3 ms·

It would be great, but personally I think that modern chain-of-liability concerns would probably make the premise very difficult to work out. An EV burns down.

by serf 3y ago

It would be great, but personally I think that modern chain-of-liability concerns would probably make the premise very difficult to work out. An EV burns down. The chassis maker points its fingers at what they claim were low quality electronics used, the electronics manufacturer points its fingers at the sharp edges left on the chassis that could create chafe points. Technical interoperability too aside from standards; in a collision it's difficult to model/simulate/test a car that may have 20 different motor options, placement options, dozens of batteries, etc. They'll all fail differently, how do we regulate that kind of safety? I'd love for it to work.

kibwen 3y ago
It's already legal in the US to build your own car from scratch. There are certain minimum safety requirements (headlights, windshields, seatbelts, bumpers), but less than you may think (e.g. doors are not required, the steering wheel doesn't have to be on the left). The NHTSA isn't going to ask you to prove your car's crash-safety, all you need to do is pass inspection in your state.
- pixl97 3y ago
  It's legal to build it, but at least in Texas it's not legal to drive it on the highway as you won't be able to get registration. https://ftp.txdmv.gov/pub/txdot-info/vtr/title_manual_book_451.pdf https://ftp.txdmv.gov/pub/txdot-info/vtr/title_manual_book_4... >On page 376, under 'Eligibility for Title' it says "Homemade vehicles are not eligible for title or registration. Homemade vehicles are described as vehicles that were not previously manufactured by a NHTSA approved manufacturer..."
  - echelon 3y ago
    Georgia is extremely friendly with it, and I know lots of people with garage projects. You'll frequently see these cars on the road. (I also know people building planes in their garage. I think Georgia just has a lot of this.) https://dor.georgia.gov/assembled-and-unconventional-vehicles https://dor.georgia.gov/assembled-and-unconventional-vehicle...
    - pixl97 3y ago
      Texas was till recently. I have family that works at the registration office and needless to say there are a lot of people with custom vehicles that are surprised

by serf 3y ago

kibwen 3y ago

It's already legal in the US to build your own car from scratch. There are certain minimum safety requirements (headlights, windshields, seatbelts, bumpers), but less than you may think (e.g. doors are not required, the steering wheel doesn't have to be on the left). The NHTSA isn't going to ask you to prove your car's crash-safety, all you need to do is pass inspection in your state.

pixl97 3y ago
It's legal to build it, but at least in Texas it's not legal to drive it on the highway as you won't be able to get registration. https://ftp.txdmv.gov/pub/txdot-info/vtr/title_manual_book_451.pdf https://ftp.txdmv.gov/pub/txdot-info/vtr/title_manual_book_4... >On page 376, under 'Eligibility for Title' it says "Homemade vehicles are not eligible for title or registration. Homemade vehicles are described as vehicles that were not previously manufactured by a NHTSA approved manufacturer..."
- echelon 3y ago
  Georgia is extremely friendly with it, and I know lots of people with garage projects. You'll frequently see these cars on the road. (I also know people building planes in their garage. I think Georgia just has a lot of this.) https://dor.georgia.gov/assembled-and-unconventional-vehicles https://dor.georgia.gov/assembled-and-unconventional-vehicle...
  - pixl97 3y ago
    Texas was till recently. I have family that works at the registration office and needless to say there are a lot of people with custom vehicles that are surprised