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> The recent dramatic shift towards heavier SUVs has offset both efficiency improvements in smaller cars and carbon savings from electric vehicles. If somebody

> The recent dramatic shift towards heavier SUVs has offset both efficiency improvements in smaller cars and carbon savings from electric vehicles. If somebody still believes in a technological free market based solution to the climate crisis - keep dreaming.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
rtkwe 7y ago
Yeah a continuous problem with 'markets' and 'market based solutions' are negative externalities. If a cost isn't felt directly by the purchaser it takes a lot of social pressure to make up for that and dissuade the person from buying it.
javagram 7y ago
Electric SUVs are coming. But yeah, this is what happens when gas prices fall. I drive a small car personally but the difference between 30-40 mpg for a small gas car vs 20-30 for a SUV just isn’t very significant in terms of $$ spent on gas. It probably would have made sense to start gradually increasing the gas tax a few years ago to make fuel efficiency still worth it - on the other hand, when France increased their fuel tax they had riots.
- asdf333 7y ago
  i recently got a hyundai maxima hand me down and man it is a gas guzzler. I notice it every time I go to the pump and pay $80 to fill the tank. i'm not sure what i'm adding to this convo...i'm just complaining about the hyundai maxima really...
  - sezna 7y ago
    At least in the US, there is no Hyundai Maxima. Did you mean Nissan?
- satya71 7y ago
  The trick would have been to adjust the gas tax as the crude prices fell to keep the overall fall relatively modest. But of course that boat has sailed.
- chewz 7y ago
  > Electric SUVs are coming. Do they change laws of physics? Otherwise larger mass still requires larger amounts of energy...
  - chris11 7y ago
    Power plants are more efficient in generating power for electric cars than an ice engine is. Plus you get some benefit from regenerative braking.
Obi_Juan_Kenobi 7y ago
The technological free market 'solutions' will make reasonable and sustainable policy decisions far more palatable. They matter.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

rtkwe 7y ago

Yeah a continuous problem with 'markets' and 'market based solutions' are negative externalities. If a cost isn't felt directly by the purchaser it takes a lot of social pressure to make up for that and dissuade the person from buying it.

javagram 7y ago

Electric SUVs are coming. But yeah, this is what happens when gas prices fall. I drive a small car personally but the difference between 30-40 mpg for a small gas car vs 20-30 for a SUV just isn’t very significant in terms of $$ spent on gas. It probably would have made sense to start gradually increasing the gas tax a few years ago to make fuel efficiency still worth it - on the other hand, when France increased their fuel tax they had riots.

asdf333 7y ago
i recently got a hyundai maxima hand me down and man it is a gas guzzler. I notice it every time I go to the pump and pay $80 to fill the tank. i'm not sure what i'm adding to this convo...i'm just complaining about the hyundai maxima really...
- sezna 7y ago
  At least in the US, there is no Hyundai Maxima. Did you mean Nissan?
satya71 7y ago
The trick would have been to adjust the gas tax as the crude prices fell to keep the overall fall relatively modest. But of course that boat has sailed.
chewz 7y ago
> Electric SUVs are coming. Do they change laws of physics? Otherwise larger mass still requires larger amounts of energy...
- chris11 7y ago
  Power plants are more efficient in generating power for electric cars than an ice engine is. Plus you get some benefit from regenerative braking.

Obi_Juan_Kenobi 7y ago

The technological free market 'solutions' will make reasonable and sustainable policy decisions far more palatable. They matter.