The ‘kei’ cars and trucks are growing in popularity in the U.S. But many states have explicitly banned them in recent years. A bill at the statehouse would allow them on Colorado roads.
Truck size growth is driven at least partially, if not mainly, by gas mileage regulations, where you can have lower gas mileage on larger vehicles, an allowance that was made to accommodate work vehicles. So people who want a powerful vehicle are forced to go bigger. If these regulations were relaxed or eliminated, we would have much smaller but still powerful trucks. I’d be interested in something like that…
Well it doesn’t look like a net good right now. We have a million oversized trucks everywhere. We could have the same number of trucks, but smaller, for the same or less gas consumption. It would also be less dangerous to pedestrians and easier on the roads. Less tire wear and tear, and so on.
You’re “forced” to go bigger, because car manufacturers are too greedy. The big pickups and SUVs are basically classified as commercial trucks, so the regulations are much looser when it comes to emissions and safety. Which make them cheaper to produce.
Car companies are more than capable of making powerful small cars under current regulations and even stricter ones, but that has a smaller profit margin. That’s why they are fighting this, they want to keep their margins and not have to compete with these cars.
Whereas you are correct, there’s a really smart solution. If we simply got everyone who owns a big pickup truck (not for work) and euthanized them, our problems would be solved.
Truck size growth is driven at least partially, if not mainly, by gas mileage regulations, where you can have lower gas mileage on larger vehicles, an allowance that was made to accommodate work vehicles. So people who want a powerful vehicle are forced to go bigger. If these regulations were relaxed or eliminated, we would have much smaller but still powerful trucks. I’d be interested in something like that…
Or we could just tighten the regulations on large vehicles, rather than removing the whole system which is a net good over all.
Best not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Well it doesn’t look like a net good right now. We have a million oversized trucks everywhere. We could have the same number of trucks, but smaller, for the same or less gas consumption. It would also be less dangerous to pedestrians and easier on the roads. Less tire wear and tear, and so on.
Your reasoning is lacking.
You’re “forced” to go bigger, because car manufacturers are too greedy. The big pickups and SUVs are basically classified as commercial trucks, so the regulations are much looser when it comes to emissions and safety. Which make them cheaper to produce.
Car companies are more than capable of making powerful small cars under current regulations and even stricter ones, but that has a smaller profit margin. That’s why they are fighting this, they want to keep their margins and not have to compete with these cars.
Not sure I see the connection between margin and truck size.
Just make those who want to get lower taxes for driving “commercial use” vehicles bring clear evidence of commercial use.
Whereas you are correct, there’s a really smart solution. If we simply got everyone who owns a big pickup truck (not for work) and euthanized them, our problems would be solved.
Murder is the word you’re looking for and for some twisted reason you want more of it as if there isn’t already enough.
It’s not that “there isn’t enough” — it’s that the wrong people are dying.
I like they way you think