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Game theory predicts the “race to biggest” vehicles. The only way to stop it is through regulation and disincentives. However, it’s important to consider futur

Game theory predicts the “race to biggest” vehicles. The only way to stop it is through regulation and disincentives. However, it’s important to consider future trends in automotive technology. Eventually, every new car sold will be an EV - so the pollution issue becomes much less of a concern, with a few pedantic caveats. Cars will also become self-driving. Solve for the equilibrium. People will want rooms on the road - a self-driving, self-charging boat of a car that you can sleep in while it takes you from LA to Lake Tahoe overnight. It’ll even reach into the drive-thru window at McDonald’s and put your breakfast on a table for you to eat while facing your family members on a comfy sofa. Cars will become like miniature, smart, electric RVs minus the bathroom and ugly clunkiness. And since people won’t be driving them, and theoretically they can achieve super-human reaction time and sensing, maybe pedestrian safety will become less of an issue. So regulation is tricky. I do think there should be an extra tax to price in the negative externality of large vehicles, but the government shouldn’t go too far with that and it shouldn’t preempt innovation in vehicle format.

RecycledEle 3y ago
It's the regulations and abusive media tactics that led to the near extinction of traditional (V8, rear wheel drive, American made) cars, which forced consumers to flee to the closest substitute: light trucks.
- giraffe_lady 3y ago
  What does "abusive media tactics" mean?
  - RecycledEle 3y ago
    The media mocked cars that made sense as environmental disasters (e.g., large, American-made, rear-wheel drive, V8-powered cars) when they were not. Those cars got 300,000+ miles before being scrapped. I am most familiar with the 1993 Chevy Caprice, which got 24 MPG on the highway. The media ripped those cars and the companies who made them until the business-class* executives gave up and took them out of production. * business-class refers to accountants, attorneys, and MBAs who are more than 2 levels above the lowest workers in the company and who genuinely do not understand the words they are using. They often say a word thinking of a common usage of it, not understanding that in their work it is industry-specific or company-specific jargon.
- dwallin 3y ago
  That seems disingenuous. No doubt there are some car owners who do care about these things, but the vast majority of drivers would likely be hard-pressed to know what type of engine their car has, or what the differences between rear and front drive are. Most people select cars based on some mix of cost, perceived safety, utility, and by what other people they know are getting. (edit) Went to add sourcing and was surprised to find that while most of the things I listed were accurate, fuel efficiency turns out to be one I significantly underestimated: https://www.statista.com/chart/13075/most-important-factors-when-buying-a-car/ https://www.statista.com/chart/13075/most-important-factors-...
  - frumper 3y ago
    People saying that fuel efficiency is the most important factor often means a mid-sized SUV 3 row SUV rather than a Suburban.
  - RecycledEle 3y ago
    > there are some car owners who do care about these things, but the vast majority of drivers would likely be hard-pressed to know what type of engine their car has, or what the differences between rear and front drive are I'm very surprised by this answer. May I ask: Where do you live? What are your degrees in? I live in Texas, and my degrees are in STEM fields like Computers and Engineering.
- r00fus 3y ago
  Light trucks sell well because of the chicken tax loophole.
  - RecycledEle 3y ago
    I did not realize that. Thank you. More info on the chicken tax: https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a44373090/chicken-tax-trucks/ https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a44373090/chicken-tax-trucks...

RecycledEle 3y ago

It's the regulations and abusive media tactics that led to the near extinction of traditional (V8, rear wheel drive, American made) cars, which forced consumers to flee to the closest substitute: light trucks.

giraffe_lady 3y ago
What does "abusive media tactics" mean?
- RecycledEle 3y ago
  The media mocked cars that made sense as environmental disasters (e.g., large, American-made, rear-wheel drive, V8-powered cars) when they were not. Those cars got 300,000+ miles before being scrapped. I am most familiar with the 1993 Chevy Caprice, which got 24 MPG on the highway. The media ripped those cars and the companies who made them until the business-class* executives gave up and took them out of production. * business-class refers to accountants, attorneys, and MBAs who are more than 2 levels above the lowest workers in the company and who genuinely do not understand the words they are using. They often say a word thinking of a common usage of it, not understanding that in their work it is industry-specific or company-specific jargon.
dwallin 3y ago
That seems disingenuous. No doubt there are some car owners who do care about these things, but the vast majority of drivers would likely be hard-pressed to know what type of engine their car has, or what the differences between rear and front drive are. Most people select cars based on some mix of cost, perceived safety, utility, and by what other people they know are getting. (edit) Went to add sourcing and was surprised to find that while most of the things I listed were accurate, fuel efficiency turns out to be one I significantly underestimated: https://www.statista.com/chart/13075/most-important-factors-when-buying-a-car/ https://www.statista.com/chart/13075/most-important-factors-...
- frumper 3y ago
  People saying that fuel efficiency is the most important factor often means a mid-sized SUV 3 row SUV rather than a Suburban.
- RecycledEle 3y ago
  > there are some car owners who do care about these things, but the vast majority of drivers would likely be hard-pressed to know what type of engine their car has, or what the differences between rear and front drive are I'm very surprised by this answer. May I ask: Where do you live? What are your degrees in? I live in Texas, and my degrees are in STEM fields like Computers and Engineering.
r00fus 3y ago
Light trucks sell well because of the chicken tax loophole.
- RecycledEle 3y ago
  I did not realize that. Thank you. More info on the chicken tax: https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a44373090/chicken-tax-trucks/ https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a44373090/chicken-tax-trucks...