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Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

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Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#221

Post by briandear »

MrRadar wrote: post #149
tptacek wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TIL new cars sold in the US require backup cameras. Wow.

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.

When reversing a car like a Mustang, you can’t see what you are about to roll over either. The U.K. is apparently also considering mandatory backup cameras. It isn’t just a “truck” thing.

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#222

Post by jointhefuture »

KorematsuFred wrote: post #172
ngngngng wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Few reasons : 1. Higher government regulations. This includes safety as well as emission regulations. 2. Actual implementation of those regulations. In many countries as I know regulations are routinely ignored and bribes are paid to keep quiet. 3. Contrary to what others might tell you American cars tend to be far more robust than most other countries. This is because Americans drive more and over longer distances a…

Could it also be the USA system of dealers having to be 3rd party my law and therefore needing to mark up the price for their profit vs other markets where car companies run their own storefronts?

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#223

Post by briandear »

ajmurmann wrote: post #195
ngngngng wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that it's a disease, but I believe it's simply a disease of luxury. Americans are wealthy enough to buy the most convenient car possible and afford the gas costs that go with it. I drive small cars and once in a while with passengers we feel cramped, or I have to borrow my dads truck to haul some wood for a project or some plants from the nursery.

I think it must be more than that though. People in central and northern Europe have plenty of money as well and spend a fair amount on cars. Those cars tend to be very different though. You'll likely see more luxury sedans, tuned Golfs etc. Pickup trucks are almost entirely non-existent. Business would get a sprinter that actually keeps stuff dry. I think at least part of it is feeling unsafe in a sedan with these g…

> ignorance for climate concerns.

And the EU has demonstrated ignorance for actual air pollution. Their obsession for CO2 reduction has resulted in some of the worst air quality. Particulate and NO pollution is far more dangerous to human health than CO2. In trying to “save the world,” Europe has managed to poison itself through years of misguided policy objectives.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136403211...

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#224

Post by bronco21016 »

ngngngng wrote: post #189
ajmurmann wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I agree that it's a disease, but I believe it's simply a disease of luxury. Americans are wealthy enough to buy the most convenient car possible and afford the gas costs that go with it. I drive small cars and once in a while with passengers we feel cramped, or I have to borrow my dads truck to haul some wood for a project or some plants from the nursery.

I think it’s mostly a cultural thing but the pickup is just so dang convenient. I have two dogs and a young child and it’s just so convenient to plan a trip where we question what we might need and can just say ‘Oh well, we have room. Just toss it in the bed.’ Do I need this vehicle? No. I survived just fine without it. However it’s the same payment as the small SUV we owned prior with 10x the utility. Why wouldn’t someone own one?

It seemed to me that when I visited Australia many people drove smaller variations of the pickup. I’m not sure why they do not have full size pickups but, if they were a financially viable option, it seemed like they would sell extremely well there. Point is, a pickup is super convenient. US just seemed to be the place where cost, affluence, and utility hit the sweet spot and they sell like crazy.

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#225

Post by Angostura »

MrRadar wrote: post #101
ngngngng wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

"Road legal" has a different standard in the US. To sell a car in the US it must have airbags, ABS, electronic stability control, a backup camera (also implying a decently-large full-color display on the dashboard), and it must meet USDOT, NHTSA, and EPA standards (each of which are slightly incompatible with standards from other regions, and intentionally so as a soft trade barrier). I'm guessing that the Lada 4x4 w…

Blimey, all cars sold in the US must have a parking camera?

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#227

Post by jobigoud »

Xixi wrote: post #59

As a comparison I looked at the two best sellers in Europe [1]: Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe. Renault Zoe is the cheapest at 22,900 USD without battery (which can be rent) or 31,350 USD with battery. Renting the battery is a popular choice in the EU (at least in France, not sure in other countries). [1] https://cleantechnica.com/2019/02/03/europe-ev-sales-renault...

These cars are closer to the Renault Twizy.

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#228

Post by lukevdp »

Gibbon1 wrote: post #205
MrRadar wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

My mom mentioned an old school way for a small child to die was to go out outside and play behind the car in the driveway. And then have daddy run them over backing out of the driveway. thump My own dad backed over my tricycle. Ever wonder why you only have automatic power windows on the drivers side? In the early sixties I had a second cousin strangled by one.

That’s not old school, sadly it still happens all the time (running over toddlers)

Re: Cheap Chinese electric cars are coming to the US and Europe

#230

Post by MRD85 »

bronco21016 wrote: post #224
ngngngng wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree that it's a disease, but I believe it's simply a disease of luxury. Americans are wealthy enough to buy the most convenient car possible and afford the gas costs that go with it. I drive small cars and once in a while with passengers we feel cramped, or I have to borrow my dads truck to haul some wood for a project or some plants from the nursery.

I think it’s mostly a cultural thing but the pickup is just so dang convenient. I have two dogs and a young child and it’s just so convenient to plan a trip where we question what we might need and can just say ‘Oh well, we have room. Just toss it in the bed.’ Do I need this vehicle? No. I survived just fine without it. However it’s the same payment as the small SUV we owned prior with 10x the utility. Why wouldn’t s…

I'm Aussie, we call them "utes". Our taxation systems don't reward large vehicles. We have taxes on purchasing them, yearly tax on registration and compulsory insurance, high fuel taxes, etc. Even the "smaller" pickups are quite expensive to own and operate. The large ones wouldn't sell well here due to the cost.
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