I wish there were an all-wheel or four-wheel drive option. This would make it the perfect shorter-range adventuremobile for snowsports and remote backwoods climbing and hiking access.
A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
991–1000 of 1001 posts
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#992Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed. The U.S. market had a very long run of both large expensive and small cheap pickup trucks, and people consistently have bought the big luxury pickups. It is why all the small trucks were axed to begin with. Even back in their prime, I saw many more F-150s than Rangers. Its an easy up-sell as I'm sure any car salesman will say: well for only a few more thousand you get into a full-size, and from there, add som…
“It is why all the small trucks were axed to begin with.” No, it is because emissions regulations. A small truck can’t be built on our emissions policies, not that there isn’t a market for one.
How is that? Aerodynamics due to the bed?
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#993Earlier quoted context omitted.
>"If this can’t compete head to head (no tariffs or other import restrictions) with BYD and the like, then I don’t know why one would get excited." Would you prefer our roads flooded with cheap Chinese EVs that are the automotive equivalent of Shein hauls? Protectionism has its place in certain areas, and I would say building a thriving domestic EV industry that isn't beholden to a single weirdo is one of them.
Do Chinese Evs break down a lot or aren't repairable?
Completely anecdotally from a friend who has BYD Atto3 - he had couple of issues with cameras. Plus some early rust (which is not unheard of in forums). So did his sister.
My impression of driving it - materials are nice, but overall experience (interior looks and software, aka what you use the most) was quite terrible in the context I own Tesla Model Y. I'm sure going from 15 year old Nissan you'd be ecstatic.
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#994Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am going to drive my Honda Fit until the wheels fall off, then I'm going to put new wheels on and drive it some more. Best car in the world IMO.
The rear seat legroom is absurdly good for a car that size. It's been our only car for the past 10 years for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids. Zero issues outside of regular maintenance. Bought for $18k new in 2014 (2015 model). Good times.
I use mine as a light cargo van. The room when you fold the seats down is amazing. Adding a rear hitch bike rack also lets me cart around 3-4 bikes if I want to. I usually drive slower when I have a bunch of stuff though to keep the transmission from overheating. I just make sure to do a transmission service every 30-50k miles and oil changes every 5k. The dang thing is bomb proof.
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#995Earlier quoted context omitted.
> BYD could totally avoid the tariffs by making in the USA Or concentrate on the 80% of the worldmarket that is not the USA
They're very popular in Australia.
They're selling ridiculous numbers in Brazil and Uruguay and are opening a factory there.
I think they're the number one brand by sales some months in Uruguay.
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#996The US is falling way behind in electric vehicles. If BYD could sell in the US, the US auto industry would be crushed.[1] What went wrong is that 1) Tesla never made a low-end vehicle, despite announcements, and 2) all the other US manufacturers treated electric as a premium product, resulting in the overpowered electric Hummer 2 and F-150 pickups with high price tags. The only US electric vehicle with comparable pri…
I completely agree. It baffles me that there aren't more entry level EVs in the United States.
Two years ago, I decided I wanted an EV. I didn't want to spend a ton. There weren't many good options. I was disappointed by the Model 3. Ionic was promising. Ended up buying a Chevy Bolt EUV. I absolutely love it. The torque you get from even a modestly powerful electric vehicle is incredible, and one pedal driving is a real boon in city driving. Plus it's fun to drive past the gas station and just plug into the charger that Chevy paid to install at my house.
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#997Earlier quoted context omitted.
What went wrong is that the federal government didn't build or legislate a national charging infrastructure to match the scale of the interstate highway system. They could have strong-armed the states into it with a combination of funding the construction and the way they mandated the 21 drinking age: by threatening to withhold highway funds.
They definitely tried... $7.5 Billion worth. It's on pause now :-( https://www.govtech.com/transportation/federal-funding-for-e...
To the other commenters replying to you, and to you as well, the money is committed in a way that is difficult if not impossible to prevent from going out the door once projects are complete or hit specific milestones. Many projects are already underway but it takes time to select sites, developers, manufacture chargers, negotiate with utilities, and develop the sites. This work is underway and many more chargers will come online over the next few years. The new administration is preventing new projects, but horses have already left the barn.
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#998Earlier quoted context omitted.
They definitely tried... $7.5 Billion worth. It's on pause now :-( https://www.govtech.com/transportation/federal-funding-for-e...
To the other commenters replying to you, and to you as well, the money is committed in a way that is difficult if not impossible to prevent from going out the door once projects are complete or hit specific milestones. Many projects are already underway but it takes time to select sites, developers, manufacture chargers, negotiate with utilities, and develop the sites. This work is underway and many more chargers wil…
I certainly hope so. But this[1] (not to mention other highly illegal "impoundment" type actions of this administration) gives me little succor. :-(
[1] https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/nevi/resources/state-pl...
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#999This reminds me of the cars being produced in Russia at the moment…
Re: A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen
#1000Earlier quoted context omitted.
Electric vehicle tax credits are non-refundable tax credits meaning you can't get a credit for more than you owe. [1][2] Which means no one is getting your tax dollars to buy vehicles (though there may be some infrastructure or manufacturing grants for companies). [1] https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12600 [2] https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-credits-for-individuals-wha...
However instead of taking the credit yourself you can transfer it to the dealer at time of purchase to use toward the purchase. You can transfer the full $7500 credit regardless of how much tax you eventually end up owing for the year.
That's an important point that I missed in my research, though it does seem like there are limitations? [1]
If the buyer's previous-year adjusted gross income is too high they still don't qualify, and if the buyer's purchase-year adjusted gross income is too high they can end up owing money to the IRS.
And dealers/sellers have to qualify and register but...
> Advance payments received by the registered dealer are not treated as a tax credit to the dealer and may exceed the dealer’s regular tax liability. Advance payments received by the registered dealer are not included in the gross income of the dealer.
That does read as a direct subsidy equivalent to a refundable tax credit straight from the general fund.
[1] https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/topic-h-frequently-asked-questi...