5 ms·

Not really, it's not the automakers, it's the auto buyers. The American market wants and expects BIG. There's no incentive for anything otherwise, especially wh

Not really, it's not the automakers, it's the auto buyers. The American market wants and expects BIG. There's no incentive for anything otherwise, especially when the price of gas is *once again* falling. This isn't going to be solved until we have "autos on demand", and then pricing will be based on the vehicle size ordered. At that point, there will be no justification for an SUV if there's just a single person needing to get across town or across state.

sp332 3y ago
Smaller cars are less available. They have longer wait times and higher dealer markup. In the article, the two smaller cars mentioned aren't even sold in the United States.
- fnordpiglet 3y ago
  It’s not like car makers haven’t tried to go smaller at various points, including imports from over seas. Longer wait times and higher markups are by product of low demand. Americans like bigger cars. That’s just a fact, and it’s not up to the supply side to dictate to the demand side what demand is. It’s just not how these things work. “Educating consumers” was a topic in the article, and it’s about as absurd an idea as I’ve ever heard. People want long range not because they’re idiots, but because they occasionally do longer day trips and don’t want to be isolated based on the car they bought. You won’t “educate” people out of the idea of not being tethered to their urban core no matter how much automakers market small short range vehicles.
- chiefalchemist 3y ago
  And that's because smaller cars are less desired by The Market. Let's forget small / smaller for a second. Let's just go with mid-sized. *Plenty* of options there and yet SUVs and trucks are the goto choice. See? It's the market.
unnamed76ri 3y ago
Gas prices are still up more than 50% from just a few years ago. No one is out buying SUVs because the average price is $3.22 today vs $3.29 a year ago lol
- chiefalchemist 3y ago
  Gas prices blipped up for a hot second. On the other hand, compare the USA gas prices to Europe and US gas is severely lower. Think about it...Uncle Sam is offering tax credits and such in order to encourage the purchase of EVs. And that same Uncle Sam is doing all he can to keep gas prices down (for a number of different reasons) which discourages and disincentizes EVs. Make sense, right?
comprev 3y ago
If the only vehicles available to buy are big (or the wait times for smaller less produced models are longer) then the customer rarely has a choice. They need _a_ car _now_ .
francisofascii 3y ago
> The American market wants and expects BIG. I guess the question is, why. It is because marketing works? Or a sense of safety? Bigger is associated with wealth, power? etc.
- danielmarkbruce 3y ago
  Drive a big car. It's really nice to have a large cabin. It seems like everyone wondering about big cars is missing the most obvious reason.
  - DoingIsLearning 3y ago
    Most MPV's will have larger (and more useful) interior spaces than these warfare vehicles. Auto makers have figured out how to push our buttons and buy larger and more wasteful vehicles in what is a de facto arms race on the public road.
    - danielmarkbruce 3y ago
      Perhaps, but... they are very ugly.
      - DoingIsLearning 3y ago
        No, you have been socially conditioned through media that they are not aspirational and they do not transmit power and prestige. If you are the man you must buy NewAuto TM, you wouldn't want to look weak.
        danielmarkbruce 3y ago
        This is basically fortune cookie wisdom. Sounds intelligent, has zero evidence to back it up.
        DoingIsLearning 3y ago
chiefalchemist 3y ago
WTF? Down voted? Who on HN failed Economics 101? God bless you, but please stay away from the DV button.

sp332 3y ago

Smaller cars are less available. They have longer wait times and higher dealer markup. In the article, the two smaller cars mentioned aren't even sold in the United States.

fnordpiglet 3y ago
It’s not like car makers haven’t tried to go smaller at various points, including imports from over seas. Longer wait times and higher markups are by product of low demand. Americans like bigger cars. That’s just a fact, and it’s not up to the supply side to dictate to the demand side what demand is. It’s just not how these things work. “Educating consumers” was a topic in the article, and it’s about as absurd an idea as I’ve ever heard. People want long range not because they’re idiots, but because they occasionally do longer day trips and don’t want to be isolated based on the car they bought. You won’t “educate” people out of the idea of not being tethered to their urban core no matter how much automakers market small short range vehicles.
chiefalchemist 3y ago
And that's because smaller cars are less desired by The Market. Let's forget small / smaller for a second. Let's just go with mid-sized. *Plenty* of options there and yet SUVs and trucks are the goto choice. See? It's the market.

unnamed76ri 3y ago

Gas prices are still up more than 50% from just a few years ago. No one is out buying SUVs because the average price is $3.22 today vs $3.29 a year ago lol

chiefalchemist 3y ago
Gas prices blipped up for a hot second. On the other hand, compare the USA gas prices to Europe and US gas is severely lower. Think about it...Uncle Sam is offering tax credits and such in order to encourage the purchase of EVs. And that same Uncle Sam is doing all he can to keep gas prices down (for a number of different reasons) which discourages and disincentizes EVs. Make sense, right?

comprev 3y ago

If the only vehicles available to buy are big (or the wait times for smaller less produced models are longer) then the customer rarely has a choice. They need _a_ car _now_ .

francisofascii 3y ago

> The American market wants and expects BIG. I guess the question is, why. It is because marketing works? Or a sense of safety? Bigger is associated with wealth, power? etc.

danielmarkbruce 3y ago
Drive a big car. It's really nice to have a large cabin. It seems like everyone wondering about big cars is missing the most obvious reason.
- DoingIsLearning 3y ago
  Most MPV's will have larger (and more useful) interior spaces than these warfare vehicles. Auto makers have figured out how to push our buttons and buy larger and more wasteful vehicles in what is a de facto arms race on the public road.
  - danielmarkbruce 3y ago
    Perhaps, but... they are very ugly.
    - DoingIsLearning 3y ago
      No, you have been socially conditioned through media that they are not aspirational and they do not transmit power and prestige. If you are the man you must buy NewAuto TM, you wouldn't want to look weak.
      - danielmarkbruce 3y ago
        This is basically fortune cookie wisdom. Sounds intelligent, has zero evidence to back it up.
        DoingIsLearning 3y ago

chiefalchemist 3y ago

WTF? Down voted? Who on HN failed Economics 101? God bless you, but please stay away from the DV button.