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> The law of averages says there are between just 1.2 and 1.6 people sitting in most cars daily, with the average distance covered hovering around the 20-mile m
by tqi 3y ago
> The law of averages says there are between just 1.2 and 1.6 people sitting in most cars daily, with the average distance covered hovering around the 20-mile mark.
Sure but two days a week I need to transport 3-4 people at once, once a month I need to travel 30+ miles to visit relatives, and a couple times a year I need to travel 200+ miles for a road trip. Would it really be better if I owned two cars?
EDIT: Personally, I think this solution (micro cars) is less optimal than owning larger cars (for infrequent, one-off trips) + better public transportation (for frequent, predictable trips).
- rglullis 3y agoNo. You keep the small car for your base case and join a car share program for the outlier trip.
- bluefirebrand 3y ago> join a car share program for the outlier trip. Any kind of "share" program inevitably will wind up becoming "I have to compete for this resource when I want to use it, which means sometimes I won't be able to access it when I need it" So that's a big fat no from me You can share access to important resources all you want. I'm not playing that game
- qazadex 3y agoSo I'm guessing you own a private jet as well?
- bluefirebrand 3y agoIf I could afford it, I would. Are you really gonna hold up flying as an example of a "share" that works? Flying is notoriously a miserable experience, between security, delays, cramped seating... Yeah, I mean, it'll get you to where you're going but it's not really an enjoyable experience.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- rglullis 3y agoShare programs are not meant to be the main source of anything. But here is another idea: what if the US were able to build an alternative system for transporting more people efficiently? Then the need for cars would be reduced and consequently no fight over one specific type of resource. Maybe they could call it, I don't know, mass transit...
- Petersipoi 3y agoWhat outlier trip? If they have to transport up to 4 people twice per week, is that really considered an outlier?
- rglullis 3y agoYou can put 4 people on a small car. More, even.
- Petersipoi 3y agoPlease click on the article and look at the car that is being discussed. It has 2 seats.
- rglullis 3y agoRight, my bad. I'm just tired of people trying to justify having ridiculously large SUVs or trucks, so I assumed that the idea of "small car" would be the traditional 4-seater hatchback.
- burnerthrow008 3y agoHow does that work when half the country wants to drive 200 miles over thanksgiving weekend?
- jdietrich 3y agoWe could make really long cars that lots of people can fit on. Maybe some of those cars could drive on special low-friction roads and be powered by overhead electrical lines.
- ponector 3y agoNo, this could be done in Europe which is hostile to cars, not in the US.
- rglullis 3y agoEurope is not hostile to cars. Europe is not as dependent on cars as North America. Big difference.
- ponector 3y agoRestrictions for cars to enter the city, extraorbitant price from parking after third hour and many other things to discourage use of cars - isn't it a hostile to cars?
- rglullis 3y agoWhere in Europe is this, and why are you talking like this applies to all of it?
- ponector 3y agoAlmost Avery where, but for example Strasbourg. Only low emision cars allowed, parking is allowed for 3h only, something like 4 eur per hour. Btw, not all of US is dependent on personal car, you shouldn't talk that way either.
- greyface- 3y agoI joined a car share program, became dependent on it, and then it was abruptly discontinued. Now I own a big car.
- ponector 3y agoAnd yet, small car like a VW Golf will be enough for all mentioned cases, not a truck.
- jareklupinski 3y agoyup, my diesel golf could do all of the above on a single tank and faster than anything else on the road too ;)
- Petersipoi 3y agoThis article isn't about a VW Golf or a Truck. It's about a Microlino.. which wouldn't be enough for any of the mentioned cases.
- ponector 3y agoIt is hard to transport 3-4 people with microlino. Btw in Italy I've seen many Microcars which are technically 4-wheeled scooters and thus could be driven by 14 years old kids.
- Petersipoi 3y agoIf you click on the article you'll see a picture of the car that is being discussed. They have 2 seats.
- firecall 3y agoThis broadly encapsulates the problem! :-) Not an attack on your comment at all, or your choices. I totally get it :-) But the thinking around needing a car that does-it-all is a problem that needs to be resolved! My Australian perspective: Even if we ignored the climate crisis, our cities and metropolitan areas are not designed to deal with the influx of massive cars and trucks! Australian roads are now seeing the huge RAM Trucks from the US! I see RAM trucks on the school run, with one of two kids in them, then the parent drives it to work. The RAM trucks are spotless. No mud, no dir, and not a scratch. Never done a days towing or work in the Trucks life. We don't have the road width or parking space capacity for these RAM size trucks. At least the massive popularity of the Tesla Model Y, and lately BYD, over here gives us some hope that when people are given choices, people will choose compact-ish efficiency! And then there is the climate problem... Essentially, my belief is that we are all going to have to swallow the hard pill and make unpalatable choices. We cannot individually own cars that do it all. We are just going to have to inconvenience ourselves and rent a Van or Truck for when we need it, or god forbid, use a train or bus! ;-)
- throwaway22032 3y agoIt's far more likely to be the case that we just have to compete for the privilege.
- alamortsubite 3y agoNot even close; this privilege is far more likely an accident of birth.
- tqi 3y ago> But the thinking around needing a car that does-it-all is a problem that needs to be resolved! Actually rather than a car that does it all, I think of a car primarily for filling in the long tail of trips while public transportation handles the most common trips. And to be clear I definitely don't advocate for extra large ram/escalade style cars here, my point is a 2 seat car that sits inbetween a car and a bicycle and is primarily for commuting is a wasteful and impractical idea.
- 3y ago