If you had the power, how would you force/convince people to downsize their cars?

edkwon

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Spin off from the discussion of the increasing weight in consumer cars in general these days, if you got the fictional title of emperor of the earth and had the power to control marketing/manufacturing of the automotive industry in general, and disliked the growing trend of car size/weight/bulk. What steps would you take to force ppl to go with your line of thinking (getting away from large trucks & SUVs from ppl with no commericial needs or real use, large oversized luxury sedans) and make ppl downsize their vehicle requirements so they go back to the way things were when the car industry was much younger, leading to smaller, lighter cars which have better efficiency, handling, take up less space on the road, parking lots and pose less of a danger to each other during collisions.
 
slowly decrease the size of parking sports, by an inch or two a year.

and that's 1000 posts right there. bam.
 
enact a fat tax on cars (like they should on people)?
 
Hire attractive people to stand in parking lot booths and laugh mock people when they pull in something large.
 
Or I could let people make their own individual decisions about what they drive entirely on their own? I don't believe the world would be a safer, better place if everyone drove around in a Fiesta. Big cars aren't necessarily significantly less efficient, not every car needs the handling of a Miata, and most of the worlds roads are not downtown old Europe and can handle big cars. As for your danger comment, sure a big SUV will obliterate a Civic in a side impact, but you could argue the same Civic could crush an IQ or fortwo.

I would love to go on and elaborate, but this will lead into the same discussion Finalgear has already had 1000 times over.
 
Easy, put a enormous tax on gasoline, tax people yearly for having engines with a displacement of two and a half liters or higher, wheelbases that are longer than 105 inches, and weight exceeding 3500 pounds.

That means you can still drive a mid sized family sedan, but get taxed for owning a Suburban.

With that, I played the devil's advocate, since no government institution I feel has the right to do those things. And I hope you are playing the advocate too, or be branded a hypocrite.
 
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Get celebrities and influential people to drive around in small vehicles. Make a wide range of really expensive, hard to get small cars, so they become aspirational. Then, make a bunch of more attainable ones.

People want what they can't have, and what they think will make them cool.
 
What about kei car tax breaks and exclusive zones? obviously the line between kei and regular must be higher to have cars real americans can sit in , but it might work.
 
Design small cars that work like a TARDIS so the lack of space argument can't be made. Ta-daa!

/You didn't limit technological/ multidimensional powers.
 
Spin off from the discussion of the increasing weight in consumer cars in general these days, if you got the fictional title of emperor of the earth and had the power to control marketing/manufacturing of the automotive industry in general, and disliked the growing trend of car size/weight/bulk. What steps would you take to force ppl to go with your line of thinking (getting away from large trucks & SUVs from ppl with no commericial needs or real use, large oversized luxury sedans) and make ppl downsize their vehicle requirements so they go back to the way things were when the car industry was much younger, leading to smaller, lighter cars which have better efficiency, handling, take up less space on the road, parking lots and pose less of a danger to each other during collisions.

Ah yes back when cars where small... oh wait:
Cadillac_at_car_show.jpg

800px-71caddyfleetwood.jpg

Continental_markiicom.jpg


How do you define real use? I use my SUV when I need to transport more than two people, my MG is in the shop :)P), I go snowshoeing/hiking/mountain biking, need to move crap, etc.
 
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Make an economical vehicle that's fun to operate, has sports-car like acceleration, Prius-worthy gas mileage, costs under ten grand new, and can carry two people plus some luggage.



Oh wait, we have that already, it's called the motorcycle!:p
 
My buddy's family owns a construction business that he helps out with whenever he goes home. While he is at school he is an avid off-roader and rides a snowmobile and an atv. I don't think he would be on board with your plan of forcefully making cars smaller. Neither would my friend and his brother who own a landscaping business. Neither would my friend who frequently tows horse trailers. Neither would my friend who has to tow his project/show car around. I can keep going if you'd like...
 
Easy, put a enormous tax on gasoline, tax people yearly for having engines with a displacement of two and a half liters or higher, wheelbases that are longer than 105 inches, and weight exceeding 3500 pounds.

That means you can still drive a mid sized family sedan, but get taxed for owning a Suburban.

With that, I played the devil's advocate, since no government institution I feel has the right to do those things. And I hope you are playing the advocate too, or be branded a hypocrite.

This just about sums up my thoughts. It's not too hard to get it done, but it's certainly not something the government should be doing.
 
I don't think people should have to down size, but I will take this in another direction and say that I would loosen the regulations on manditory safety equiptment and fuel regulations.

That way automakers could go back to making "stripper" cars that the enthusiasts like, but at the same time build safe, fuel effecient, does-everything-for-you cars that the consumer demands.
 
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