• Amoxtli@thelemmy.club
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    8 months ago

    It doesn’t matter what size car Americans build, they simply can’t compete. Larger vehicles are a cultural preference and fits the American environment.

    • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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      7 months ago

      If this was true, the Chinese EVs could be allowed in and no one would buy them. I personally want a smaller car that can comfortably seat 5 and has additional safety and comfort features (backup cameras, lane assist, heat pump climate control, etc.). This could easily be done with a sedan, hatchback, or station wagon. The only cars that have these features that I know of are SUVs.

      • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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        7 months ago

        Not exactly true when they’re selling them for $10k-$15k. The Bolt is comparable to a Chinese EV and they only sell around 2k per month while something like the Model 3 sells 50k per month.

        If you lowered the price of the Bolt to the price of a 10 year old used Camry, I’m sure it would sell a lot better but this is an artificial price that completely distorts the market and puts a lot of people out of work for what amounts to a temporary savings. This is the whole point of tariffs. They level the playing field for everyone.

        • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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          7 months ago

          Where I live, the base model of the Chevy Bolt is $41k, and doesn’t have heat pump climate control (or isn’t talking about it). It also doesn’t look like it would seat 5 comfortably. Now, even without the spectre of financially supporting Elon’s antics, I don’t see a lot of reason to pay another $10k for a reasonably similar car. People are weird. 🤷‍♂️

          • ShepherdPie@midwest.social
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            7 months ago

            Often what people say they want and what they actually spend their money on are not even in the same ballpark. This reminds me of all the guys from /r/Cars who’d say they dream of some stripped down vehicle with crank windows and no features but when manufacturers make them, nobody actually buys them.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      7 months ago

      I think they’re a preference of the motor industry who want you to buy more expensive cars.