized in the US because that's what American consumers want and for no other reason. Somehow cars like the Mazda Miata, BMW Mini Cooper and the Kia Soul were able to pass US safety standards so there is no reason to believe it can't be done with other small cars. Ford has stated they no longer will produce cars and instead focus on its more profitable SUVs and Trucks with the exception of its Mustang line. They don't want to build smaller affordable cars because the profit margins on those cars are not worth it to them. If American auto makers refuse to build cars all Americans can afford then we shouldn't protect their profits from companies who are willing to make those cars.
Right. Visibility got uniformly worse in every car because we only relatively recently mandated that cars be able to support their own weight on their roof. Therefore all pillars had to get thicker.
Well, make smaller cars - pillars won't need to be as thick...