A. the people who already have a car and want a 2nd for trips to the grocery store,
B. the people who only have a scooter and want to upgrade to something a little safer and weather-friendly,
C. the people who were taking public transportation, but due to the low cost, can now afford this car.
D. teenage students to drive themselves to school....
It seems to me that the low price point may enable a large volume of sales, but for the most part, it will put more vehicles on the roads by pulling people out of public transport and off of scooters.
A: just get one. compact car, ferrari, station wagon, truck mixer, F1 car, oldtimer, golf cart, doesn't matter! all of those will get you to your destination eventually.
That last one is interesting, but the first argument works just as well for cars like Volkswagen Sharan etc which are also very popular and given all things perhaps cheaper?
it seems that people who buy cars fall into two groups.
the first group views a car as an appliance, and will generally buy the cheapest one that will get them where they need to go and haul their stuff around. you tend to see these people driving crossovers.
the second group actually enjoys driving, and will seek to get the nicest car that fits in their budget. the minimum viable car and the nicest car you can afford can be very different in cost.
*Cars as defined by “car people”. Personally I couldn’t care less if my “car looks like a car.” (I don’t even know what that means.) I want it to get me from A to B with a minimum of financial and environmental expense.
Most people don't ride off the road, yet they get themselves rugged downhill bicycles with crazy big wheels in the city. Other people buy SUVs, in the city, where a smaller vehicle might have a ton of advantages.
This is all in a certain sense irrational behaviour, but in another sense it is more about the feeling. People like to buy things that they can imagine them helping in all life situations.
A car is not a small investment for many and if you have the choice between one that perfectly serves 95% of your trips and might suck at the rest and another that serves 100%, but the 95% are slightly worse/inefficient/expensive, that is a choice one can make. In certain circumstances it could even be the rational choice. E.g. if the charging infrastructure where you live isn't there.
Cleanliness, customization, storing of personal items, availability at odd timings or locations. There are plenty of reasons why many will still own a car.
1 - nothing compares to a brand new car. The smell, the cleanliness. No one other then to move it from the factory to the dealer has driven it.
2 - cars that have a strong aftermarket (currently driving a Ford Mustang) - I like to modify them / work on them. Anything to fancy or complex to modify (my Acura RDX) I lease and just leave it be.
3 - Volvo's new lease program interests me - a new car every 2 years just like a phone. I've never really liked the style of Volvo but I can overlook that if the terms look good (and they do to me)
So while I'll take an Uber or Lyft if we're going out for the night and might drink to much, I'll probably always buy or lease a car. I'm a car guy and enjoy taking care of my cars (cleaning / detailing) so buying / leasing is still worth it to me.
This is in Western NY where we have some metro rail / bus system but not as strong as say NYC.
>Too many people see their car as part of their identity.
I think that's because of the feeling you have when you drive a large machine yourself. If you are not behind the wheel anymore, will it still be the same feeling?
And yes, SOME will have this; there will exist a need for cars, I'm saying it will just be far less than it is now.
Mostly scrap. If you're in the market for a vehicle, do you take a gas-powered car with high operational and maintenance cost, or do you buy one with low costs?
Most people won't even buy, as it's cheaper and faster to rely on a self-driving vehicle that picks you up like a taxi would.
Existing cars are about as valuable in those scenarios as a horse and buggy.
Let us tell a bit of a story. You bought your two cars because your all-terrain car hobby is very important to you. This was a bit of a financial squeeze and you could not go on holidays as often as you liked. But since the car hobby is more important to you, you think you made the right decision and are happy about it. There is another person who thinks going on holiday is the greatest thing ever. He went on holidays five times last year. This was a bit costly but he decided he did not need a car that badly and could use public transport instead. This was a bit less comfortable but he thought the great experience of going on holidays five times was well worth the inconvenience. So, where did your car come from? It did come from the other person who did not buy a car but went on holidays instead. But both of you were happy with your decisions. No crisis situation or fierce competition is needed in situations where not everybody gets what they want. In fact, both persons might choose to forego a promotion that was offered to them and which would have contributed to economic growth because it would leave the one person with too little time for his car hobby and the other with too little time for this travels.
It isn’t always about speed. Even if I could get to work faster via rail or bus, I would still prefer to use my car. I like being alone, I like driving, I like being in control of the temperature and airflow, I like being able to pick my route and make any stops I want.
When you look at the best selling vehicles in the US it’s clear that people generally aren’t buying the least expensive vehicle that would work for them. They spend tens of thousands more because they want to.
A. the people who already have a car and want a 2nd for trips to the grocery store,
B. the people who only have a scooter and want to upgrade to something a little safer and weather-friendly,
C. the people who were taking public transportation, but due to the low cost, can now afford this car.
D. teenage students to drive themselves to school....
It seems to me that the low price point may enable a large volume of sales, but for the most part, it will put more vehicles on the roads by pulling people out of public transport and off of scooters.
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