@Cycloptichorn,
Cycloptichorn wrote:okie wrote:I am all for innovation and efficiency, if I am not forced to buy it. I think it would be an interesting point to find out why the Lupo or Fox is not sold here. Somehow I doubt it is VW's choice not to sell them here because they think there is no market.
Why do you doubt that? VW makes a lot of money off of cars they sell here in America, and nothing is preventing them from bringing that car here. Why go to crazy lengths to make up some 'hidden' reason why they don't want to make money, when they will flat-out admit to you that they don't think they can make enough money off of the product to sell it here?
First of all, I have friends that own VWs, so I am fully aware that VW sells bunches of cars here. However, the mpg reported for a Lupo or Fox is far more than anybody I know gets out of a Passat or Jetta for example, so I think I am fully justified in wondering why they do not sell those more efficient ones here. Furthermore, I am not making up some hidden reason why they do not sell them here, and I do not think it is because they do not want to make money. So, I think my curiosity is totally justified. An attempt to research the answer why Lupo and Fox were not or are not sold here has not been very successful, but my reading has confirmed the fact that meeting crash test regulations by the NHTSB (National Highway Transportation Safety Board) is in fact a major hurdle for importers of cars into this country. My searching did turn up this post on a website from 2004 about the Lupo
"VW has stated it has no intention of exporting the Lupo to North America. A Canadian dealer told me it was because it cannot meet the
crash test standards."So , cyclops, you probably suspicioned where I was heading with this, but I think my suspicions might be right, that it was the regulations here in this country that perhaps prevented it. Someone with more time or knowledge about this could perhaps find the definitive answer. Ever since 2006 when I visited Denmark and discovered the Lupo and what economy it delivered, I have always wondered. As Iv'e said, our local Ford dealer is selling Vespas, so I am pretty confident that if there is a non-hybrid car that can deliver over 70 mpg, I am sure VW could establish a dealer network to sell at least hundreds of thousands of cars. I also understand that VW as a corporation has many factors to consider, including how this would affect their other models being produced and sold. I also understand other constraints and buyer habits in the U.S., but I still stick to the fact that free market principles reign here. I was not blind to the many scooters popping up all over town when gasoline hit $4 per gallon last year, and we know it will do that again and more.
My brother in law bought a Prius when they first came out, and he still likes the car, but to be honest, it is a roller skate that should get at least 40 mpg even without a battery, and he knows it might not turn out that well economically after the battery needs replacing. The best he ever got was about 70 mpg with a tail wind going to New Mexico, but it does still do 45 to 50 around town and so forth.
Quote:BTW, I think that when you say, "I'm all for efficiency - so long as I don't have to be the one who is being efficient," what that really means is that you are NOT 'all for efficiency.'
Cycloptichorn
Wrong, cyclops. I am for what works out for me the best. I own a Ford F-150 because I need it for work and other things. I also have an old Taurus that surpasses 30 on the road and more than 20 in town, which is not bad. I have always considered at some point buying a hybrid or an electric car, but not until it makes econmic sense. I've looked at insurance costs and tire costs, and all of that, and right now it makes no sense to buy a 3rd car for strictly around town. To reiterate, it is not the government's business to make my decisions. It is up to me to weigh the options. I have never owned, nor will I ever own a Chevy Suburban, I will tell you that, because they are not the type of vehicle that is efficient, so I do not understand why so many people have owned SUV's. Probably the primary reason is the car and child seat regulations in this country, and so all the families and soccer moms had to have vehicles to accomodate it. Again, the culprit might be over-regulation, cyclops. You need to face the truth that regulations in this country do in fact affect the car market in a major fashion.
