I saw a print ad for a brand new Toyota Corolla back in 1974—something like $2500 or so. Running the inflation numbers: where are the $17K cars today? Why is the average US new car $50K now.

To be sure, I know there are a lot more regulations on car manufacturers now, and tech in the cars, but come on!

Querying Claude: "Manufacturers have responded by prioritizing profit, concentrating inventory at higher price points…", "2026 is the first year in the U.S. with no new car priced under $20,000."

Cars in the US are the ultimate regressive tax. The blue-collar worker that needs a car to get to work, the guy that mows lawns for a living, the maids… Sure, used cars are a thing (my first car in my 1984 was in fact a Datsun B-210 that I paid $400 for). But I think everyone has noticed that used car prices are through the roof as well.

The Japanese came in and handed the US car manufacturers their asses in the 70's. We might need something like that again.

But I mean, they are.

The Chinese government is effectively giving all manufacturers 0% financing and raw materials at cost.

And even still, BYD executives have come out and said their pricing is not sustainable. The Chinese market is engaging in a massive price war and BYD's strategy is to entrench themselves in new markets with "aggressive" introductory pricing campaigns.

Not to say you're wrong, but BYD could still be price dumping in several markets, while being quietly propped up by the Chinese government. I'm not convinced that's the case, but it's still possible.

The kind of corporate-socialism that would allow a government to dump cash into an otherwise uncompetitive domestic automotive manufacturer to keep it afloat though, is more an American thing. If American auto manufacturers are right, and BYD is receiving government help, the hypocrisy would be nearly unbelievable

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America now bans Chinese stuff. Some Chinese carmakers are explicitly banned in USA.

Also, every car manufacturer has to go through crash testing and homologation in order to sell cars directly to US consumers. And, without a parts supply chain, maintaining a car becomes very difficult. So even paying 200-300% over the sale price with third-party homologation makes private importation expensive, painful, and slow.

Didn't Americans send all their freedom to Iran?

Freedom from those pesky car manufacturers that demand protection of domestic workforce?

The average American's longest-kept car is 8 years old. Therefore every eight years or so, Americans are forced to spend a significant amount of money on a car. The median price of a new car in the United States is ~$41,000. If we generously claim that a Chinese car with the same capabilities could be purchased for minimum $30,000 instead, then the number of money being lost to being forced to purchase a more expensive car, every eight years, is 11,000*350 million, or ~3.8 trillion dollars. Dividing per year, we get roughly 480 billion dollars per year that could be spent by Americans.

I'm not an economist nor a mathematician, so I will not claim that this is a good expression of the economic impact of these restrictions. But I will say that the average American does not care about which country his or her car originates from. They care about navigating our crumbling infrastructure through the only means possible, the car. We have no reliable public transport in 99% of this country nor alternative modes of transport. We are forced to buy cars.

It seems unfair to me that the average American, who is making less and less per year after we adjust for inflation and purchasing power, should be forced to carry the burden of a technologically backwards industry that is still pumping out millions of gas-powered vehicles, which are not only bad for the environment, but are even more expensive to operate compared to the cost of electric cars per mile.

Our country does not think ahead, all of our decisions just temporarily patch our longstanding issues. America is screwed.

They are in the EU. The tariff is 27% so they aren't as numerous as they would be without it but there are still plenty.

There will probably be a lot more starting next year since they are building a factory in the EU which is scheduled to start production at the end of this year. That bypasses tariffs.

"BYD faces a 17% tariff on imported electric vehicles in EU, in addition to the standard 10% base rate."

"BYD has sold 19,241 fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in Europe last month, a 255% soar from the same period a year ago."

Small numbers, but I am pretty sure they're in Europe. https://eletric-vehicles.com/byd/byd-sales-in-europe-more-th...

Edited: Tariffs vary across Europe, particularly in non EU nations.

Tariffs can’t stop “technology” and “manufacturing.”

I see many in my part of the eu.

The BYD is sold in Europe but there is higher VAT and a special EU Chinese car import tax - so these cars are about 20k euro.

There is also the Renault Twingo which is in the same class.

Australia doesn’t tariff Chinese car imports, on account of no longer having any car industry of our own to defend.

That said we do still have a hefty “luxury car tax” for anything over $80k, which is a hangover from when there was an industry here. The government aren’t going to lift that any time soon.

Its current function is to select for expensive trucks over expensive sedans, because trucks are “commercial” and exempt, making our roads less safe overall. Thanks government.

I bought a 4 year old leaf with 25k on the clock in May for £7k ($10k). Get about 150 miles on a full charge. I’d rather a little more as I tend to do 90 a day, so if it doesn’t charge offpeak overnight for some reason I’m left with a manual recharge during the day. But I do a lot of miles (25k a year)

The main downside on long trips is the DC is chamedo, not standard ccs, so there are fewer locations and they are sometimes broken or full.

I doubt a $15k econobox ev is going to support 1.5MW charging.

Also, I think you are underestimating the sheer size and desolate spreaded-outness of Australia.

> a bit bigger/more rugged to go bush once in a while.

Depends whether you're taking the Birdsville track or the Bibbulmun track really.

The shorter one can be done a on a red postie bike, the longer one won't even need that :-)

$20k for the car plus $5k for roof top solar, plus $500,000 for the house to put it on.

Or: a $2000 Corolla and the rental home you’re already in.

Cheaper EVs is a good thing.

Australia is more than cities.

Cities can make public transport free and congestion charges if they want to reduce usage of cars.

I agree with you but the Opal fares in Sydney are more expensive than it would cost me in tolls driving across the bridge and paying for parking at work. I still don't often drive but it's not because PT is more economical.

Yeah we have too much urban sprawl, and too few people, to justify widespread public transport to eliminate the need for a household car (in Australia).

we can electrify our cars and build public transport simultaneously!

Not disagreeing with you, but also two wrongs don't make a right. Just because someone else, or someone does 'thing A' that's disagreeable, doesn't mean doing 'thing B' becomes fine.