We had small cars. For decades. Ever driven an early 90s honda Accord, or Ford Taurus, or to go farther back, the mini trucks that rangers/Toyota Hilux T100’s used to be? Hell even American economy cars like the Ford Falcon or Chevy Nova in the 1960s were still pretty goddamn small, and made up the majority of sales.
Americans embraced small cars just fine. All those models I listed were some of the best selling cars of their era. The problem is they run lower profit margins since you cant upsell on “luxury”, and are also subject to the most strict emissions and efficiency rules thanks to the EPA’S ass-backwards habit of tying efficiency requirements to the inverse of vehicle size. Manufacturers consistently downplay the very existence of their small economical cars, update them last, give them no upper trim packages or optional equipment or anything that looks fun to buyers. When was the last time you even saw an advertisement for a small, economical car like a Subaru Impreza or Toyota Corolla? They intentionally try to bury them, and then when they “don’t sell”, get axed first in favor of the high margin, less-stringently-regulated SUV’s.
I hate free markets, because I miss the “true” small cars and trucks of the past. For being a country built on the automobile, the USDM is straight up retarded.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Heavier vehicles also wear out roads faster, though the difference between a small sedan and a large electric SUV amounts to very little when compared to the effect of a garbage truck rolling by each morning.
Just this week, Automotive News reported that the Mitsubishi Mirage is on the way out, joining the choir invisible alongside cars like the Chevrolet Sonic, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris, all of which were once sold in the US.
The Bolt’s biggest problem, from a bean counter’s point of view at least, was a battery that cost a lot more per kWh than one made with General Motors’ new Ultium cells.
News of the Bolt’s cancellation was met with much dismay, and GM recently decided to bring the nameplate back at some unspecified time on a new Ultium-based platform.
But GM CEO Mary Barra has also warned that even with the lower cost of Ultium cells, the company won’t make any profit on sub-$40,000 EVs until late in the decade.
In addition to the ever-escalating safety arms race that entices American car buyers, a misplaced obsession with having as much range as possible also factors in here.
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This is true, and therefore by 2025 every Conservative American will be driving a bus or a tank, because they don’t have personalities, just a pathological need to reject sensible ideas.
