The picture would of course look very different if manufacturers had chosen to make smaller inexpensive electric sedans.
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So, it stands to reason an EV sedan would create even less pollution than an EV SUV, right? Where’s my EV sedan? lol
Gotta wait until EVs are no longer… “Premium”
There are som in the 20’000 range
There are few in the USA, more in other regions of the world
Mind sharing? lol. I’m looking to upgrade my hybrid in the near future, and hoping to go EV.
Requirements are basically:
- Not a Tesla (don’t want to pad Musk’s wallet + quality issues)
- Not a smartphone on wheels (I want buttons lol)
- Affordable ($40K at the most)
The Hyundai Ionic 6, the new model if you like buttons.
Polestar 2, but it doesn’t have many buttons.
A used BMW or Mercedes, they are too expensive new but you may be able to find a used one in your budget.
The Nissan Leaf, technically not a sedan but it’s very efficient.
The Volkswagen ID.7, no price announced yet but it might be too expensive
Prob the Ionic 6 is the only one that really stands out to me (not a fan of luxury brands). Thanks, will check that one out.
Yes. But they’re afraid they won’t make as much money if they sell those.
They know they won’t make as much, because they can’t inflate the price tag as much as they do with trucks.
Well it’s something… But it could be so much better.
The article only addresses emissions from the vehicles. It doesn’t address things like weight, which is a big factor on wear on the road (which makes it necessary to fix the road more often) and wear on the tires (which is pollution as well). Both of these are significant enough that they shouldn’t be neglected when you’re thinking about a vehicle’s effect on the environment.
It is a shame that companies as a whole are pushing these huge cars. I have pretty bad visibility in the bigger cars. When I need to purchase a vehicle, it is definitely a challenge to get something small. I’ve had to walk away from a salesman because he kept trying to push me into something bigger. Inventory is sparse for sedans and plentiful for SUVs and trucks. It’s non-existent for station wagons and nearly so for subcompact cars.
It seems like smaller cars would fit more people’s needs and would be safer for everyone around them… But as it stands I am terrified of walking near the road with these commonly driven behemoths.
I have the same problem with big cars. At the moment I have an ageing Toyota hybrid saloon, which is as big as I want to go. Years ago I knew a couple of people who had Toyota Rav4s - they were chunky little 4WDs, with a high wheel base but a small footprint. Perfect for the places I drive! Toyota still makes a Rav4, but now it’s a bulging, bloated monster. I’d love to have the original Rav4, but electric.
You can see the progression here: https://mag.toyota.co.uk/history-of-the-toyota-rav4/
That is such a shame. I would have loved a smaller RAV4 if I needed to drive up in the mountains. (My little Corolla struggled the few times I visited.)
The vehicles currently called SUVs are just Station Wagons with a higher centre of gravity.
In the old days, normal people drove Station Wagons, Sedans, Hatchbacks and Utes. Those people had a need for off-roading drive 4WD light trucks, which were a less pleasant to drive on-road.
Husbands wanted a toy for the weekend, but they still wanted something that was sane to drive to their day job. That meant that Wives for forced to drive the oversized Light Truck that handled poorly to drop the kids off at school and go day-drinking.
Eventually, 4WDs were remarketted as Sports Utility Vehicles and had their off-road capabilities handicapped. Manufacturers tried to push people to drive Wagons and the new MiniVans again, but the Soccer Mums liked the high seating position of the 4WDs.
Nowadays MiniVans and Wagons have been replaced by vehicles that are not as Sporty as Wagons and not as Utilitarian as MiniVans. They have no off-road ability.
The vehicles currently called SUVs are just Station Wagons with a higher centre of gravity.
There’s also a breed of what the manufacturers are calling a mini-SUV out there, which I reckon is just a hatchback with the same distinction.
Though the extra weight of electric batteries will cause more particulate pollution from tyres and road surface.
Another reason to have smaller cars with smaller batteries with shorter ranges, just enough for the every-day commute.
Why do you need to bring several hundred kilograms of road-tripping range to work and the grocer every-day?
Depends. I tried the fiat 500e and it would die halfway through the day if you added passengers and air conditioning. Great for a one person car, but if you’re hauling kids and spouses, you’re going to need a larger car with more range. Not necessarily an SUV — but something with at least a 200 mile battery.
Maybe. Depends on the vehicle and the tire.
This is true, but regular cars already produce far more microplastics pollution than is safe / sustainable, so staying on IC engines is not an option from that point of view.
However, as serious as the microplastics problem is, climate change is an existential threat. If people are going to drive cars, they should be electric.
Now compare it with a bus
