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> Carmakers build what sells. This is only true when carmakers are sufficiently experimenting and letting customers decide what sells, but when they all make e
by voisin 3y ago
> Carmakers build what sells.
This is only true when carmakers are sufficiently experimenting and letting customers decide what sells, but when they all make extremely similar products in each category, it isn’t true. For examples look at the truck category - in North America at least, there is effectively no way to get a truck that is not loaded with electronics and silly features as the makers stopped competing on anything else. There is no “light weight, utilitarian build” truck that can be bought. And magically they all have super high hoods and massive interiors.
The same is true in every category I have looked at.
- rcpt 3y agoVans
- voisin 3y agoMinivans? Work vans? Where’s the experimentation? They all seem to compete on the same narrow list of metrics leading to homogenization of the product category. So it isn’t “we build what sells” but rather “customers need to buy and we define what’s available quite narrowly”
- piva00 3y agoWork vans in Europe have quite some variety to choose from, usually the segment is divided in 3 sizes: small ones based on compact cars chassis, a mid-size and larger ones with the chassis adaptable from a box van to a mini-truck, even with the possibility to exchange part of the rear for a bed truck. Some brands have an extended version for the mid/larger sizes, either to accommodate more passengers, have larger boxes or to fit a box truck enclosure on the back.
- voisin 3y ago> in Europe That’s the difference. I am writing from a North American perspective and I am often jealous of the seemingly endless variety of options available elsewhere in the world. Just know that we North Americans aren’t necessarily choosing to buy the giant trucks - in many cases we would love smaller options but they don’t exist.
- mytailorisrich 3y agoBecause that's what the market prefers. Sorry but people are not "innocent victims" and carmakers do not increase their own costs for the sake of it. They kept adding electronics and "silly" features because on average consumers went for it when given the choice.