Paris is becoming a city of bikes. Across China, people are snapping up $5,000 electric cars. On Earth Day, a look at a few bright spots for emission reductions.
As of a year ago, it’d sold 1.1 million globally; it’s the most popular EV in China. Coincidentally, saw one of these rolling by the house here in the PNW (the red/black model, kind of a standout among the silver turds).
It’s manufactured by the three-way international joint venture SAIC-GM-Wuling, in the factories of Liuzhou. (Note the GM in there.) The new VW Bug.
Coincidentally, saw one of these rolling by the house here in the PNW
I wonder how it was imported and then registered. There’s a zero percent chance it meets US DOT standards and it’s not nearly old enough for the “classic” import exemption.
I suppose it’s possible that it was a GM test mule but the PNW isn’t a common place to see those.
A lot of US states are starting to close the classic vehicle exceptions too. Because their pickup-loving busybody mid-level bureaucrats are aesthetically displeased by kei trucks and so wield the levers of the administrative state to ban them for bullshit reasons.
I was definitely already amid doing the research for getting an old Kei truck and converting it to electric when I found out my state wouldn’t tolerate me doing it anymore. Because evidently a kei is super dangerous to be in on the road. More dangerous than a motorcycle or bicycle. Somehow.
Yeah, it’s intended to be a city car. In the city I live, a LOT of the vehicles I see going by on a 35-45 mph arterial are at or no bigger than this size. Avoid crowded, busy streets, drive safely, I’d have no worries. A LOT of the people who live here could easily commute every day a total recharge takes 6.5 hours.
Looked up that $5000 (where?) Chinese car. Here it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuling_Hongguang_Mini_EV
As of a year ago, it’d sold 1.1 million globally; it’s the most popular EV in China. Coincidentally, saw one of these rolling by the house here in the PNW (the red/black model, kind of a standout among the silver turds).
It’s manufactured by the three-way international joint venture SAIC-GM-Wuling, in the factories of Liuzhou. (Note the GM in there.) The new VW Bug.
EDIT: Wired review from 2022: https://www.wired.com/story/review-wuling-hongguang-mini-ev/
I wonder how it was imported and then registered. There’s a zero percent chance it meets US DOT standards and it’s not nearly old enough for the “classic” import exemption.
I suppose it’s possible that it was a GM test mule but the PNW isn’t a common place to see those.
A lot of US states are starting to close the classic vehicle exceptions too. Because their pickup-loving busybody mid-level bureaucrats are aesthetically displeased by kei trucks and so wield the levers of the administrative state to ban them for bullshit reasons.
I was definitely already amid doing the research for getting an old Kei truck and converting it to electric when I found out my state wouldn’t tolerate me doing it anymore. Because evidently a kei is super dangerous to be in on the road. More dangerous than a motorcycle or bicycle. Somehow.
Huh, I didn’t realize that an individual state could do that. I thought that the Federal rules covered it. TIL.
I remember more than one time time when I thought I was wrong but I wasn’t. ;-> Howsabout ‘I thought I saw one…’. I’ve never seen a UFO either!
In the US the problem with driving this car would be all the trucks and SUVs around you.
Yeah, it’s intended to be a city car. In the city I live, a LOT of the vehicles I see going by on a 35-45 mph arterial are at or no bigger than this size. Avoid crowded, busy streets, drive safely, I’d have no worries. A LOT of the people who live here could easily commute every day a total recharge takes 6.5 hours.
What the heck, I want one!
Me too. Beats a loooooong bus ride all to hell.