Why We Can't Have Small Trucks Anymore - Blame the EPA

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Recommends ewgoforth · 2023-08 · on “The end of cool small cars”

This video [this video] explains why small pickup trucks can't really be sold in the USA anymore. This explains the drive to larger pickups, but I don't know what explains the drive from cars to trucks/SUVs. We were considering a wagon when we bought our last vehicle, an SUV. The ability to occasionally carry more than five people was the deciding point. I believe crash standards prevent the selling of wagons with a "wayback" anymore.

Recommends paulgerhardt · 2023-11 · on “Vehicles with higher, more vertical front ends pose greater risk to pedestrians”

They are not making trucks bigger despite CAFE regulations. They are making trucks bigger because of CAFE regulations. This video details why: [this video] The short version is there is an exploit to meet standards by increasing footprint that is easier to implement than to make vehicles more fuel efficient. That exploit needs to be nerfed.

Cites Modified3019 · 2023-08 · on “Tell HN: I think I found Toyota's battery”

You can thank the EPA for that. The gov mandates that vehicles achieve a certain calculated efficiency, or there’s an extra fee/fine attached to the vehicle. Reasonable enough, right? Unfortunately the way this is calculated is absolutely fucking retarded. Basically, the larger the wheelbase of vehicle, the lower fuel efficiency the vehicle can get away with. This is why these fucking things keep ballooning in size, have a dogshit turning radius, and are causing an epidemic of frontovers and backover accidents killing or injuring thousands of children every year because there’s no up close visibility. Video explanation: [this video] Old small trucks can actually command a premium because of this

Cites blackfawn · 2023-08 · on “Car Bloat: “Huge Cars Are Terrible for Society””

Unfortunately small trucks have pretty much disappeared in the US and partly due to government rules: [this video]

Cites aidenn0 · 2023-11 · on “Toyota's New $10000 Pickup”

[this video] TL;DW: In 2008 CAFE introduced a formula that calculates the required MPG based off of the track times the wheelbase (basically the rectangle formed by the tires). Trucks are less aerodynamic than sedans, so small trucks can't be made that get sufficiently low MPG to meet this standard, and thus even though a smaller truck would use less fuel than a larger truck that meets the standard.

Cites aidenn0 · 2024-08 · on “A road safety plan that will lead to cars communicating with each other”

I came of age to drive in the 90s, and the first two pickups I drove were a 1984 ford ranger and a 1990 Toyota Pickup. Those were both what I would call "value" pickup trucks. They weren't fancy, but they moved shit around well. I know everyone says that the EPA killed small trucks in 2008[1] but Toyota replaced the "Toyota Pickup" with the less-practical Tundra in '95, and embiggened it in 2004, so I'm not convinced that companies would make them even were they legal. 1: [this video]

Cites blackfawn · 2024-09 · on “Americans' love affair with big cars is killing them”

One thing people often miss when talking about US cars getting bigger, particularly "small" trucks, is government regulation: [this video]