181–190 of 243 posts
I'm surprised China is going straight to the first world markets. These could be a hit in developing countries like Mexico (at China prices).
Developing countries don't have reliable power delivery networks with enough reserve capacity to handle a surge in demand to charge these cars.
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I just don't get it. a John Deere Gator with two seats and 4 wheels, and not much else costs over $7000 new. No windows, No airbags, pathetic top speed, not road legal. A Lada 4x4 costs less than that brand new in Russia. Road legal, standard car top speed. Known as a very reliable car. Why can't I buy a really cheap car in the United States? edit: also the lada 4x4 is possibly the coolest car i've ever seen, in it's…
Lada 4x4 is an extremely outdated car. They are started to manufacture in 1977 and did not change much since then. Only engine was upgraded to conform to modern ecology standards. Crash test is terrible, it's probably worst car in the world in that aspect. Also it's extremely unreliable car. That car makes sense in some areas of Russia (or similar countries). While it's unreliable, usually it's easy to repair and spa…
Edit: all in all, I prefer a diesel Hilux and/or suitably old Landcruiser for the offroad duties. Going anywhere on a highway is a pain in either Niva.
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Just don't plan on driving one if you're over 5'10".
I am 5'10" and have 5" of headroom (just went out and measured to write this comment!). The cab is actually really spacious.
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https://www.deere.com/en/gator-utility-vehicles/ You're right about John Deere Gator being overpriced. If mass produced, there's no reason why Chinese (or others) can't build something of comparable quality for $3k.
The Gator isn't really overpriced: it's a low-volume vehicle and the price reflects that. The low-end Chinese-branded UTVs don't cost much less (I'm pretty sure the Gator, despite the JD badge, is made in China).
[1]https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/26725/John-Deere-plant-Ga...
When a foreigner lands in the US, the first thing she'd notice are how big things are - cars, super markets, the amount of food they give in restaurants, the size of soda cups, popcorn "buckets" etc. Americans like their big cars. I've heard them make fun of small cars as "toys" many times. It would be interesting to see how these tiny cars are received in a market that is used to having pretty much everything big.
I would expect these electric cars would probably compete with these smaller models in dense urban areas.
I'd technically be in the demographic for this. I have a less than 10 mile commute. However, that 28 MpH maximum speed is a legitimate limitation/problem, even on my under 10 mile commute, there's at least two roads that are 40 MpH (people drive 45 MpH), and I'm going to get honked at if I can barely maintain 28 MpH. I like the price and concept... But that max speed is a deal breaker. It will be interesting to see w…
Edit: I so badly want a green, cheap vehicle for my commute and ideally a solution for first and last mile public transit connection. My own i-Road and rentable ones for public transit connection would be amazing. Only problem might be the huge pickups with their brutish drivers everywhere in the US.
When a foreigner lands in the US, the first thing she'd notice are how big things are - cars, super markets, the amount of food they give in restaurants, the size of soda cups, popcorn "buckets" etc. Americans like their big cars. I've heard them make fun of small cars as "toys" many times. It would be interesting to see how these tiny cars are received in a market that is used to having pretty much everything big.
I would assume that in high-density areas, having a smaller car that's easier to control and park would be an advantage over the bigger cars. Fuel cost is also a factor with smaller cars usually being more efficient, especially in urban traffic conditions. I would expect these electric cars would probably compete with these smaller models in dense urban areas.
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It's because there are so many trucks and SUVs which can completely obscure people (especially children) under 5 ft (~1.5 m) from their rear windows when they are too close to the vehicle because the vehicles are so high off the ground.
Ideally this would have only targeted vehicles that have this problem. I wonder if they didn't want to disadvantage pick up trucks because they are pretty much exclusively made in the US due to existing burden on imported pick ups. I for one wish we could find a way to address the US pickup and SUV disease and encourage much smaller cars.
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Lada 4x4 is an extremely outdated car. They are started to manufacture in 1977 and did not change much since then. Only engine was upgraded to conform to modern ecology standards. Crash test is terrible, it's probably worst car in the world in that aspect. Also it's extremely unreliable car. That car makes sense in some areas of Russia (or similar countries). While it's unreliable, usually it's easy to repair and spa…
Having driven both I must say while the 2121 (the USSR Niva) has great nostagic appeal, the Chevy Niva ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Niva ) is quite a bit more comfortable. Still the same problems with reliability, since it's just a new body on old everything else. Edit: all in all, I prefer a diesel Hilux and/or suitably old Landcruiser for the offroad duties. Going anywhere on a highway is a pain in eit…