4 ms·

Chaotic good, I could imagine Walmart deciding to sell a miniature EV for around $12,000. Imagine something like a two-seater City car, while I'm dreaming I im

Chaotic good, I could imagine Walmart deciding to sell a miniature EV for around $12,000. Imagine something like a two-seater City car, while I'm dreaming I imagine this type of vehicle completely taking over for most City commuting. Since these would be smaller and slower than normal cars, they would be phenomenally safer.

SoftTalker 2y ago
Very few people have purchased the gasoline-engine equivalent of such cars, so not sure why an EV version would fare a lot better.
- mikeyouse 2y ago
  Especially when they are at Walmart to purchase it with a grocery cart full of groceries that you’d be hard pressed to fit in the E-Smart Car equivalent.
- Reason077 2y ago
  … in the USA. European cities are full of small city cars. Driving (and parking) anything much larger can be impractical on many streets in Europe.
  - constantcrying 2y ago
    >… in the USA. European cities are full of small city cars. All of these cars are highway capable. The cars OP describes are extremely niche in Europe.
- dzhiurgis 2y ago
  Especially considering some ebikes are approaching $12k...
dyauspitr 2y ago
A 2 seater is never going to work in America. But electric trucks and vehicles definitely can if charging stations are ubiquitous and there is no range anxiety.
constantcrying 2y ago
>Chaotic good, I could imagine Walmart deciding to sell a miniature EV for around $12,000. There have been many, many car projects like that from large and small companies. All of them failed to get any kind of mainstream audience. People want general purpose cars and they will not buy anything else. >Since these would be smaller and slower than normal cars, they would be phenomenally safer. City driving at 50kmh is already dangerous in regular cars. Either you limit traffic to something like 25 kmh or you have to accept that crashes are now more dangerous.
iwanttocomment 2y ago
For your consideration, the Smart Fortwo electric drive. They really tried. Not a success. While I never owned one, I drove them several times and I liked them! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_electric_drive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_electric_drive
- constantcrying 2y ago
  The smart is also a "real" car. You can use it on the highway. Obviously it isn't great there, but it is not a car you can only drive in the city.
  - iwanttocomment 2y ago
    Indeed, the Smart was a highway-legal car. In the US, it's been possible for years and years and buy a golf cart functional as a "city car" for far less than $12k that you can only use on residential streets or in planned communities. They're very widely available. Virtually nobody actually does this. At least in the US, it's an existing option that is not a viable market segment whatsoever.
  - SoftTalker 2y ago
    Most larger cities in the USA have expressways/interstate highways through the core or as beltways or both. Yes you can get around on surface streets but most people will want the option to use the faster roads.

SoftTalker 2y ago

Very few people have purchased the gasoline-engine equivalent of such cars, so not sure why an EV version would fare a lot better.

mikeyouse 2y ago
Especially when they are at Walmart to purchase it with a grocery cart full of groceries that you’d be hard pressed to fit in the E-Smart Car equivalent.
Reason077 2y ago
… in the USA. European cities are full of small city cars. Driving (and parking) anything much larger can be impractical on many streets in Europe.
- constantcrying 2y ago
  >… in the USA. European cities are full of small city cars. All of these cars are highway capable. The cars OP describes are extremely niche in Europe.
dzhiurgis 2y ago
Especially considering some ebikes are approaching $12k...

dyauspitr 2y ago

A 2 seater is never going to work in America. But electric trucks and vehicles definitely can if charging stations are ubiquitous and there is no range anxiety.

constantcrying 2y ago

>Chaotic good, I could imagine Walmart deciding to sell a miniature EV for around $12,000. There have been many, many car projects like that from large and small companies. All of them failed to get any kind of mainstream audience. People want general purpose cars and they will not buy anything else. >Since these would be smaller and slower than normal cars, they would be phenomenally safer. City driving at 50kmh is already dangerous in regular cars. Either you limit traffic to something like 25 kmh or you have to accept that crashes are now more dangerous.

iwanttocomment 2y ago

For your consideration, the Smart Fortwo electric drive. They really tried. Not a success. While I never owned one, I drove them several times and I liked them! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_electric_drive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_electric_drive

constantcrying 2y ago
The smart is also a "real" car. You can use it on the highway. Obviously it isn't great there, but it is not a car you can only drive in the city.
- iwanttocomment 2y ago
  Indeed, the Smart was a highway-legal car. In the US, it's been possible for years and years and buy a golf cart functional as a "city car" for far less than $12k that you can only use on residential streets or in planned communities. They're very widely available. Virtually nobody actually does this. At least in the US, it's an existing option that is not a viable market segment whatsoever.
- SoftTalker 2y ago
  Most larger cities in the USA have expressways/interstate highways through the core or as beltways or both. Yes you can get around on surface streets but most people will want the option to use the faster roads.