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Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

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Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#11

Post by EligibleDecoy »

jszymborski wrote: post #3

I really don't get the NA car market. There is a demand for small kei car/trucks as is natural with cities growing and parking dwindling. Yet even compacts are disappearing. My kingdom for an EV compact that is compact. Even the Fiat 500s and Mini Coops feel like they get bigger each year.

Because of a quirk of emissions controls in the US. Longer wheelbases and heavier vehicles can get by with poorer emissions. It was done, at the time, to help semi trailers and other huge trucks meet less restrictive requirements without specifically calling them out but now has led to each manufacturer making vehicles as large as possible so meeting emissions restrictions is more economical.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#12

Post by petesergeant »

EligibleDecoy wrote: post #8

The hypocrisy is that if safety was the overall concern, then motorcycles would have been banned a long time ago (and I say this as someone who enjoys riding my motorcycle). I think the actual problem is that when compared to other cars in their category these kei trucks do have abysmal safety standards such as no airbags or crumple zones. Which is because there isn’t a mini truck category in the US. Basically all pi…

I assume governance is the art of the possible, and banning motorbikes is impossible for political reasons, where banning hobby vehicles looks pretty straight-forward.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#13

Post by ClumsyPilot »

EligibleDecoy wrote: post #8

The hypocrisy is that if safety was the overall concern, then motorcycles would have been banned a long time ago (and I say this as someone who enjoys riding my motorcycle). I think the actual problem is that when compared to other cars in their category these kei trucks do have abysmal safety standards such as no airbags or crumple zones. Which is because there isn’t a mini truck category in the US. Basically all pi…

> if safety was the overall concern, then motorcycles would have been banned a long time ago

And horse riding on the road - it’s still legal. I believe you can even ride cows in most countries

Safety of the driver, mind you, should be lower priority than safety of others, I.e. pedestrians.

Driver chose to drive whatever that is, but pedestrians didn’t. From that perspective motorcycles are great, they are least likely vehicle to main a pedestrian or child.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#14

Post by infecto »

jszymborski wrote: post #3

I really don't get the NA car market. There is a demand for small kei car/trucks as is natural with cities growing and parking dwindling. Yet even compacts are disappearing. My kingdom for an EV compact that is compact. Even the Fiat 500s and Mini Coops feel like they get bigger each year.

Would love to see data otherwise but I don't believe this is the case. I hear this argument a lot for kei vehicles but its still a niche compared to the broader truck market. 2023 units sold, ford ranger 40k, f-series 760k. The kei market is vastly smaller than the ranger market.

I am sure that profit margin/advertising plays a mix into the decisions but I also think the consumer largely does not want small cars.

Edit: And for small work trucks, most of that market seems to be eaten up by the smaller commercial van vehicles at this point.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#15

Post by infecto »

reedf1 wrote: post #7

Many Japanese vehicles are banned, especially light trucks, because they are too competitive. They are often banned for trumped up reasons, mostly to protect local competition.

This sounds like a massive conspiracy if I have ever heard one. Evidence would be helpful.

Foreign markets are often very different and those vehicles don't pass safety in the US. My favorite was the death traps that Toyota Mexico made up until a couple years ago. Brand new vehicle but absolute death trap.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#16

Post by loloquwowndueo »

petesergeant wrote: post #12
EligibleDecoy wrote: post #8

The hypocrisy is that if safety was the overall concern, then motorcycles would have been banned a long time ago (and I say this as someone who enjoys riding my motorcycle). I think the actual problem is that when compared to other cars in their category these kei trucks do have abysmal safety standards such as no airbags or crumple zones. Which is because there isn’t a mini truck category in the US. Basically all pi…

I assume governance is the art of the possible, and banning motorbikes is impossible for political reasons, where banning hobby vehicles looks pretty straight-forward.

Motorbikes are hobby vehicles.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#17

Post by Havoc »

infecto wrote: post #15
reedf1 wrote: post #7

Many Japanese vehicles are banned, especially light trucks, because they are too competitive. They are often banned for trumped up reasons, mostly to protect local competition.

This sounds like a massive conspiracy if I have ever heard one. Evidence would be helpful. Foreign markets are often very different and those vehicles don't pass safety in the US. My favorite was the death traps that Toyota Mexico made up until a couple years ago. Brand new vehicle but absolute death trap.

Not OP but BYD cars are being kept out via policy so don’t think it’s that far fetched. Certainly not conspiracy territory

https://www.vox.com/climate/2024/3/4/24087919/biden-tariff-c...

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#18

Post by reverius42 »

infecto wrote: post #15
reedf1 wrote: post #7

Many Japanese vehicles are banned, especially light trucks, because they are too competitive. They are often banned for trumped up reasons, mostly to protect local competition.

This sounds like a massive conspiracy if I have ever heard one. Evidence would be helpful. Foreign markets are often very different and those vehicles don't pass safety in the US. My favorite was the death traps that Toyota Mexico made up until a couple years ago. Brand new vehicle but absolute death trap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

> The Chicken tax is a 25 percent tariff on light trucks (and originally on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy) imposed in 1964 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on importation of U.S. chicken.

> Eventually, the tariffs on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy were lifted,[4] but since 1964 this form of protectionism has remained in place to give US domestic automakers an advantage over imported competitors.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#19

Post by infecto »

Havoc wrote: post #17
infecto wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like a massive conspiracy if I have ever heard one. Evidence would be helpful. Foreign markets are often very different and those vehicles don't pass safety in the US. My favorite was the death traps that Toyota Mexico made up until a couple years ago. Brand new vehicle but absolute death trap.

Not OP but BYD cars are being kept out via policy so don’t think it’s that far fetched. Certainly not conspiracy territory https://www.vox.com/climate/2024/3/4/24087919/biden-tariff-c...

Those are not "trumped" up reasons those. That is an explicit ban that the US makes.

Re: Mini imported Japanese vehicles may soon be banned on Massachusetts roads

#20

Post by infecto »

reverius42 wrote: post #18
infecto wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like a massive conspiracy if I have ever heard one. Evidence would be helpful. Foreign markets are often very different and those vehicles don't pass safety in the US. My favorite was the death traps that Toyota Mexico made up until a couple years ago. Brand new vehicle but absolute death trap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax > The Chicken tax is a 25 percent tariff on light trucks (and originally on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy) imposed in 1964 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on importation of U.S. chicken. > Eventually, the tariffs on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy were lifted,[4] but since 1964 this form o…

Thanks for sharing, very interesting! Also super fascinating that it has largely been left untouched since then. I was thinking purely from a safety standard regulation as I know many don't pass US standards.
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