The world does not revolve around America and if you talked to any first world country residents you would find out that no one really wants to be like America or live in America - we are all more than happy to stay in our awesome countries.Americans enjoy:
1) "Low" tax rates
2) Sufficient material wealth
3) Easy credit
4) Envy, or at least a desire to keep up with the neighbors
Other countries enjoy:
1) Sky-<bleep>ing-high tax rates
2) Somewhat less material wealth
3) Stickier credit processes
4) Crab mentality*
5) Suffocating group-think
Americans like large behemoth cars and trucks due to being human. Other places don't have them not because they don't want them, but several factors combine to make it much more difficult.
And let's not forget the neighborhood's envy. I knew a woman who was working as a contractor for a bank in Switzerland. Because she wore more than one outfit to work in a week, she was accused of "conspicuous consumption." I think if someone told me something like that I'd tell them to put it on a mop handle and sit on it until the whole handle disappeared up their anus.
Other people in other places would love large American vehicles. Because they can't, they stick their noses in the air and mutter pejorative invectives in our direction. Here, my neighbors might ask me why I still drive a 20 year old car, but instead they comment on how great the car looks for its age. (Well, that was before the ghetto fender I had to install.)
Anyway, the end of the story is that America is the envy of the world. Even the naysayers would come here in a heartbeat if only they could.
Cheers,
PH
* The crab mentality comes into focus if you've ever been crabbing without a crab specific trap and a very deep bucket. If you catch one crab, you need a lid on the bucket. But once you catch the second crab, you no longer need a lid. The crabs lock each other up and no one gets out of the bucket.
There are certain things that the rest of the developed world generally does better than the USA does. Citizens of the rest of the developed world can easily think of such things. Some Americans might be able to think of some. Others might realize it but not be willing to admit it. Others will have no clue.The world does not revolve around America and if you talked to any first world country residents you would find out that no one really wants to be like America or live in America - we are all more than happy to stay in our awesome countries.
Peaked? In total annual sales volume? I don't think so. I agree that people won't choose them based on the environment. But they'll buy them because they are fashionable. And some will buy them for performance. I'm not a big EV fanboy but the specs on them are pretty absurd. We have a few Leaf's (Leaves?) where I work and they are way quicker than I would have guessed.I stand my my prediction that electric vehicle sales have peaked. Most of the early adopters and people whose vehicle needs are favorable to the limits of an electric vehicle have gotten their cars. Cheap fuel and disappearing tax credits are making electric an uneconomical choice. People who care about the environment like to skew the data to make electrics look more environmentally friendly than they are, but in the long run most consumers don't make buying decisions based on the environment. That's pretty clear. If they did a lot more people would drive cars instead of trucks and SUVs.
I tend to agree with Peter if not in actual numbers, but most likely in market penetration. To change that would require some supernatural physics in battery charge density and/or ridiculous rates of subsidy for them.Peaked? In total annual sales volume? I don't think so...
Oh, thank you! Thank you!!...
I have no particular desire to live in the Excited States of Hysteria ...
There are those here in the USA who share your view in reverse. I have lived/worked/visited many places around the world. Russia, India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Europe, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Caribbean, and a few places in South America. They all have their good points and bad points just like the US does. There are places in the US I would not live in and other countries I would not live in. But don't fool yourself, there are many, many people all over the world trying to get here from all walks of life, for many different reasons. Your professor sounds very unprofessional and biased for a teacher. From my travel and living experiences around the world I have found that people themselves aren't really all that different. They just want to live and be able to make their way in the world.There are certain things that the rest of the developed world generally does better than the USA does. Citizens of the rest of the developed world can easily think of such things. Some Americans might be able to think of some. Others might realize it but not be willing to admit it. Others will have no clue.
I have no particular desire to live in the Excited States of Hysteria (a university prof of mine used that phrase a few decades ago!).
I'm not sure how one would determine "peak sales" other than with actual numbers. I can sympathize with folks who derive their livelihoods from ICEVs, but that doesn't change the reality of the situation. The transition should be gradual enough that those folks will have plenty of time to adapt.I tend to agree with Peter if not in actual numbers, but most likely in market penetration. To change that would require some supernatural physics in battery charge density and/or ridiculous rates of subsidy for them.
Wow I thought you were going down the AOC, aka Occasional Cortex rabbithole in the beginning of the post but you saved it.Americans enjoy:
1) "Low" tax rates
2) Sufficient material wealth
3) Easy credit
4) Envy, or at least a desire to keep up with the neighbors
Other countries enjoy:
1) Sky-<bleep>ing-high tax rates
2) Somewhat less material wealth
3) Stickier credit processes
4) Crab mentality*
5) Suffocating group-think
Americans like large behemoth cars and trucks due to being human. Other places don't have them not because they don't want them, but several factors combine to make it much more difficult.
And let's not forget the neighborhood's envy. I knew a woman who was working as a contractor for a bank in Switzerland. Because she wore more than one outfit to work in a week, she was accused of "conspicuous consumption." I think if someone told me something like that I'd tell them to put it on a mop handle and sit on it until the whole handle disappeared up their anus.
Other people in other places would love large American vehicles. Because they can't, they stick their noses in the air and mutter pejorative invectives in our direction. Here, my neighbors might ask me why I still drive a 20 year old car, but instead they comment on how great the car looks for its age. (Well, that was before the ghetto fender I had to install.)
Anyway, the end of the story is that America is the envy of the world. Even the naysayers would come here in a heartbeat if only they could.
Cheers,
PH
* The crab mentality comes into focus if you've ever been crabbing without a crab specific trap and a very deep bucket. If you catch one crab, you need a lid on the bucket. But once you catch the second crab, you no longer need a lid. The crabs lock each other up and no one gets out of the bucket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rNLnRczZgRead a little about crumple zones and our body's inability to handle sudden deceleration and you might have a different opinion. Trucks may suffer less damage in a crash, but the drivers' bodies can suffer more. I'd be happy to sacrifice my car to save my life.
You forgot to put the winking emoji on the end of your post. Someone might think you're being serious.Looked at another way, the F250 creates a hazard for drivers in cars.
Good point. I've always driven small cars (my first car was an Austin Healey Sprite) so I'm pretty good at driving defensively. My dad taught me that you should always look for an exit route when driving in traffic. And I find that, contrary to what most people do, you can often accelerate away from trouble. The increase in large vehicles on the road makes this more challenging: I prefer to look two cars ahead for brake lights, for example, but I can't do that if the car in front of me is a Suburban or F150. And what's in the next lane? Another SUV! Good news is I've never been in a major accident. Yet. It's like what motorcycle riders say, it's not if you'll dump a bike, it's when. Unfortunately I have done that.You forgot to put the winking emoji on the end of your post. Someone might think you're being serious.
Not in Texas. Land of big vehicles here. King ranch edition.Looked at another way, the F250 creates a hazard for drivers in cars.
Well Miata is a.coffin on wheels lolMy cousin drives a NA miata in Texas. She has been sideswiped by a jacked up pickup changing into her lane. The guy didn't even see her.
It will come, in time. The problem is that there is very little overlap between the part of the population that buys big trucks and SUVs, and the part of the population that will pay extra up front cost in order to use less fuel. GM already tried and failed. Chrysler's current attempt is timid (mild hybrid) and they're not really selling it on its fuel saving benefits.If US mfgs. want to sell big vehicles and people want them why not make them as gas-electric hybrids, then you could have the best of both worlds by not sucking up so much gas and sitting higher above cars. Is some of this big thing about looking down at cars?