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I’m starting to think we need weight limits on standard passenger vehicles so that designers have a constraint to work within. Of course there should be excepti

I’m starting to think we need weight limits on standard passenger vehicles so that designers have a constraint to work within. Of course there should be exceptions granted for commercial and similar usage, but I fail to see the logic in allowing 7000 lb Suburbans or Escalades on the road as daily drivers. I’m not even talking EVs here. Why is a Hummer legal to drive when it causes disproportionate wear on the streets, can’t fit adequately in a lot of parking, and will essentially obliterate any other vehicle it hits? It doesn’t even have a reasonable commercial purpose beyond wrapping it with advertising and using it as a parked billboard as far as I’ve seen. And as far as EVs go, my Ioniq 5 is a little over two tons and has the wheelbase of a Palisade already. Do you really need a whole other ton and a half to add a third row? On my car I’m pretty sure you just have to square off the roof and allow some overhang in the back. It’ll need more battery, but a ton more? Empty pickup truck beds aren’t all that heavy either, for that matter. I can’t imagine this type of mass inflation has been as rampant in Europe and other areas that value small cars. We Americans have always been in love with displacement, whether it’s coming from the engine or the chassis.

rokkitmensch 3y ago
Because for historical and cultural reasons, many folks will object strenuously to an America where the default is not to beg forgiveness when you fuck up, but to ask permission before doing anything interesting.
kevin_thibedeau 3y ago
Even non-EVs are crazy heavy. The old Ford Ranger truck (2011) weighed 3700 lbs in its heaviest configuration. There are many non-hybrid/EV sedans, even "small" sport sedans, that push well past 4000 lbs nowadays.
concordDance 3y ago
I'd recommend appropriate weight taxes rather than going for a ban, you never know people's specific situations that cause them to acquire/desire a particular car. Calculate approximately how much a marginal 100lb costs in road wear, tire pollution and loss of life and limb (use EPAs $8 million per life figure) and increase road tax by that much for heavy vehicles. Then if people really need that big vehicle for whatever reason they can pay the $10k/year extra it's costing the rest of society.
zamadatix 3y ago
Historically, gas tax and vehicle registration fees (particularly for commercial trucking) tried to account for the infrastructure cost in a somewhat variable manner. EVs complicate this approach some since electricity is used by more than EVs. Ultimately though vehicle related deaths per mile and per person followed the opposite trend so there hasn't been a huge motivator for people to suddenly feel pressure to have safety regulations which require them to give up the vehicles they like. Climate related requirements needs (such as efficiency) seem to have an ever bigger role in reviewing what sizes make sense lately though. Rather than outright say weight is the thing that needs to be regulated I'd rather see it be directly about efficiency requirements or safety requirements and let manufacturers figure out the best balance to achieve the goals with. Interestingly, Europe seems to have been adding mass at the same rate (higher in terms of percentage growth, actually) but they just started off smaller. https://thecorrespondent.com/310/your-car-has-a-weight-problem-and-we-need-to-regulate-it# https://thecorrespondent.com/310/your-car-has-a-weight-probl...
jnwatson 3y ago
A per-pound tax is appropriate. After all, the impact on road wear is roughly proportional to weight.

rokkitmensch 3y ago

Because for historical and cultural reasons, many folks will object strenuously to an America where the default is not to beg forgiveness when you fuck up, but to ask permission before doing anything interesting.

kevin_thibedeau 3y ago

Even non-EVs are crazy heavy. The old Ford Ranger truck (2011) weighed 3700 lbs in its heaviest configuration. There are many non-hybrid/EV sedans, even "small" sport sedans, that push well past 4000 lbs nowadays.

concordDance 3y ago

I'd recommend appropriate weight taxes rather than going for a ban, you never know people's specific situations that cause them to acquire/desire a particular car. Calculate approximately how much a marginal 100lb costs in road wear, tire pollution and loss of life and limb (use EPAs $8 million per life figure) and increase road tax by that much for heavy vehicles. Then if people really need that big vehicle for whatever reason they can pay the $10k/year extra it's costing the rest of society.

zamadatix 3y ago

Historically, gas tax and vehicle registration fees (particularly for commercial trucking) tried to account for the infrastructure cost in a somewhat variable manner. EVs complicate this approach some since electricity is used by more than EVs. Ultimately though vehicle related deaths per mile and per person followed the opposite trend so there hasn't been a huge motivator for people to suddenly feel pressure to have safety regulations which require them to give up the vehicles they like. Climate related requirements needs (such as efficiency) seem to have an ever bigger role in reviewing what sizes make sense lately though. Rather than outright say weight is the thing that needs to be regulated I'd rather see it be directly about efficiency requirements or safety requirements and let manufacturers figure out the best balance to achieve the goals with. Interestingly, Europe seems to have been adding mass at the same rate (higher in terms of percentage growth, actually) but they just started off smaller. https://thecorrespondent.com/310/your-car-has-a-weight-problem-and-we-need-to-regulate-it# https://thecorrespondent.com/310/your-car-has-a-weight-probl...

jnwatson 3y ago

A per-pound tax is appropriate. After all, the impact on road wear is roughly proportional to weight.