cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/11465754
The things we’re missing out on thanks to protectionism, regulatory capture, and a complacent domestic car manufacturing industry.
That thing is a beast.
The little truck that could.
That’s really interesting. An electric UTV that could do that kind of work, at brand new price, would be around $20k. It wouldn’t have a dump bed, though. One thing those UTVs have is a snow plow attachment. Not sure this little truck has the torque for that. Yes, electric motors do have good torque, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the little Chinese truck can do it.
He mentioned he spent quite a bit more to get it imported, but didn’t specify the whole price.
Wonder what justification they give for turning back vehicles at the port. Seems like at that point a lawyer might be worth it.
Protectionism laws in general.
People have tried to import all sorts of vehicles through grey market means. The R34 Nissan GTR being a prime example, though it’s now old enough that you don’t have to resort to trickery anymore. Some people were more successful than others. Some who were otherwise successful had their R34 pulled over, recognized as a grey market vehicle, and impounded on the spot. You’re generally not going to win if you fight it.
Why in the world would a grey market vehicle be impounded though? It’s not illegal to drive them. Grey market just means imported through someone other than the manufacturer. Unless you are talking about safety issues making them illegal on US roads then I do not understand the situation at all. Sounds like police overstepping the law once again.
Cars have to be tested to certain safety standards. The R34 probably could have met them in the US (or be easily modified to meet them), but Nissan never bothered. They never wanted to sell it as a road car at all, and only did so because they wanted to get into a racing series that required a certain number of cars to be sold on the open market.
Yes, this is how the law works. The auto industry is covered by a lot of protectionism this way; it didn’t start with Chinese EVs. There is a 15 year time limit, so you can get them now without trouble if you want.
