4 ms·

> "Since when do we need multi tons machine to move a being that is usually below 100kg from a to b" You don't always need them. Short intra-city drives don't

by john_b 12y ago

> "Since when do we need multi tons machine to move a being that is usually below 100kg from a to b" You don't always need them. Short intra-city drives don't require a large vehicle. But most public transportation in the US is rather poor, so people buy a car that will cover their worst case usage: driving multiple people and their luggage between cities, possibly hundreds of miles. An electric egg car isn't safe or efficient for that. There is a car lobby in the U.S. and it does have influence, but you have ignored Occam's Razor here. People buy large cars in the U.S. simply because they are useful. Creating competing services so large, individually owned cars are less useful is what projects like this and Uber are working on.

gbog 12y ago
> People buy large cars in the U.S. simply because they are useful. You surely know that this cannot be true. In China, again, many rich people buy expensive luxury cars, and really have no need for them, except if you include "social status" in "needs". I have a simple litmus test for detecting unneeded goods that people are trying to force into our minds: ads. We need normal food (neither fast nor organic), normal shoes (not Nikes), a door on our house with keys, etc. Except if it is very different in the US, I think no big ads campain are selling these. However, each product that require a heavy handed ad campaigns is certainly lacking in desirability or usefulness. And it also means these industries are spending a lot of money selling you goods, instead of spending money making these goods better or cheaper. Anyways, my bet is that the car industry is rotten to the bones, selling worldwide dangerous and superfluous multi-tons machines that could be replaced by many other, more useful, safe and scalable transportation means. And I hope Google and others will break this industry apart as soon as possible.
- gedrap 12y ago
  I am living in Beijing at the moment (Haidian), spent most of my life in Europe. I get what you mean and understand the efficiency of Chinese transport vehicles. But one huge thing you are missing is the cultural differences. They are pretty big. >>>normal food (neither fast nor organic), normal shoes (not Nikes), a door on our house with keys, etc I get what you mean. I spent a little time in the north-east Beijing villages and I know what you mean by minimality. But again, 'not normal' shoes will last longer. The house with a bit more than just doors will make you feel safer (or is just me a paranoid Westerner?). Yes, there might be some lobbying and brain washing, as you call it. But as you can see, the culture is totally different. It's neither good nor bad. It's just the way it is.

by john_b 12y ago

gbog 12y ago

> People buy large cars in the U.S. simply because they are useful. You surely know that this cannot be true. In China, again, many rich people buy expensive luxury cars, and really have no need for them, except if you include "social status" in "needs". I have a simple litmus test for detecting unneeded goods that people are trying to force into our minds: ads. We need normal food (neither fast nor organic), normal shoes (not Nikes), a door on our house with keys, etc. Except if it is very different in the US, I think no big ads campain are selling these. However, each product that require a heavy handed ad campaigns is certainly lacking in desirability or usefulness. And it also means these industries are spending a lot of money selling you goods, instead of spending money making these goods better or cheaper. Anyways, my bet is that the car industry is rotten to the bones, selling worldwide dangerous and superfluous multi-tons machines that could be replaced by many other, more useful, safe and scalable transportation means. And I hope Google and others will break this industry apart as soon as possible.

gedrap 12y ago
I am living in Beijing at the moment (Haidian), spent most of my life in Europe. I get what you mean and understand the efficiency of Chinese transport vehicles. But one huge thing you are missing is the cultural differences. They are pretty big. >>>normal food (neither fast nor organic), normal shoes (not Nikes), a door on our house with keys, etc I get what you mean. I spent a little time in the north-east Beijing villages and I know what you mean by minimality. But again, 'not normal' shoes will last longer. The house with a bit more than just doors will make you feel safer (or is just me a paranoid Westerner?). Yes, there might be some lobbying and brain washing, as you call it. But as you can see, the culture is totally different. It's neither good nor bad. It's just the way it is.