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Comment by thedrbrian | Hacker News Reader

So we could have a slightly bigger inside to the usual EV SUV. woo

Optimistically, we could have smaller cars without compromising on cabin space or storage.

…except when large SUVs are bought as a status symbol, or the race to drive the biggest tank on the road in defense from the other tanks or the road.

I actually suspect part of the reason people keep buying larger cars is because larger cars are safer and sometimes get better safety scores because in a two vehicle collision a heavier vehicle will experience less acceleration in the crash. Also more space to absorb the impact, increasing the time over which the acceleration happens. This genuinely makes heavier and larger cars safer if they are designed properly and maintain the same braking performance, which is totally possible. However the issue is that a larger car is only a safety advantage if your car is large compared to other cars on the road, so if everyone else also buys heavier cars no one wins and pedestrians, the environment and so on all lose.

Also they’re worse for everything else: the poor handling, especially with overpowering, means you’re more likely to get in a crash, etc. Manufacturers have spent billions making them less likely to lose control, roll over, etc. but the physics are unforgiving.

Drivers discount that because they like to think that those are things they control and just won’t do, but every year some fraction of people will hit ice, be distracted or angry, etc.

A smaller battery would imply fewer resources required per vehicle, which will be important as demand for batteries increases.

I think more importantly is that you can add more battery capacity, making EVs much more competitive with gas vehicles.

Bigger inside than modern SUVs? What does people transport? How many people ride regularly? What size are people?

Two adults, two kids in car seats, and a dog. With that, even a mid-size SUV has no space for cargo. If you drive a sedan, you have to leave the dog at home.

Maybe if they don’t put a foot-wide console in the middle there would be more space for people and cargo.

That's why station wagons and vans exist. SUVs do not provide more space, they just occupy more (on top of being dangerous to others)

Large station wagons no longer exist in the US market. The biggest one remaining is probably the Volvo V90, which is a nice car but can barely fit 5 people, and if you put a dog in the back then there's no room for cargo. It's also too expensive for most families; several large SUVs are actually cheaper.

Minivans are a good option for some families. But they suck for towing trailers, and the ground clearance is terrible if you ever have to drive on a dirt road.

Yeah really, like I’m gonna drive a minivan or station wagon out in the woods, or drive my four wheeler into the back when I need to take it somewhere.

Well, this is why A6 Allroad and the newly bastardized E-Class wagon exist.

Right.

I am all in on retrofitting a 1973 Ford Country Squire faux-wood-panel-in-green station wagon with a set of Kia uniwheels.

>> the Volvo V90, which is a nice car but can barely fit 5 people

It's a lot bigger than my Prius, and that happily takes 4 (5 with a squeeze) climbers with all their gear!

This sounds like a very US related problem that is unfortunately expanding to Europe due to car manufacturers marketing strategy.

I still find it crazy that no station wagon exists other than Volvo.. like Audi does not export their A4/A6/A8 estate version? Skoda, Mitsubishi, Toyota neither?

I can understand if you live in an area where roads are not well maintained or mostly dirt, SUV is really alluring. But for city driving is a massive (literally) problem for everyone.

There are a few other station wagons still available on the US market. Audi in still sells the A6, but it's very expensive and has limited interior space. For most middle-class families a large SUV like a Chevrolet Tahoe is a much more affordable and practical choice. Most Americans don't spend much time driving in dense cities, so that's not a real problem worth worrying about.

The average number of occupants in a road vehicle is under two, yet they drive a massive tank. The typical pickup truck on the road also has an empty bed.

Meanwhile, I can fit four people and some light cargo comfortably in my hatchback, or put all the seats down and carry more cargo than the typical SUV.

I drive a small petrol powered MPV. It has a luggage capacity of 710 liters in the trunk with 5 passengers, 160 liters with 7 passengers, or 1900 liters with 2 passengers. Moreover the trunk is square, so I can go to Ikea and buy a whole new kitchen and fit it in the trunk. The cargo loading capacity with 5 adult passengers is 450 kg. It has a towing capacity of 1650 kg. It also has a large roof box. New price was around $30k depending on trim level.

Now show me a modern EV that has similar specs, and you are talking about a large SUV that's up around the $100k price range.

It's a simple fact that while modern EVs are often styled as SUVs, the inside is comparatively tiny since the battery pack takes up a lot of space.

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