541–550 of 651 posts
That's in large part to light trucks having less stringent fuel-economy regulations.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You mean fat-tired e-bikes? I see them a lot in Amsterdam too. They're definitely more like mopeds and scooters than bikes, unlike regular e-bikes that pretend to be bikes. I'm not sure which ones I prefer (I'm not a fan either way), but they're both a massive improvement over the old fuel-burning two-stroke mopeds and scooters. (By Dutch law, two-stroke engines didn't have to meet the same pollution rules as 4-strok…
These are terrible. Frequently modified by the seller to work just by squeezing the throttle. In any case, even if they don't do that, all it takes is for people to lazily flop their legs to trigger the sensors just enough so that the engine can kick in. These are, by all practical intents and purposes, scooters without plates and without mandatory helmet. I also dislike that these modified ebikes (not just the fat o…
The 25-year import rule here, which bans Americans from importing vehicles from other countries unless they're 25+ years old, is just awful for those of us who would be interested in driving small, efficient foreign cars. It would be great to live completely car-free, but absent major changes to how we plan our cities, it's just a sad reality that cars are a necessary ingredient to life in the vast majority of Americ…
I thought the US wanted free trade and free markets, why do they put up with so much protectionism?
Whenever you buy from aboard, that's money and jobs that are lost to the USA.
So they want to export, but not to import!
And instead of banning the imports, they just set technical standards.
Like requiring specific bumpers and car height, and pollution standards, despite the fact US roads are deadlier and the US pollutes more than anywhere else.
Other countries are a bit more optimistic about international trade, and recognize they can't do everything.
Western Europe, for exemple, has focused on high added value engineering and office jobs, to outsource production to Eastern Europe and Asia. And everyone has an engineering degree in here, so good luck to live on your factory job.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I thought the US wanted free trade and free markets, why do they put up with so much protectionism?
Conservative US politicians (especially Trump) consider the economy is a zero sum game. Whenever you buy from aboard, that's money and jobs that are lost to the USA. So they want to export, but not to import! And instead of banning the imports, they just set technical standards. Like requiring specific bumpers and car height, and pollution standards, despite the fact US roads are deadlier and the US pollutes more tha…
Do you have a source for this claim? In my limited searching China exceeds the US in pollution. My sources could be biased, so I would be happy to take a look at yours.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
These are terrible. Frequently modified by the seller to work just by squeezing the throttle. In any case, even if they don't do that, all it takes is for people to lazily flop their legs to trigger the sensors just enough so that the engine can kick in. These are, by all practical intents and purposes, scooters without plates and without mandatory helmet. I also dislike that these modified ebikes (not just the fat o…
AFAIK, those were US models driving in EU. https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/10/21558235/vanmoof-slows-s...
it's nice that vanmoof tried to help on their side, but it's something that should be enforced at the local traffic/policing level.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is all true…and also American drivers are legitimately aggressive toward these kind of vehicles. They have a terrible reputation, primarily because they get used a lot by people who can’t afford a car. I wish it were different, but driving a moped/Vespa on American roads is a pretty big risk.
So American drivers are aggressive towards those they think to be poorer than them? Why do you think that is? (genuinely curious)
[0]: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=DUIcycle
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don’t know either way but DDG led me here [1] > The largest automobile manufacturing facility in the world for Toyota, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) is able to produce 550,000 vehicles and more than 600,000 engines per year. Two years after breaking ground in Georgetown, Kentucky, > Where are the majority of Toyotas produced? > The majority of Toyota vehicles you see on the road are made in your…
The marketing trick here is 'assembled'. Nothing major is manufactured here.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course it still is… smaller cars, smaller batteries, better all around.
Versus distance and that is an issue of just the geography of the US, we are insurmountable large, even a high end bullet train would take 8-12 hours crossing the country. Stopping absorbs a lot of time for charging compared to ICE or hybrids.
It’s possible and should be done, but it’s expensive and not directly profitable.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I thought the US wanted free trade and free markets, why do they put up with so much protectionism?
Conservative US politicians (especially Trump) consider the economy is a zero sum game. Whenever you buy from aboard, that's money and jobs that are lost to the USA. So they want to export, but not to import! And instead of banning the imports, they just set technical standards. Like requiring specific bumpers and car height, and pollution standards, despite the fact US roads are deadlier and the US pollutes more tha…
Western Europe has the issue of much lower wages though, and they keep importing cheap labour to offset the "aging crisis", rather than embracing it and labour-saving technology like Japan. Like I'd definitely rather be an engineer in the USA, if I could magically get a green card.