thisorthatorwhatever

joined 2 years ago

He spends most of his time away for Queens Park, drinking at the cottage...and he expects the auto-industry to somehow deal with all the complex international issues itself. No vision, no ability.

Consumption is still growing, but the 'oil' in Venezuela is just tar, the 'oil' in the United States come from fracking. The days of sweet crude are behind us.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Proper taxation on fuel might help.

One massive problem is all the advertising of pickup trucks and muscle cars ... advertising works. So many people can only see themselves needing and driving a large pickup/suv or a Dodge Charger.

I'd like to see an advertising campaign for medium sized sedans pulling utility trailers ... as being macho. It shocking how few people use utility trailers, they are not a thing in N. America.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The only real breakthrough has been hybrid, for mpg and efficiency. I suspect internal combustion engines will be around for some time, but almost all cars will move to hybrid (hopefully plug in hybrid).

Cars heat up quickly now because, aside from the heat from the car engine, many have small electric heaters to overcome the first few minutes of cool air in the cabin and on the windshield. But all this tech comes at an expense to cost, simplicity, and repair-ability.

N. America really needs more public transit. Better trains between cities. Legislating pick-up trucks so they are safer to pedestrians. Allowing smaller companies to manufacturer cars, to break up the monopolies.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In urban environments an old 1980s car is fine, you can't really get into a high speed collision in a city.

Highway driving is statistically safer, so you can get away with a 1980s car on a highway.

Rural driving is o.k.-ish, if you are away of your surroundings on a rural road.

It's the sub-urban, specifically, the ex-urban environment in N.America that posses the most problems for driving an older 1980s car with limited safety features. People really speed on the wide, 6 to 8 lane, suburban streets.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

The Honda Civic has had the same fuel economy now since the late 80s https://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civic at 30mpg The VTEC engine has been computer powered for the same time, and has used a Catalytic converter that whole time. Only now, with an electric motor for first gear, do we see any mpg improvement.

The main safety feature, is that they gotten heavier.

15-minute duration, covering approximately 9.3 miles at an average speed of 18.6 mph" https://en.phongnhaexplorer.com/qna/travel/what-is-the-average-distance-of-a-car-trip.html#gsc.tab=0 Most cars don't even heat up in that time, an ATV or golf cart would be fine.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (13 children)

Cars from the late 80s and early 90s are still fine today if produced; relatively safe, good fuel economy, air-conditioning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Civic_(fourth_generation)

Heck, 4/5 people would be happy with a side by side ATV as a form of transportation in urban/suburban areas. https://www.utvdriver.com/utv-news/cheapest-utility-side-by-sides/

A golf cart is suitable for at least 50% of people currently driving in cities, as the majority of small cars are just grocery getters. https://www.utvdriver.com/utv-news/cheapest-utility-side-by-sides/

Something is fundamentally wrong with the transportation; size, power, cost of cars.

Good luck finding a dealer that will sell you that at the price you quoted. To get the real price, you need to log in and give your email, and be contacted by the dealer.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

That list from autotrader.ca seems off. Going to individual dealer pages and the prices hover around the $31,000 range for many of those.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is how good people get screwed, but stupid judges that can't see 2+2 is 4. In the eyes of the court now a 'National Security' threat has to be so great that an invading army needs to be parked on Parliament Hill.

Most normal people don't want a hundred trucks honking all night long for weeks on end, it's insanity.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Doug Ford has been asleep at the wheel, drunk at the cottage, and completely fumbled the car industry in S. Ontario. The Ontario government should really limit the power, speed, and acceleration of cars. In S. Ontario we've reached the limits of congestion, it's just sprawl and traffic.

By severally limiting the speed etc. of cars, though taxes, the government would have saved the Ontario auto industry. Focus would have then shifted to making everything lower price, and that is all that matters globally in the car market.

Instead we get stupid cars like the Dodge Charge, that only a small minority of people want. Power you can't use, and a high price tag.

If the provincial government told people, no more stupidity, we are actively capping engine size through taxes we'd have a better and stronger car manufacturing sector in Ontario.

[–] thisorthatorwhatever@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

If they start at 33K, that is the end for the sale of most other cars in Canada. The majority of people that buy a new car, simply pick the cheapest one. 33K undercuts all else on the market.

 

Since the 1960s America has taxed light trucks being imported. Because America didn't have to build light trucks to compete internationally they lost the international market on light trucks. Now nobody wants to buy American cars and trucks because they are not as good as what others countries build. So now America has put up high tariffs to make itself even more isolationist, since they can't compete.

 

N. American cars are garbage. Our garbage car economy is garbage.

What about all the other industries?

 

Ridings in Ontario were historically about 5000 people, with very large ridings hitting 8,000, and nothing in the double digits. Today ridings are 100,000 people.

Look at the difference between 1908 and 2022 Ontario general election, in Toronto.

1908 Ontario general election Toronto South - Conservative win with 5,202 votes of 6,965 cast (75% of the vote). 74.69

2022 Ontario general election Toronto Centre - NDP won with 15,285 votes of 34,921 cast (43.77% of the vote).

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