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Why use huge SUV's as test vehicles? This seems unreasonable and ignorant to me. This normalization of huge, heavy cars on the road gets to me.
by garte 3y ago
Why use huge SUV's as test vehicles? This seems unreasonable and ignorant to me.
This normalization of huge, heavy cars on the road gets to me.
- Vecr 3y agoBetter mounting gear and power options for the sensors? I'm not really sure. Also, cars in general might have less drop-in replacement options than SUVs in the US, and even if their platform stopped being made there's probably a bunch of used SUVs they could use. Ford stopped selling cars in the US as well, right?
- mdwalters 3y ago> Ford stopped selling cars in the US as well Isn't Ford a US company? Do you have evidence of this happening?
- Vecr 3y agoI guess I'm wrong. Wikipedia says that in 2018 their intention was to "phase out" all standard cars except the Mustang and continue to sell SUVs and trucks. I don't think it's a good idea to have a self driving Mustang.
- iancmceachern 3y agoThe electric mustang with the blue cruise isn't really a mustang, its a totally different beast with a mustang sticker on it
- Freak_NL 3y agoIt seems a lot closer to the original Ford Mustang than an actual mustang.
- iancmceachern 3y agoWhat? Why do you say so? How so? To others - this isn't true.
- Freak_NL 3y agoWell, they do both have four wheels and are roughly car shaped, whilst the original is a feral horse.
- iancmceachern 3y agoOh, you're referring to a horse.
- AlotOfReading 3y agoFord stopped producing passenger vehicles for the US market with two exceptions a few years ago [1]. When you look at the numbers it's not hard to see why though. Over 80% of new vehicle sales are in the "light truck" category, which is things like SUVs and pickups. Of that remaining 20%, most of them were being sold by other brands like Kia and Toyota. Consumers simply don't want Ford cars. [1] https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/25/ford-to-stop-selling-every-car-in-north-america-but-the-mustang-and-focus-active/ https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/25/ford-to-stop-selling-every...
- iancmceachern 3y agoIn this case the differentiation between cars and light trucks/suvs seems trivial.
- nradov 3y agoRight, vehicles like the Ford Edge are only classified as light trucks for regulatory purposes. It isn't a real truck in any meaningful sense.
- chaimanmeow 3y agoford focus is very much a passenger car, and a popular one at that.
- AlotOfReading 3y agoYes, that's one of the two exceptions I mentioned along with the mustang. They also built some special vehicles like the GT40s.