I recall Japan charges people more if it’s over a certain weight. Do it like Japan.
This week, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stunned safety advocates by proposing new vehicle rules that it says will help reduce pedestrian deaths in America. The new rules appear aimed directly at the trend of increasingly massive SUVs and trucks, which have been shown to be more deadly to pedestrians than smaller and midsize vehicles.
This will be really cool if it survives the SCOTUS war on the administrative state.
They still are banning small trucks, so I think this is not the US taking aim at truck bloat but just a new tax.
Bring back tiny neat trucks!
I believe that the OP means the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988, which effectively bans kei trucks from import into the U.S. because they’re not manufactured to the Act’s standards.
Or, perhaps the Chicken Tax, a 25% tariff imposed on the import of light trucks in 1964 as part of trade dispute with Europe. It’s still in effect, shielding American manufacturers from competition from smaller, lighter trucks.
EPA has never banned small trucks. This is from consistent misinformation that shifts blame from car manufacturers to the government.
EPA made a scaled plan that required improvements to emissions from smaller trucks first, then larger trucks over the years.
Car manufacturers chose to abuse that flexibility by simply not making smaller trucks, instead of making ones that meet the standards, which is why trucks have steadily inflated in size in the US as they make whatever the next unregulated size class is that year.
You can of course partially blame EPA for not having the foresight to predict that would happen - but they also make regulations under pressure from politicians and lobbyists who are themselves influenced by car manufacturers.
The emissions laws they have in place isn’t really a ban but instead just less encouraging of smaller trucks. The bigger the truck the emissions get easier to pass.
https://newrepublic.com/article/180263/epa-tailpipe-emissions-loophole
Ban the crew cab and force the trucks to be used as trucks, not minivan/SUV substitutes. Suddenly a $60k+ pavement princess used for hauling a recliner once a year isn’t as appealing.
Does a trailer tow for me? Cool enough, that might actually be true soon. They have some fancy ev trailer boosters coming out and being developed.
If you’re required to have a truck to work you should probably be using one owned by your employer or written off as a business expense if you’re self-employed.
Well… Back when a truck wasnt $60+k… Yes thats exactly what people did. They had a truck that guzzled gas and provided the bed space or towing capacity they needed for work, and a daily driver for other things.
From the last time I saw this ‘debate’… ~30% of truck owners use the bed once a year or less, ~75% of owners tow once a year or less, and ~70% go offroad once a year or less.
Now, obviously there are applications where a truck is needed. That can’t be denied… But there are so many applications here that use massive fucking trucks where another country would use a sprinter van or similar vehicle for the exact same application.
Now, obviously there are applications where a truck is needed. That can’t be denied…
Pickup trucks? Not sure why that couldn’t be denied, as the rest of the world don’t really use them and if they do they’re a quarter of the size
You are probably referring a 2013 phone survey of 1200 individuals which purposely split the difference between using the bed and towing making them mutually exclusive. When you didn’t treat them mutually exclusive showed something like 60% of owners used it or lent it out for use at least a few times a year. Or a 2018 report by a trade group axios which didn’t release data, methodology, or anything. It was released to auto trade folks but because of copyright none of the data was released. Just regurgitated media referencing each other.
If you would like to actually link a peer reviewed study on truck use with public data I’m happy to reconsider my position. But I don’t believe that data exists. But again, my position is completely open if something has changed there.
1/2 ton v8 trucks start at 35, 42 nicely configured. Not everyone is buying lariats.
Unless your truck has an 8-foot bed for work, which would actually be longer than the front portion seating a family and therefore useful, it’s a silly waste of money. The point of a truck is hauling things, not people.
Please fix the fucking lights while you’re at it.
