What sometimes gets missed in the updated CARB rules “Advanced Clean Cars II” bit from late 2022 is that strong PHEVs are incentivized more than previous regulations. What’s a strong PHEV? One with a 50 mile range and a strong electric motor such that the gas engine says off in nearly every “punch it Chewie”…

Funny thing. VW released the ID.Buzz back in 1978 along with EPRI and TVA:

How is this possible? Pillars are so thick and belt lines are so high, plus all the air bags and impact beams, why is this happening? Or are we doing something wrong?

But the belt line is above the ears of the rear seat passenger, all in the name of safety.

European tastes largely, and we Americans buy enough of them too (shrug).

Been asking myself this ever since Audi offered the TT in primer gray... and charged more for it. Genius!

How many extra head gaskets are in the glove compartment (asking for my brother who has a ‘18 Crosstrek)?

Yeah, even the regulators are realizing the role for plug-in hybrids as long as they are designed / incentivized correctly. Even CARB tweaked the regs late last year, encouraging strong plug-in hybrids starting in model year 2026. What’s a strong PHEV? One that has 50 miles of all electric range and has a big electric…

It’s partly getting around the minimum credit card fees and partly about racing to get and keep the customer data.

Why is recharging an electric car so damn hard in America?

Yeah, and many of the original PHEVs came to Europe with low power electric motors and small batteries leading to short all-electric driving range. Couple that with the fact that many cars (in France and Germany anyway) are included as a business perk as a bundled low cost lease that includes a gas card but not an…

There also is a middle ground - strong plug-in hybrids with a 50 mile electric and a big electric motor such that the electric motor moves the car/truck in every “punch it” type of situation. CARB just changed their regs late last year to account for this. Strong PHEVs kick in for model year 2026. This sidesteps the…

So much this. Thank you.

Unless those let go were low performers and then has the opposite effect.

Exactly this. Getting rid of poor performers is not “layoffs,” but rather doing the right thing for both the company and the employees who are working hard. Layoff is when great people are let go but the company doesn’t have the funds to pay them anymore. That’s different.

Similar to other commenters, we enjoyed a homemade car play set too. Back in the late 70s, Mom made us kids a play town and streets out of various pieces of felt with sponges for buildings. So many awesome memories with Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars.

What does the data show on drivers who failed to compensate (meaning move their head to look around) for the thicker A pillars/higher hoods of post-2008ish vehicles and hit a pedestrian? Asking for a friend.

True, but CAFE’s footprint rule has cascading impacts into EVs (while making the ICE vehicles bigger). I do agree with you though; things like GM’s Hummer EV are absurd.

Tom,

It’s actually the CAFE “footprint” regs that give us bigger and bigger vehicles, but yes.