this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2023
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Australians are driving bigger, heavier, dirtier cars and it's alarming both climate and road safety experts.

A decade ago, sedans and hatchbacks were the most popular cars in Australia. Today, Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and American-style utes dominate new car sales and advertising.

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[–] Fluid@aussie.zone 61 points 2 years ago (1 children)

A failure to properly regulate the import of yank tanks. Stop letter them in, simple.

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 10 points 2 years ago (2 children)

How about we allow them in, but make them work in our interests through high taxes and other ownership requirements that more than offset the damage they do.

[–] Fluid@aussie.zone 16 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Sound good. Maybe something like make them have an extra child to make up for the one the will inevitably run down? Lol

Yeah, if it was simply environmental, then maybe there could be some sort of offset scheme introduced. However unlikely it would be to actually make it to 1:1.

But adding the extra, and unnecessary, road danger, yeah.. old mates weekend can go stick it.

[–] Lintson@aussie.zone 3 points 2 years ago

Can you please write all public policy for the country?

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Also disallow tax writeoffs on 'em

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[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 26 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

A cautionary tale of what we don't want to become (and are on our way to becoming): These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us

[–] nobodyspecial@kbin.social 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

F = ma, or net force is equal to mass times acceleration. That's the physics driving adoption of land barges. Have to have lots of mass to avoid being subjected to deadly amounts of acceleration when the distracted, texting, makeup applying, breakfast juggling driver plows into you in their lifted F350.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 years ago

Crashes are actually a shitload more complicated than that. Impulse is a big deal and then you have to factor in the meat geometry of a human and the specialness of various bits of meat.

Don't throw scientifish nonsense around. Just say big car scary make get big car.

[–] elkazz@aussie.zone 15 points 2 years ago

Are we all just going the ignore the fact that the FCIA director's name is Peter Griffin?

[–] Kittybird@aussie.zone 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Make a suitable alternative for the soccer mums. Most suvs never go outside the city these days

[–] Lintson@aussie.zone 9 points 2 years ago (3 children)

It's a symptom of the ride height war. When everyones giant arse car is blocking your view of oncoming traffic you either follow suit or literally risk death every time you pull out of your kids daycare.

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[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 years ago (5 children)

We bought an electric recently. Was very upset to have to choose the Kona in order to fit 2 tall people and 2 big dogs. It's a great car but being realistic there's no need for it to be so big.

It seems like the styles now being sold are small hatchback, sedan, and everything else is SUV. Very disappointing to see there's not much middle ground lile the station wagon space or slightly larger hatchbacks. Especially with EVs. Most of my trips are like 40 km at most. I don't need 500 km range with a full car...

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[–] ryannathans@lemmy.fmhy.ml 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

What's actually going to ruin adoption are the new electric vehicle taxes being introduced

[–] nickiam2@aussie.zone 5 points 2 years ago (3 children)

EVs are much heavier than ICE cars of the same size and wear roads faster so more funding will be needed to maintain everything. Walkability/cycling and PT are the way forward

[–] lordriffington@aussie.zone 20 points 2 years ago

While it's true that EVs are generally heavier than equivalent ICE vehicles, it doesn't actually make much difference. Heavy trucks account for the vast majority of road wear and tear. Even a comparatively heavy EV doesn't weigh anywhere near as much as a truck.

The "EVs will wear the roads out!" argument is generally trotted out by people who have been influenced by those who have a vested interest in keeping ICE around.

It's true that active transport and PT are better in most respects, its naive to think we'll be getting rid of cars any time soon. When people do need to drive, an EV is always a better choice from an environmental standpoint.

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[–] unionagainstdhmo@aussie.zone 7 points 2 years ago

Just a reminder to keep discussions civil and respectful - This includes dog-piling, everyone is entitled to their opinion and if you notice the conversation degenerate it is fine just to agree to disagree.

[–] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Would they not be driving gas-powered SUVs if not for the availability of electric ones? Are electric SUVs not more efficient than a gas-powered vehicle of the same mass? If so, then that's still a win, just less of one than was hoped for.

[–] lordriffington@aussie.zone 2 points 2 years ago

Not necessarily. I bought an electric SUV (BYD Atto 3,) but would definitely have preferred something smaller. I definitely appreciate some aspects of its size, but if an affordable hatchback had been available, I'd almost certainly have gone with that. I could have waited, but there was no way to know at the time how long it would be until something like that was available. The most likely contender was the BYD Dolphin, but at that stage there was no confirmation that it would definitely be coming here.

While I'm sure many people buy the SUVs because they genuinely want something that size, I suspect a lot of people are like me and are buying what's available.

EVs are more efficient than an ICE vehicle of the same size, let alone the same mass. But yeah, still a win even if not as big a win as desired. EVs at their worst are still better for the environment than ICE.

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