QOTD: I Am Become Death, Destroyer of Cars?

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

We’re going to get quite selfish and authoritarian today, because we all harbor those feelings and it’s good to let them out from time to time. Safely.

You’re not a CEO in this hypothetical circumstance. You’re not an auto executive or designer or fabulously wealthy buyer with a garage capable of housing the USS Iwo Jima, either. No, you’re the same person you were when you laid your head down last night. Just more powerful. Omnipotent. You carry the world in your hands, and we all cower at your feet.

And you have a job to do.

That job is to kill off an automaker simply because its existence annoys the living shit out of you. That’s all. Yes, it’s an entirely selfish and morally reprehensible exercise, but you’ve been handed the power to snap your fingers and never be annoyed by hearing about a certain company’s products (or troubles, or fans) ever again, and you’d best not waste your chance.

Imagine getting the opportunity to rid the world of Billy Joel’s music. Well, this is the automotive equivalent.

It’s possible the answers to this question could prove quite illuminating, as it blends the psychological with the physical. With some automakers, the products are something you’ve decided will never interest you, but you can’t bring yourself to feel particularly vengeful against the company itself. It tries its best, some people like them, and so be it. It’s quite a different story when you combine those products, which you are definitely not planning on taking home this year (or indeed in your lifetime), and combine it with an annoying periphery. Fandom, drama, obnoxious marketing, activism — the list goes on and on.

You probably know what company I’m thinking of.

But hey, maybe you’ve got another one in mind. Let’s hear it, as well as the reasoning for it. Hopefully not everyone lands on the same page.

[Image: Century 21]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Jeff Self driving cars are not ready for prime time.
  • Lichtronamo Watch as the non-us based automakers shift more production to Mexico in the future.
  • 28-Cars-Later " Electrek recently dug around in Tesla’s online parts catalog and found that the windshield costs a whopping $1,900 to replace.To be fair, that’s around what a Mercedes S-Class or Rivian windshield costs, but the Tesla’s glass is unique because of its shape. It’s also worth noting that most insurance plans have glass replacement options that can make the repair a low- or zero-cost issue. "Now I understand why my insurance is so high despite no claims for years and about 7,500 annual miles between three cars.
  • AMcA My theory is that that when the Big 3 gave away the store to the UAW in the last contract, there was a side deal in which the UAW promised to go after the non-organized transplant plants. Even the UAW understands that if the wage differential gets too high it's gonna kill the golden goose.
  • MKizzy Why else does range matter? Because in the EV advocate's dream scenario of a post-ICE future, the average multi-car household will find itself with more EVs in their garages and driveways than places to plug them in or the capacity to charge then all at once without significant electrical upgrades. Unless each vehicle has enough range to allow for multiple days without plugging in, fighting over charging access in multi-EV households will be right up there with finances for causes of domestic strife.
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