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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

#91

Post by mason55 »

ngngngng wrote: post #89
VectorLock wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the crash testing like on that Lada 4x4?

I don't know, I assume it's better than the more expensive open air golf cart that i'm comparing to though. edit: What i'm trying to say is, why is a fully functional car (even with bad crash safety and emissions) cheaper outside the United States than a golf cart is here? The answer seems obvious to me. Making it illegal to import cars has stifled competition and hurt consumers in the US.

But if it's not good enough to pass US crash testing then it's pointless to release here. No one wants a golf cart that looks like a car.

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

#93

Post by jwalton »

These sorts of vehicles are road legal here in Ontario under a pilot program:

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/vehicles/low-speed-vehicles...

But I haven't seen much adoption. You're only allowed to drive them on roads with a speed limit of 50km/h (30mph) or lower, and at least in my city that would make them fairly impractical to get around as all the major roads that connect one community to another are 60km/h or more.

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

#94

Post by madengr »

ngngngng wrote: post #81
dv_dt wrote: post #55

These seem like utility (landscaping) grade golf carts that are already a market in the US. Available in mostly gas, but some electric forms. https://www.deere.com/en/gator-utility-vehicles/ https://www.toro.com/en/sports-fields-municipalities/utility... https://www.catresourcecenter.com/machine/landscaping/utilit...

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…

That is cool looking. Reminds me of a jacked up, 80's VW Rabbit.

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

#95

Post by thisisweirdok »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #83
bluGill wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except these are designed to be road legal in the 46 states that allow them. As far as I can tell, the utility vehicles you state are not road legal - the difference is minor though as you can legally drive them on the road in all 50 states for things like agriculture but the limits are stronger.

28 miles per hour pretty much rules them out except for residential neighborhoods. Most major city streets in the U.S. are at least 30 mph. If the Pickman can be improved to go 40, it might stand a chance. Otherwise, it's just a glorified golf cart as the other poster suggests.

You could get by with 28 MPH in some cities. Boston for example has a 25 MPH speed limit city-wide, unless posted otherwise. It wouldn't work in some places, but I wouldn't mind using a fancy golf cart there to run errands. That Pickman truck in the article is right up my alley.

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

#96

Post by winrid »

ngngngng wrote: post #89
VectorLock wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whats the crash testing like on that Lada 4x4?

I don't know, I assume it's better than the more expensive open air golf cart that i'm comparing to though. edit: What i'm trying to say is, why is a fully functional car (even with bad crash safety and emissions) cheaper outside the United States than a golf cart is here? The answer seems obvious to me. Making it illegal to import cars has stifled competition and hurt consumers in the US.

Because the quality is much lower. The tractor is meant to be used near capacity for thousands of hours. Lada not so much. Lada is known to rust easily, John Deer is known for quality...

Also, you are comparing two different spectrums. Maybe compare against very good farm equipment in Russia?

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

#97

Post by dsr_ »

freehunter wrote: post #67
mdgrech23 wrote: post #11

No crash protection? Almost 10k? I can get a decent used vehicle for 10k with a better top speed and crash protection. Seems like a no brainer to me to stick w/ a traditional model.

Honest question but do you need a lot in terms of crash protection if the top speed is 25mph? Theoretically you should only be in a collision at roughly 25mph (assuming you're sticking to roads where the speed limit is 25mph like you should be). It's certainly better crash protection than a pedestrian, a bicycle, a moped, or a Segway which seems to be the competition.

If you're on a 25mph road, you should assume a 50mph collision with a vehicle headed in the other direction.
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