๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐Farmers in the US are getting sick of paying $80,000 for super-sized trucks that won't even fit into their barns.
They've been importing mini-trucks from #Japan that do the job and cost a lot less.
As Jeff Wood of @TheOverheadWire points out: "Japan taxes vehicles by size and engine displacement annually which has led to a lot of these smaller work trucks and vans. I often wonder what would happen if we taxed vehicles by weight or size as trucks and cars are getting ridiculously huge and dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians."
https://jalopnik.com/cost-of-driving-in-japan-taxes-tolls-parking-inspection-1849878881
Here's a great intro to the small vehicles of #japan
https://medium.com/a-chair-in-a-room/small-vehicles-of-tokyo-7cdda49c2bf8
Michel Patrice
Seiรฐr@MichelPatrice @straphanger The Carabiniers have a Lambo (or a Ferrari?) for their highway division, though.
A Lamborghini is fitted for the highway. In the narrow streets of central historic Rome, it would fit like a fish on a bicycle.
EarthlingThey use this police car only for small crimes up to 100 โฌ.
Tor Lillqvist@MichelPatrice @straphanger "On the side it should say Rome Police in capitals" "OK"
Tim Querengesser@straphanger Kei cars are my kind of cars.
BlingoAli@TimQuerengesser @straphanger
Looks like, for once, I was ahead of the gameโฆ
My London runabout (and only car at the time) c.1980, a 360cc two-cylinder 1977 Honda TN7. Just about the only shortcoming as a city car was the realisation that *you* were the crumplezone.
For those following that sort of thing, it's episode 7 of #MyCarHistory - coming soon!
Pineapple ๐EVs are around a third heavier than similarly sized IC engine autos plus they don't pay gas taxes. I honestly don't see any viable alternative to starting to tax by weight in the states.
The Overhead Wire@Pineapple @straphanger I think that the fact EVs are heavier is a reason to tax by weight. It will start getting people and companies to question whether they actually need a battery that can take them 300 miles when really most trips are only less than 10.
smells of bikes@TheOverheadWire @Pineapple @straphanger It would also address the huge glaring loophole where trucks over 10,000 pounds have a lower license tax structure as that's assumed to be a commercial vehicle.
ben moretti@straphanger @TheOverheadWire hard agree.
Gen X-Wing@straphanger I think we should stop subsidizing oil. Make it expensive to drive.
Thereโs better things to subsidize.
XaiaX ฬฬโ@breadbin @straphanger this wouldn't help with giant electrically driven SUVs, though. Fuel tax makes sense as an implicit tax on weight/inefficiency, until there's no fuel to tax.
obscurestar@straphanger @TheOverheadWire You mean instead of giving tax breaks and smog exemptions for giant trashheap SUVs? No way. That's crazytalk!
Lotโดโน@straphanger @TheOverheadWire Manchinema just killed a bill that would've done this.
Michal Bryxรญ ๐ฑ@straphanger As Alex Honnold would put it: That's an adequately sized vehicle.
Lyle Solla-Yates@straphanger the library system here in #Charlottesville uses Isuzu trucks and I was just admiring them this morning for the elegance, safety, and practicality of their design. I wouldnโt try to impress a date with them, but they seem very good at working.
Fardels BearThe Mighty Tadpole.
CodieneC@straphanger For running around your farm the vehicle generally has a dump box , the rims/tires can changed for ATV rims/tires and now you've got a side by side with a dump box for less than a conventional side by side. It most places can also be licenced for the highway.
Robotbeat@straphanger They make big off-road golf cart type things that are also popular, about the same thing. And price.
@straphanger I guess I need to stop calling the giant trucks farm equipment now. CโEst la vie.
@straphanger Even calling them "mini-trucks" is tacitly affirming that modern, ridiculously large trucks are "normal".
I remember my parents had a Chevy LUV. That is a normal sized truck, and it would be called something like "petite mini-truck for soyboy communists" today.
H. Mantegazzi@XaiaX @straphanger also, those normal sized trucks are still common in many other places.
I'm sure that people from the US could get them in Mexico for cheap, and not hassle so much with the registration, because they can get them new, adequately equipped and with the steering wheel at the left.
I'm sure that people from the US could get them in Mexico for cheap, and not hassle so much with the registration, because they can get them new, adequately equipped and with the steering wheel at the left.
ู
ุงุฑุชู ููุณู@straphanger this seems like a good stand in for a (john deere) gator or a(kawasaki) mule, especially if you don't have to deal with too nasty of terrain
marimo jones@straphanger I adore these cute little trucks
Jen Mathis@straphanger I know a beekeeper who bought a Japanese minivan and painted it like a honey bee to haul her honey to market.
Jillianne Hamilton@JenXer @straphanger I love this.
@jillianne Ooh, I love your hair!
@JenXer haha thanks Unfortunately this pic is very old. It's just blonde now. I need new headshots one of these days.
geographileAustralians figured this out with utes decades ago.
kira :3@straphanger i have a family member who loooves furniture and moving and i don't know how anyone can try to get anything in or out of a modern pickup truck even once without immediately realizing they shouldn't exist. they're terrible for the most basic things they're meant to be useful for
@straphanger Hmmmm seems like the target population for those trucks are people who use vehicle size to compensate for insecurities, but I am no sociologist.
Frank Bennett ๐ฏ๐ต@straphanger Some manufacturers have come out with crew-cab mini-trucks over here. They're hilarious.
https://www.daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/haiso_deckvan/index.htm
https://www.daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/haiso_deckvan/index.htm
ใใคใผใใ ใใใญใใณ๏ฝใซใผใฉใคใณใใใใใใคใใใ
ใใคใใ ใใคใผใใ ใใใญใใณๅ ฌๅผใใผใ ใใผใธใ่ฃฝๅใฎ่ฉณ็ดฐๆ ๅ ฑใใใใใคใธใงในใใงใฎใใญใใฃใผใซ็ดนไปใใชใณใฉใคใณ่ฆ็ฉใใๅบๆค็ดขใชใฉใใ่ฆงใใใ ใใพใใ
@straphanger For an American take on Only Fools and Horses, I could see a dark version of Parks and Recreation, depicting a local champion of right-wing causes, ever eager to climb the ladder in the party, ever thwarted above by his lack of spit and polish, and below by the common sense and humanity of the denizens of his small town.
And he would drive one of these.
https://www.daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/haiso_deckvan/img01_index/main01.png
Chilly Dee Williams@straphanger I've been thinking a lot lately about how the bed of a pickup truck keeps getting smaller as the truck keeps getting bigger and wondering if people who actually use the trucks for purposes it was designed for were complaining about that. Thanks for this insight.
Franรงois Caron ๐จ๐ฆ@rogerriddle @straphanger If the bed can't hold sheets of 8x4, it isn't a legitimate truck.
Alexander Portnoy ๐ ๐ณ๏ธโ๐@straphanger I want one just because its cute.
climate voter/degrowthist@straphanger Small is beautiful and those interested in their bottom line don't buy expensive, oversized trucks that are not appropriate for the task at hand.
YingtaiTiny truck. The bed is barely longer than the cab. Makes it look really cute, the way a baby's head is really big compared to its body.
Here's a free link to an archived version of the article: https://archive.is/BkP1L #alt4you @straphanger
@yingtai @straphanger I saw this little Mitsubishi (not a kei but close) on my way to work. A number of mini fire trucks have been imported around here following a decade of serious brush and forest fires. I love them, though my heart is set on a Suzuki Cappuccino.
Dan Morgan 
@straphanger @AmandaWeaver Complete and utter bullshit. Thatโs a pretty fucking small barn, then. I grew up on a farm, farmed myself and โretiredโ a decade ago.
Badgerclops@straphanger maybe it's time for automakers to WAKE UP and import their latest kei trucks to the US market already!
Julio J. ๐ฒ@straphanger Wait until they discover the wonders of the Citroen C15
Jordan Maris ๐ช๐บ ๐บ๐ฆ @[email protected] (@jmaris_)
I often hear Americans & rich brits justify buying oversized, polluting vehicles by claiming they need them because they live in the "countryside". I call bullshit, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to introduce, the Citroen C15โฌ
Patrick Duffy@straphanger those should be on the U.S. market
J๊ฉhn@straphanger i need one so bad
David from Nashville โ
@straphanger not one auto mfg makes a small truck anymore. I bought a 1998 Chevy s10 for $1500. Itโs a beater but does the job.
the audible voice of reason@straphanger Quick! Someone tell @notjustbikes!!
Aleks
Andrew Kurjata@straphanger whenever I see a truck from the 1980s I think I might want a truck
Monte Paulsen, Climate Ready Buildings GroupThe โ80s-โ90s Toyota Hilux was wanted worldwide. It was the truck tradespeople bought on four continents. It was the truck the Taliban and others stole to build โtechnicals.โ It was the right-sized truck for the era.
Toyota threw its market dominance away when it โupsizedโ its fleet to complete with US trucks at higher prices.
(And, yes, I owned two back in the day.)
Peter Lee@straphanger one of the best cars I owned was a Suzuki Cappuccino- 2 seater convertible designed to fit the lowest tax bracket: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Cappuccino
It was a brilliant drive, and so cheap to run. But Iโd be terrified to drive it on modern American streets, amongst todayโs massive SUVs and trucks!
๐ ๐ช ๐ซ ๐ธ ๐พ ๐ป ๐ ๐ช ๐ฟ ๐ฎ 1864 ๐ฅโฌ๏ธ@straphanger any non paywalled version out there?
MarcusCSC@straphanger a battle of efficiencies as you pay the premium on a US truck to facilitate more, but that more facility is used seldomly
arkywarky@straphanger I've seen a lot more of those recently!
Andrew@straphanger but I was told we needed to allow the 4 ton F150 lightnings around on our roads for farmers to use them
The Book of KelsWhen I was a kid in farm country (rural Canada), a half-ton truck was considered pretty big, and most farmers did their work with quarter-ton trucks. We had a Datsun that size and it was a workhorse, great for getting down dirt tracks between fields, low enough bed to be able to easily load/unload, and plenty of capacity.
The current generation of giant "light trucks" aren't built for work, and in fact have surprisingly little cargo space.
Izzy's Old Account