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Toyota is taking the Corolla electric

446 points · 838 comments · cisc

  1. bigmadshoe · · focus · HN ↗
    Why does every car manufacturer peddle these overly complex designs with massive displays, a futuristic aesthetic, etc?

    People drive Corollas because they're cheap and reliable. Give me that with an electric motor.

    1. z0mghii · · focus · HN ↗
      That's what the market expects from an EV
      1. dingaling · · focus · HN ↗
        This is what the market is being told to expect from an EV.

        The Dacia Spring is what the market actually seems to want:

        <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.dacia.co.uk&#x2F;hybrid-and-electric-range&#x2F;spring-city-car.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.dacia.co.uk&#x2F;hybrid-and-electric-range&#x2F;spring-cit...

        It&#x27;s a car, not an Autobot.

        1. teamonkey · · focus · HN ↗
          The entry level model doesn’t even have an infotainment panel, it has a shelf you can place your phone on and use an app if you wish.
          1. sl-1 · · focus · HN ↗
            Sounds like optimal solution to me.
          2. jamescontrol · · focus · HN ↗
            That sounds exactly like how an entry model should be?
            1. teamonkey · · focus · HN ↗
              Most cars have at least a radio
          3. InsideOutSanta · · focus · HN ↗
            Perfect.
        2. MisterMunchkin · · focus · HN ↗
          Lmao if that were true, everyone would be buying them. We aren’t, because they suck. It’s a decent car if you just need something cheap, but cheap doesn’t mean good. A raspberry pi isn’t better than a M5 just because it’s cheap.
          1. bittercynic · · focus · HN ↗
            It depends on what you&#x27;re doing. If a raspberry pi meets the needs of your project, I&#x27;d say it &#x2F;is&#x2F; better because it&#x27;s cheaper.
      2. throwaway27448 · · focus · HN ↗
        How do you know if there isn&#x27;t a sensible car to compare it with? Nobody wants something that looks like a tesla
      3. BeetleB · · focus · HN ↗
        I drive an EV. It sucks. Sucks. Sucks. Worst driving experience of all cars I&#x27;ve owned. The lack of buttons and crappy HVAC controls are things I notice daily.

        Outside of Tesla owners, I don&#x27;t know a single EV owner who praises these elements. The EV market does not want this.

        1. 0x457 · · focus · HN ↗
          I think its a tesla issue, not EV issue.
        2. ninalanyon · · focus · HN ↗
          Which one?
      4. bigmadshoe · · focus · HN ↗
        It isn&#x27;t what I want and it seems many people on- and off-line agree with me.
      5. jerlam · · focus · HN ↗
        Toyota&#x27;s EVs share most of the same components as their non-EVs, like door handles and screens. They have become the fourth best selling EVs behind the Teslas and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in recent months.
      6. xbmcuser · · focus · HN ↗
        Yeah, a lot of people on Hacker News are asking for a bare-bones EV, but that market isn&#x27;t big enough for US or Western carmakers to justify building one. Still, I&#x27;d bet that over the next few years, as batteries keep getting cheaper, we&#x27;ll see plenty of these bare-bones cars in Africa and Asia. They&#x27;re already building electric tuk-tuks, and as solar power electrifies more of the world, we&#x27;ll get bare-bones EVs.
        1. Thrymr · · focus · HN ↗
          Maybe not for western carmakers, but if BYD was allowed to sell a $20-25k EV in the US, it would sell like crazy (and not just to the HN crowd).
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