This is just one of the many ways we really biffed it when it comes to electric cars. Daily driver electrics were never supposed to be heavier & more powerful than gas. And as bad as the heavy electric sedans are, most people are driving trucks. We were never supposed to make electric SUVs the norm.
At this point we need to put strict limits on car sizes imo, ban SUVs and restrict pickups to people who actually for real NEED a truck, but I can't see that happening when car companies and rich people would fight tooth and nail against it
I would love to see the purchase of SUVs and large pickups disincentivized at commuter cars. It’s awful that for so many years regulatory loopholes instead encouraged people to buy trucks as their commuter vehicles🥴
I'm on team "no more cars", but I don't think even something moderate like "limit cars to 90s/00s sizes" would be possible in the US short of a revolution/civil war, the culture and political system are just so fucked
One thing giving me a small amount of hope is that the new generation of car enthusiasts coming up seems to be into much smaller, less powerful “fun” cars as daily drivers. Part of this is affordability but part is also a rejection of the supersizing of US vehicles I think. Maybe change is afoot?
Could be, but even if the economics of SUVs are a losing battle I wouldn't be surprised if car companies just change the rules. Like the fossil industry vs wind
As a car guy I think it’s really awesome that you can get like 1000 ft lbs of torque and 600hp out of your sedan’s electric engine. As a person living in society I realize this is very bad, and the exact opposite direction that consumer electric cars were supposed to go in.
Btw the stat they gave re: tire dust was that it’s 15% of all microplastics. The other largest contributor was polyester clothing.
Since some folks are getting upset: none of the above is an argument against better electric vehicles. It’s pointing out some of the problems with the form in which the US is currently adopting/designing them. Nor is any of the above an argument against better public transit. So, ya know, chill.
Moments after posting the above exhortation to chill I had people accusing me of being a shill for big oil and for spreading “misinformation”🫠 Self proclaimed EV boosters do not know how to deal with even the most minor of critiques of their fave tech & it makes it real hard to talk to them.
"There is a real problem with waffles society needs to come together to address" Look at the shill for big pancake over here.
Every choice is a compromise with inherent trade-offs. Every technology has its strengths and weaknesses.
I don't think that you are looking at the whole EV global market. I agree with you on American's love of big cars. But the EV market globally is largely small cars. If they were available here, they would destroy the American auto industry.
Like you said, drive less & go EV, buy lighter private vehicles - and maybe drive less furiously. We also need to replace heavy commercial vehicles ...
What are tire manufacturers doing to lower their impact? What are transportation departments doing?
people learn that it's ok to critique one thing at a time and not fall for pancake/waffles challenge
You tried Nuance; it’s not very effective! I love my new EV, but I hate driving it in town because of the traffic (which yes, I’d be a part of), so instead I run errands by bike or on foot whenever possible. If we are to have cars etc in the centre, I’d rather have EVs to reduce exhaust emissions.
Same!
people were upset when we took their cigs they are ideologically addicted to plastic but we need to take it away as well
But also… it’s an argument for slowing down.
Range anxiety and fast fashion. They're going to bite us in the ass.
Personally, I blame leisure suits
Small penises and social insecurity
Time to start riding bicycles naked I guess
Sure - start.
Tire dust is also bad for salmon it seems... kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp...
Problem is we want cars to be fun. Additional power and torque are damn-near free to implement in BEV vs ICE - and offset the handling compromises. 'Course we could reduce automotive dependency + implement traffic calming to inhibit these impulses. But political realities.
Agreed. Trying to remain optimistic on this issue, I think about Ann Greene’s research into how horses got really big right before they became obsolete as urban transportation.
When you're riding a bike and somebody in an electric car honks at you for being on the road you remember that there are a lot of folks buying electric cars for reasons other than environmental stewardship Did you happen to see this article? wapo.st/469R57q
I didn’t! Thanks!
There’s an electric Hummer I see around town sometimes. That’s a Venn diagram that I thought was just two circles that don’t touch, but I guess they overlap enough for that one dude.
Truly a cursèd vehicle
Electric SUVs are an abomination. It demonstrates the wrong implementation of technological improvements. Lighter car, better battery is the win-win, not some suburban electric tractor.
Range as the obsessive single stat as if all people need to drive huge distances daily.