The comparison of Europe to the United States using cars needs to be tempered with a few facts about population density. Germany has a density about 609 people per square mile where my state Michigan has a density of about 176 people per square mile or about 29% as dense as Germany. Many areas of the US have low population densities like Michigan. In many of these low population dense areas in the US larger vehicle car and truck sales have been the norm for many years. The population density in Germany especially places like Berlin where it is 9,921 persons per square mile is one factor that has led to using smaller autos in Europe. Their streets just wonât support every one having larger vehicles. This factor is true in most of Europe. There are narrower high ways in most central cities that means fewer cars per hour can move through these congested traffic points if they were larger American style cars. Today in the US cities on the east and west coast population densities approach or exceed many European cities. In these areas either public transportation or smaller cars will become the norm in future years.
You nailed it. I don't know what the population density is here in Canada but it's low as fuck. Could you imagine driving cross country or even cross province (state) in a smart car?! No thank you!
You just assumed that I don't have an economy car. I drive about 50 miles per day commute in my old '87 Carrera. Thats only 6 cylinders so you can't really get greener than that without it being a golfcart. I have a 1970 914-6 that raced in Le Mans. I tow it up to Willow Springs behind my 2002 F250 with the turbocharged 7.3 liter diesel V-8. Hows that for your carbon emissions you poofy eurofag socialist fuck.
Funnier yet most of these people admiring Europe have never been there. Week long vacation doesn't count. ........excessive property taxes, excessive automobile taxes (200% registration fee and a 300% gas tax on every litre) + pollution tax, weight tax and an extra $5,000 per year to be taxed by income tax because you own a car That's what people in U.S. voted for actually. God bless them clueless souls.
This is an interesting thread. It really displays the difference in thought that pervade our society. On one side we have individuals who advocate personal choice and personal freedom as sacrosanct. On the other we have a group that advocates the group determining choice and freedoms with little or no regard for the individual. There are some distinct psychological differences between the two, at least based on my observations throughout my life. In many cases the largest differentiator between the two camps is how they handle uncertainty and the fear associated with it. One group generally faces it head on while the other looks to the group for support, approval, acceptance, etc.