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I doubt it because I don’t think most status car buyers are particularly cost-sensitive and moreover passing said legislation is easier said than done (and regu

I doubt it because I don’t think most status car buyers are particularly cost-sensitive and moreover passing said legislation is easier said than done (and regulations are likely to be overturned whenever the presidency changes parties). So far “sexy” has done a whole lot more to convert people to EVs than regulation (and I say this as a staunch proponent of carbon tax/pricing).

elihu 4y ago
I think that requiring a CDL to drive a 9,000 pound vehicle with a 3 second 0-60 time would be enough to deter most potential buyers unless they were really motivated. Getting the license would be an actual inconvenience, not something you can just throw money at.
- bluGill 4y ago
  CDL may also lower the legal BAC to .03, which would be a problem for many people. I only know one person to mention that and he had the full class A license (it was his turn to drive home so his wife was drinking and he refused even one drink even though they were planning to stay for more than the hour it takes for alcohol to clear the bloodstream because he refused to risk his license)
- throwaway894345 4y ago
  I mean if we really want to minimize and we’re positing a world where we can pass any legislation/regulation we want, we could just outright ban them.
  - elil17 4y ago
    There are some rare legitimate reasons to own pickup trucks, but those trucks should require something between a normal license and a CDL imho. As for SUVs, yes a ban is a good idea.
    - throwaway894345 4y ago
      Hah! I take it you live in a city and don’t have kids?
      - Thorrez 4y ago
        Are SUVs better than minivans?
        throwaway894345 4y ago
        They’re comparable. Minivans are a bit better with kids, SUVs are often better for recreation (e.g., pulling a camper). Lots of people also depend on pickup trucks, contra the parent’s viewpoint that they’re rarely legitimate.
        elil17 4y ago
        Pulling a camper is something that most people do rarely - no reason to drive that pickup to work every day when you could just rent it for trips. Yes there are certain areas where most people will need a bunch of hauling capacity due to their professions. But most people who drive a pickup in the USA are doing it for stupid (prestige related reasons)! I don’t mean to sound too extreme here, I’m just tired of hearing people (who I know IRL) with expensive gas guzzlers complain about the cost of diesel when a compact sedan would suite their needs!
        throwaway894345 4y ago
        Firstly, if you have a camper you probably want to take it out many times a year, and even if you just have a tent, an SUV is pretty nice for all of your other supplies. Moreover, it’s not any one use case that justifies an SUV as much as a combination. If you have kids and you camp and you bring bikes and you have jet-skis, ATVs, dirt bikes, snow mobiles, or other toys then it quickly becomes worthwhile. My wife and I upgraded to a small (electric) SUV and it’s absolutely been worthwhile just for extended roadtrips and camping with our dog and maybe a friend or two. I’m sure plenty of people get big vehicles for prestige/whatever, but I was refuting a specific claim that use cases for pickups are rare and SUVs should be banned altogether.
elil17 4y ago
Everyone is sensitive to large enough changes in price. Converting people to EVs does nothing if those EVs are energy and lithium hogs. There is no substitute for energy efficiency. Having the right form of energy generation or storage is wonderful but efficiency is a fundamental virtue for hardware that is currently undervalued.

elihu 4y ago

I think that requiring a CDL to drive a 9,000 pound vehicle with a 3 second 0-60 time would be enough to deter most potential buyers unless they were really motivated. Getting the license would be an actual inconvenience, not something you can just throw money at.

bluGill 4y ago
CDL may also lower the legal BAC to .03, which would be a problem for many people. I only know one person to mention that and he had the full class A license (it was his turn to drive home so his wife was drinking and he refused even one drink even though they were planning to stay for more than the hour it takes for alcohol to clear the bloodstream because he refused to risk his license)
throwaway894345 4y ago
I mean if we really want to minimize and we’re positing a world where we can pass any legislation/regulation we want, we could just outright ban them.
- elil17 4y ago
  There are some rare legitimate reasons to own pickup trucks, but those trucks should require something between a normal license and a CDL imho. As for SUVs, yes a ban is a good idea.
  - throwaway894345 4y ago
    Hah! I take it you live in a city and don’t have kids?
    - Thorrez 4y ago
      Are SUVs better than minivans?
      - throwaway894345 4y ago
        They’re comparable. Minivans are a bit better with kids, SUVs are often better for recreation (e.g., pulling a camper). Lots of people also depend on pickup trucks, contra the parent’s viewpoint that they’re rarely legitimate.
        elil17 4y ago
        Pulling a camper is something that most people do rarely - no reason to drive that pickup to work every day when you could just rent it for trips. Yes there are certain areas where most people will need a bunch of hauling capacity due to their professions. But most people who drive a pickup in the USA are doing it for stupid (prestige related reasons)! I don’t mean to sound too extreme here, I’m just tired of hearing people (who I know IRL) with expensive gas guzzlers complain about the cost of diesel when a compact sedan would suite their needs!
        throwaway894345 4y ago
        Firstly, if you have a camper you probably want to take it out many times a year, and even if you just have a tent, an SUV is pretty nice for all of your other supplies. Moreover, it’s not any one use case that justifies an SUV as much as a combination. If you have kids and you camp and you bring bikes and you have jet-skis, ATVs, dirt bikes, snow mobiles, or other toys then it quickly becomes worthwhile. My wife and I upgraded to a small (electric) SUV and it’s absolutely been worthwhile just for extended roadtrips and camping with our dog and maybe a friend or two. I’m sure plenty of people get big vehicles for prestige/whatever, but I was refuting a specific claim that use cases for pickups are rare and SUVs should be banned altogether.

elil17 4y ago

Everyone is sensitive to large enough changes in price. Converting people to EVs does nothing if those EVs are energy and lithium hogs. There is no substitute for energy efficiency. Having the right form of energy generation or storage is wonderful but efficiency is a fundamental virtue for hardware that is currently undervalued.